Reviews (108)

Classic timepiece movie...
This is a classic movie that is as much social commentary as car chase. I remember watching this on a Saturday matinee on my local television station (long before the advent of cable television) and was mesmerized.

I recently purchased the VHS version and it was just as sweet twenty years later.

The premise isn't much: the main character, former member of society now riding on the fringe, has to get a car to San Francisco in 15 hours. Load up on amphetamines and off we go. The 'plot' is merely a vehicle for the ride.

The car chase scenes are great and realistic (none of the special effects laden hocus pocus you see today) and the cinematography of the West is beautiful. The characters, from the DJ who plays mystical guide to the helpers the driver meets in the desert, show life on the fringe. I'm sure on some level this is a mystical, metaphorical journey of sorts but to me it is simply fun to watch.

The soundtrack is absolutely great. It is kind of the O Brother Where Art Thou of the 70s -- the one that missed the radar. It isn't music you hear on the radio and it certainly isn't mainstream in any fashion but it sure is good.

I give this five stars quite simply because of the cinematography, the cast of characters and the music. Well worth the visit. They just don't make films like this anymore.

Vanishing Point on DVD.. Please !!!
Someday this cult classic will make it to DVD, and my freinds if enjoy fast paced car chase action movies this is a must for your collection. Not only is it a great movie, but the soundtrack of songs from such artists as Delany & Bonnie, Mountain, and Kim Carnes (years before she did "Bette Davis Eyes") would be a great soundtrack if it ever was put together (Problem is back in 1970, movie soundtracks were rare, only musicals had them).

The movie is basically about a driver name Kowalski who's trying to deliver a Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco in less than 24 hours. It's filled with flashbacks and events that take place thoughout Kowalski's life all while he's speeding though the desert in the Challenger.

Cops, Hippies, Bikers, Gospel Faith Groups, Kowalski meets them all during his journey.

Read the other reviews to get more detail about the movie, but trust me, the music and cinematography are outstanding and you"ll really enjoy this movie.

Much more than a car chase movie
This movie held me spellbound the first time I saw it and is still capable of this after countless viewings. This is more than just a car chase movie, it actually has depth and a story to tell. The scenery of the great American West is also first rate and the soundtrack never fails to set the mood.

The story of the main character, an auto delivery driver named Kowalski unfolds as he takes delivery of a white '70 Dodge Challenger which is as he puts it `souped up to 160' and proceeds to drive it from Denver to San Francisco. His plan, however is to do this in 15 hours to win a bet. As Kowalski makes his journey his life is revealed to us through flashbacks and recollections which are usually triggered by what is currently happening to him in real time. Through these the viewer learns that despite his apparent lawless behavior, Kowalski is a man of good character.

It is this good character, sense of duty and strong moral code that led to Kowalski's fallout with the establishment. He had been a decorated war hero and was honorably discharged from the military. A few years later, he was a decorated policeman. However, when he saw his police partner behaving in an unsavory fashion, he reacted. His reward was to be dishonorably discharged from the police force. This ultimately led Kowalski down the path to where we are introduced to him.

One of the big things that drew me into this movie is that it doesn't hand you the explanations on a silver platter. Instead it allows you to think about it and draw your own conclusions long after you've seen it. Some reviewers on IMDB have already done a great job of touching on the philosophies of freedom and individualism prevalent in this movie, so I won't waste the time trying to top those. I'll add that I feel this is a type of an expressionist film. Kowalski is kind of an `Everyman' who is on a journey to find his place in the grand scheme of things. Along his path he encounters various characters that watch over him and help him along, but there are also those who wish to shut him down. Whether you think the conclusion of Kowalski's journey is successful or not is up to you.

Another big plus is the realism in the driving scenes, where the drivers are actually driving their machines and occasionally things happen like tires going flat or the car needs fuel. Most modern car chase sequences leave me wanting with all of the computer generated car moves and general lack of realism. I know they sometimes got it wrong back then too, doing things like obviously speeding the film up. In this one though, they got it right. The driving here brings us into that realm of manhandling 4000 lbs. of American Iron, in all the glory of big-block V8 roar, screaming smoking tires, and hands grappling with the steering wheel.

Another thing that's cool to me about this type of movie is the appearance of the car. At the beginning, the car is resplendent in gleaming chrome and white paint. As the story moves along, the car gradually gets a more dusty battered countenance. I won't spoil the end, but those who've seen it know.

The final things that tie this whole thing together are the soundtrack and scenery. They seem to go hand in hand, from the upbeat rock & roll as Kowalski starts out to the stirring guitar strains during the thoughtful moments. I also cannot say enough about the scenery, which really draws the viewer in. It ranges from the mountains of Colorado, across Utah and into the searing Nevada desert.

In closing, I'll say that this is one of my favorite movies. It won't be understood by everyone, but those of us who fantasize about getting in a classic car and blasting down an open two-lane highway devoid of SUV's, sport sedans and minivans will likely get it.

Still Incredible!
I own over 1000 DVDs. Most I haven't gotten around to watch. In three days I've watched this one 3 times. Maybe this explains why when I was a kid I sat through this like a zillion times in the theater. A perfect film....

A 70's Drive In Cult Classic
Fast action, terrific photography, great period atmosphere, colorful characters and a first-rate rock soundtrack add up to a true drive-in classic that retains its "cult classic" reputation even after more than 30 years.

This DVD includes BOTH the 97-minute U.S. print typically seen on cable and video AND the 105-minute U.K. version which includes a couple of flashbacks featuring Charlotte Rampling that for some reason were completely excised for U.S. release. The excised scenes add just a tad more insight into Kowalski's character; while not essential to the whole plot (such as it is), these scenes ARE interesting and definitely will be appreciated by hardcore fans of the film. Kudos to 20th Century Fox for making available both versions. Being a real fan of the era that this movie was shot in, it's a kick to hear director Richard C. Sarafian's commentary track. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (426)

Stop Complaining
I REALLY hate these reviewers saying this is a bad dvd. For 20 bucks, you get enhanced visuals and sound, a commentary from the composer [Music is halfthe movie, after all!], AND the uncut edition you'd previously have to buy through Canada or bootleg! Rhino could've sold this at 30 bucks-like most dvd's-but they're LOSING money by selling it to the fans at vhs retail. If you think Lucas will give you a better deal, then don't buy this and wait another decade for the Star Wars trilogy! And yes, I consider this the best deal I've ever had on a dvd! It's perfect, exactly like I remembered it, but with the curse words I missed the first time around. It almost makes me feel like I'm watching Macross Plus; that's how good it looks and sounds. Transformers fans-like myself-MUST own it. DVD's like this are reasons I'm glad to own a dvd player. Now let's hope the He-man movie on dvd happens too. (And I mean the animated movie, not the horrible live action-flick with Dolph Lundgren.)

The coolest Transformer movie created!
This movie rocks! Just if you're wondering, the Transformers are two legions of robots who war over the control of their home world, Cybertron. These robots convert from vehicle to robot, whenever they please. The good guys are the Autobots: Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, RC, Ultra Magnus, Blaster, Wreck-Gar, Perceptor, Ironhide, Jazz, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, and of course, the legendary Optimus Prime (there are other Autobots; too many to list). The bad guys are the Decepticons: Megatron, Starscream, Astrotrain, Bombshell, Kickback, Barrage, Shrapnel, Venom, Soundwave, Thundercracker, Bonecrusher, Hook, Laung Haul (Bonecrusher, Hook, Laung Haul and a bunch of other guys combine to form the most powerful Decepticon called Devestator), and more.
What really was dumb to jam in the movie was 2 swear words. I thought the coolest scene in the movie was Hot Rod opening the Matrix of Leadership and Transform into Rodimus Prime, and also "lighting their darkest hour" while playing "The Touch" in the backround. Having the coolest soundtrack a director could dream of, this movie is probably the coolest you'll ever see! By the way, the Transformers theme song and the song called "Dare" are in my favorite range of soundtrack. Hope this reveiw helped everyone who read it.

One word AWSOME
I went to see this movie when I was a teen in the theaters. It was an awesome movie to see in the theaters. Now my son is into the Transformers and found my VHS of the movie and plays it all the time. He actually likes it better than ARMADA, ENERGON BEAST WARS and MACHINE WARS. About 4 years ago I went thru a lot of trouble getting a VHS of the movie (It took me over a year of searching and finally I got it from a Canadian video company). I'm glad to see the DVD has come out. It is a great movie a lot of action, humor and watching it with my son he sees that war has consequences. Every now and then we will put sound thru the stereo and put the headphones on. Now I got to get the DVD because he may wear out the VHS.

The best of theTransformer's movies.
I went to see this movie when I was a teen in the theaters. It was an awesome movie to see in the theaters. Now my son is into the Transformers and found my VHS of the movie and plays it all the time. He actually likes it better than ARMADA, ENERGON,BEAST WARS and MACHINE WARS. About 4 years ago I went thru a lot of trouble getting a VHS of the movie (It took me over a year of searching and finally I got it from a Canadian video company). I'm glad to see the DVD has come out. It is a great movie a lot of action, humor and watching it with my son he sees that war has consequences. Every now and then we will put sound thru the stereo and put the headphones on. Now I got to get the DVD because he may wear out the VHS.

Disney can take their movies and stick em up their wazoos
Disney artists need to take lessons from this movie. Disney uses a lot of lazy computer animation, which usually looks horrible.

This movie is 99 percent actual hand drawn animation. All of which looks superb.

The music is also great. About 6 great songs with that 80's hard rock attitude.

For another example for great hand drawn animation, check out G.I. Joe the movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A disappointment after the superb two previous seasons, the final run of Babylon 5 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. Giving a prominent role to Patricia Tallman's Lyta Alexander, a love story for her was woven with the leader of the telepaths, Byron (Robin Atkin Downs). Meanwhile the aftermath of the Shadow War was explored as the origin of human telepaths became clear in "Secrets of the Soul," and the appearance of PSI-Corp's Bester (Walter Koenig) brought the plight of the refugees to a powerful close in "A Tragedy of Telepaths" and "Phoenix Rising."

This was immediately followed by a rare episode not written by J. Michael Straczynski. Much was expected of "Day of the Dead," penned by Neil Gaiman, the British creator of DC's landmark Sandman comic and graphic novel series. Yet despite a change of tone including a guest appearance by Penn & Teller as 23rd-century comedy favorites Rebo & Zooty, the story proved an incongruous side trip into an unexplained twilight zone of fantasy. As usual the season picked up toward the end, with a string of fine political episodes leading to "The Fall of Centauri Prime" and the haunting "Objects at Rest," in which Sheridan and Delenn leave Babylon 5 for new quarters on Minbar.

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 (30)

Death and Transfiguration
With the originally planned five-year arc effectively wrapped-up in four years, the fifth and last season of Babylon 5 became a new beginning.

Some episodes experiment with a different kind of story telling. "Day of the Dead" is a unique episode that allows some old threads to be concluded, like Londo's love story with Adira. "A View from the Gallery" shows the workings of the space station from the point-of-view of two clueless maintenance workers. "The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father" gives us a view inside Psi-Corps and shows us how loved Bester is by "his" people. "Learning Curve" shows us more about ranger training.

Two new main plot lines are started in season five, but not concluded. One deals with the story of the telepath wars, beginning with the standoff between the telepaths and the station security force, and the martyrdom of Byron. The other is the take over, by the Drakhs, of the Centauri Republic and the subjection of Londo, the new emperor, to their control.

The telepath wars were said in "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" to be the responsibility of Sheridan, but they are not covered by any episode or book. The happy (after much suffering) conclusion of the Centauri-Drakh saga is alluded to in the finale and is described in detail in the three books by Peter David.

The last three episodes, before the finale, are "The Wheel of Fire", "Objects in Motion" and "Objects at Rest". They were the last episodes of the series, since the finale was shot for season four. In these episodes the stories of the main characters come the some sort of conclusions. Garibaldi overcomes his problem with alcoholism, marries Lise and becomes the co-owner of Edgars Industries. Sheridan and Delenn move to their new quarters on Minbar, where they will raise their son. (Sheridan's speech to his unborn child in "Objects at Rest" is one of the most moving of the entire show.) Lyta, after the loss of her lover, Byron, becomes a totally alien being, feared by everyone, except G'Kar (who fears nothing). The two of them leave to explore the galaxy together.

The season finale (actually shot for season four) is set twenty years in the future. "Sleeping in Light" is a deeply moving episode. Sheridan is dying, and he invites his surviving friends for a last supper on Minbar. Then he leaves alone on a White Star. On the way he stops off at Babylon 5, one last time. Soon after he leaves, Babylon 5, now redundant, is demolished: it is consumed by fire in a series of explosions. After his arrival at the Coriana system, Sheridan is engulfed by light: he will never be seen again. With the death of both the space station and the main character, the series ends in triumph, mixed with deep sadness.

BEST SHOW EVER. 5th season: Both lousy & great at same time
Yes, Babylon 5 is the best sci-fi show ever produced, and seasons 2/3/4 were the best of the best. But then came season 5 which feels like two different shows: both lousy and great. SEASON 5 FIRST HALF (LOUSY): Boring.Not interesting. The first half equals season 1 in poor story quality. Strange. And yet... SEASON 5 SECOND HALF (GREAT): The Shadows are gone, but their allys are still here, and the new Interstellar Alliance (Babylon 5) steps in to stop the fighting. The second half equals seasons 2/3/4 in brilliance, character development, and pathos. A great ending to a great series.

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." Well said Mr. Straczynski, and thank you for creating this wonderful show. Like a classic novel, Babylon 5 reaches beyond mere entertainment. Thank you.

Somewhat Anti-climatic
The fifth season of Babylon 5 was excellent, and wrapped up the series, concluding the longest mini-series in television history. Unfortunately, it ends up being rather anti-climactic. With the Shadow War and the Earth Civil War both concluded in the fourth season, it just has no place to go here. The character pieces with Londo trapped as the new Emperor of the Centauri Republic and Garibaldi falling back into alchoholism are powerful and interesting, but can't match the action of the Earth civil war. In the final analysis, a good series with good stories, but not up to the standards of previous seasons.

Thanks for a Wonderful Series
Anyone who is a fan of Babylon 5 will or has already bought this 5th and final DVD set. This was the year that almost was not. Thanks to TNT, Warner Bros. gave JMS the go-ahead to complete this wonderful story. The 5th season set of Babylon 5 wraps most of the major plotlines that all B5 fans have watched unfold through the entire series.

The last few episodes from "The Fall of Centauri Prime" right on up to "Sleeping in Light" are all stellar pieces of good story telling. The sense of family and a bond between all of the major characters can be felt as each go their separate ways only to be reunited some years later in the touching finale.

Thanks J. Michael Straczynski for giving us such a wonderful TV series. I don't think I'll ever see anything like this in my lifetime again. Just wonderful.

Excellent, but not the best B5: "The Wheel of Fire"
J. Michael Straczynski's apt title for the fifth and final season of "Babylon 5", "The Wheel of Fire" is a suitable summary of what transpires. In the aftermath of the Shadow War and the successful rebellion against EarthGov's President Clark, John Sheridan is elected President of the Interstellar Alliance. However, all is not peace and tranquility, as he must soon contend with a telepath crisis on Babylon 5 involving the followers of ex-Psi Cop Byron (Robin Atkin Downes), and tensions between the Alliance and the Centauri Republic.

Here's a list of the episodes:

1. No Compromises (Captain Elizabeth Lochley arrives as B5's new commander and Sheridan is approached by Byron to create a telepath colony on the station.)
2. The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari (Londo comes to terms with his mortality after suffering a nearly fatal heart attack. Lennier arrives at a momentuous decision which will have tragic consequences towards the end of the season.)
3. The Paragon of Animals (Garibaldi seeks Byron's assistance in creating an Interstellar Alliance intelligence unit comprised of telepaths.)
4. A View from the Gallery (Maintenance workers offer a unique perspective on living and working aboard B5 as the station is attacked by mysterious aliens.)
5. Learning Curve (Delenn is reunited with an old friend, a Minbari ranger, while his students stop a racketeer's attempt to seize control of Downbelow's Brown Sector.)
6. Strange Relations (Londo avoids an assassination attempt, and G'Kar becomes his bodyguard.)
7. Secrets of the Soul (Franklin discovers a deadly secret about an Interstellar Alliance race, while Downbelow objects to the presence of Byron's telepath colony.)
8. Day of the Dead (Neil Gaiman penned this script about a Brakiri religious festival, in which Lennier, Garibaldi and Lochley must come to grips with their worst fears. Comedic duo Penn and Teller portray the interstellar comedic sensation Rebo and Zooty.)
9. In the Kingdom of the Blind (Byron tries to blackmail the Interstellar Alliance into giving his telepath colony a world of its own.)
10. A Tragedy of Telepaths (Lochley finally seeks Sheridan's permission to have Bester and his Psi Cops remove Byron's colony.)
11. Phoenix Rising (The telepath crisis is finally resolved, but not until after several deaths, and a final decision made by Byron.)
12. The Ragged Edge (G'Kar returns to Babylon 5, and to his dismay, discovers that his book was published, transforming him into a prophet hailed by countless fellow Narn. Garibaldi seeks out a possible human witness of a Raider attack, and stumbles accidentally on evidence implicating the Centauri Republic in thses attacks.)
13. The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father (Bester's "humanity" is revealed as he trains two young Psi Cop apprentices in apprehending a dangerous rogue telepath who has fled to Bester's "favorite" place, Babylon 5.)
14. Meditations on the Abyss (With Delenn's blessing, Lennier joins a White Star to uncover evidence pointing to Centauri involvement in the Raider attacks against Alliance shipping. Meanwhile Londo is officially appointed Prime Minister of the Centauri Republic, and he appoints Vir as his successor as ambassador to Babylon 5.)
15. Darkness Ascending (Lennier risks losing his life in uncovering key evidence proving Centauri involvement in the Raider attacks against shipping. Lyta seeks a homeworld for the telepaths, offering a Faustian bargain with G'Kar.)
16. And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder (The Interstellar Alliance receives proof of Centauri involvement against Alliance shipping, and authorizes a blockade of Centauri space.)
17. Movements of Fire and Shadow (Sheridan orders the White Star fleet to intervene in an unauthorized attack on Centauri Prime by some Alliance warships.)
18. The Fall of Centauri Prime (Sheridan arrives too late to stop the attack. Meanwhile the Drakh reveal themselves to Londo and obtain his obediance by threatening the Centauri homeworld with total annihilation. He is crowned Emperor soon after the Regent's death.)
19. The Wheel of Fire (EarthGov issues a warrant for Lyta's arrest. She is seized and held in B5's brig. Meanwhile G'Kar must contend with his religious followers.)
20. Objects in Motion (Garibaldi is warned that an assassin has arrived on Babylon 5, intending to kill him and his fiance, Lise Edgars. G'Kar joins in the plot organized by Sheridan to foil the assassination attempt.)
21. Objects at Rest (Sheridan and Delenn bid farewell to Babylon 5, bound for the new Alliance capitol, the city of Tuzenor on Minbar.)
22. Sleeping in Light (Written and filmed at the end of Season Four, when there was a strong possibility that Babylon 5 would not be renewed for a fifth season, this episode is a fitting conclusion to the series. It is set twenty years after the events chronicled in Season Four, when Sheridan asks his friends to visit him for the last time in his home on Minbar.)

Warner Brothers has done a fine job in digital remastering of these episodes. As before, it is replete with interviews with cast members and J. Michael Straczynski's comments of several key episodes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If the first two seasons introduced one of the great television crime dramas, Homicide really came into its own during the third. Instead of the mere 13 episodes scattered between 1993 and 1994, NBC ordered up a full 20 for the 1994-1995 season. The entire terrific cast is back, with the exception of Jon Polito, whose absence is explained in the fourth episode ("Crosetti"). There are other changes, like the addition of Megan Russert (Isabella Hofmann) as shift commander. Aside from the fact that the mostly male staff now has a woman to report to (alongside Yaphet Kotto's Lt. Giardello), it turns out that Russert has a "history" with one of the detectives. Homicide always excelled in its exploration of racial and office politics; now sexual politics would become a bigger issue. Religion also comes to the fore as Pembleton (Andre Braugher) is finally forced to confront the loss of his faith while working on a case ("The White Glove Murders") involving several aid workers (episodes 1-3). Meanwhile, his partner, Bayliss (Kyle Secor), is coming to resemble the naive young rookie of the first two seasons less and less by the second... while getting to enjoy a little more romance than the rest of the squad--especially the hapless Meldrick (Clark Johnson). But all is not sturm and drang. Humor still finds a place in each episode and Munch (Richard Belzer) still gets many of the best lines. In the season premiere ("Nearer My God to Thee"), for instance, he tells Bolander (Ned Beatty), "There is no such thing as gratuitous sex. Gratuitous violence, yes... Sex cannot and will not ever be gratuitous." He could be describing Homicide itself, in which nothing is ever gratuitous, especially the sudden loss of human life, which is never--and should never be--treated lightly. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Homicide, The Best Gets Better
The first two seasons of Homicide were great television. The third season surpassed the first two and cemented this police drama as one of the best ever on network television. Although NBC buried it in the Friday night graveyard and ratings were always low, we were still given superior writing, acting and production quality on a consistent basis. This dvd set contains a season of the same character-driven stories that makes Homicide what it is, but the plotting became a bit more tightly woven as compared to the previous seasons. The show starts out with the addition of LT. Megan Russert (Isabella Hofmann) as a new shift commander who must deal with a series of murders after only a week on the job. The White Glove Murders would be the first of two three-part stories during the season. They would also test Frank Pembleton's faith in God and humanity; a theme that would recur throughout the rest of his time on the series. We're treated to some touching and heartbreaking moments as well in such episodes as "Every Mother's Son," and "All Through the House." Racial tensions flair in, "Colors," as Pembleton and Bayliss clash when Tim's cousin shoots a Turkish exchange student on his front porch. The best example comes when we watch Meldrick Lewis struggle to accept the death of his partner in, "Crosetti." Many fans note the final scene of this episode as their all-time favorite from the series. The other major three-part story involves the shooting of Kay Howard, Beau Felton and Stan Bolander. The chase to track down the shooter is riveting and the final confrontation between Pembleton and a suspect in The Box is classic Homicide at its best. Other story lines running throughout the season include Beau Felton's troubled marriage and the efforts of three of the detectives to buy and open the Waterfront Bar. The original cast remains intact for this season, except for the departure of Jon Polito (Crosetti.) Unfortunately, this would be the last season for Ned Beatty (Bolander) and Daniel Baldwin (Beau Felton) until their reappearance in the Homicide movie.

As is the case with the previous dvd set, the sound is superior to that of the TV reruns and the picture quality is excellent. The commentary on the episode, "The Gas Man," is interesting and the bonus documentary was fun to watch for those of us who are diehard fans. The music lists and visuals of the board are also nice bonuses. One gets the feeling that the people putting this package together did some internet research along the way. Its nice to see that the episodes are placed in the correct story order so that events would flow smoothly. NBC wasn't so considerate when they aired the original series. I was disappointed to find no "play all" feature and unlike the last season, chapter breaks are not available between episodes. I'm also disappointed to find that A&E didn't include the previouslies at the beginning of each episode. Still, this is an excellent package and well worth the price.

Episode List:
*Nearer My God to Thee 1
*Fits Like a Glove 2
*Extreme Unction 3
*Crosetti
*The Last of the Watermen
*A Model Citizen
*Happy to be Here
*All Through the House
*Nothing Personal
*Every Mother's Son
*Cradle to Grave
*Partners
*The City That Bleeds 1
*Dead End 2
*End Game 3 (Guest star Steve Buscemi
*Law and Disorder
*The Old and the Dead
*In Search of Crimes Past
*Colors
*The Gas Man (Guest star Bruno Kirby)

Ho-Ho-Ho Homicide
A full season of "Homicide" must have seemed strange in the fall of 1994. In the previous 18 months, NBC aired just 13 episodes of the show, in what seemed to be 13 different time slots. Oddly enough, even though I lived in Baltimore at the time, I didn't watch a single moment of the series -- I didn't come to it until years later, when nearly half the original cast was gone, and when I had long since forsaken Charm City for the American gothic of Toledo, Ohio.

It's an absolute treasure having this show on DVD now, available at my beck and call. While the Seasons 1/2 box set did not last very long, I worked my way methodically through the 20 episodes of Season 3. What was so important about my senior year of college that I was not watching this show on Friday nights?

The producers put their agenda right on the table in the season premiere. "Homicide" in its earlier episodes established itself as the cop show with no gunfights and no car chases. The character with the most active social life in those years was rotund Stan Bolander (Ned Beatty). The teaser for the Season 3 premiere (which, as was the norm, featured some of the detectives' best bickering and bantering) features Munch (Richard Belzer) ridiculing a TV soap opera. The episode then ends with the revelation that Detective Felton (Daniel Baldwin) has been carrying on a torrid affair with newly-appointed Lieutenant Russert (Isabella Hoffmann).

However, even that change in the show's game plan was not a brain-dead concession to network standards. The opening three-episode arc also features infrequent glimpses of Felton's weird, child-like wife, and pulls the plug on the affair. Center stage in these three episodes is Frank Pembleton (Emmy-winning Andre Braugher) and his crisis of faith after a series of religious-inspired murders.

The cast change for Season 3 featured the unfortunate exit of Jon Polito, whose Detective Crosetti (the Lincoln assassination conspiracy theorist) was a signature character the first two years. However, he's not just pushed aside without explanation. Crosetti's suicide lingers over the squadroom for half the year, with two entire episodes devoted to the aftermath of his death. "Crosetti", the episode where Bolander and Munch fish his body from the Chesapeake, features a tour-de-force performance by Clark Johnson as Detective Lewis, Crosetti's partner, trying to come to grips with the news.

Yaphet Kotto replaces Crosetti as the show's signature character -- someone you wouldn't find anywhere else on television. The African-American police lieutenant who played by the book was already an ancient TV cliche by the time "Homicide" came along. Kotto (and the writers) actually did something with this stereotype. Here we see Kotto not just threatening his detectives (Felton), but laughing at them, too (Bayliss and Munch). He plays politics with his superiors, and loses his cool when he's a victim of skin-tone racism. And, best of all, on one Sunday morning ("Last of the Watermen"), he runs into Munch in a city laundromat. And ignores him.

Other notable episodes:
-"Every Mother's Son", where Pembleton investigates the death of a teen at the hands of another teen. Never a show to settle for typical right-wing cop show sentiment, "Homicide" instead shows how the mothers (accidentally) befriend each other.
-"The City that Bleeds", the start of a three-episode run detailing the shootings of Bolander, Felton and Howard.
-"End Game", or The One with Steve Buscemi. Second only to "Three Men and Adena" (Season 1) for Pembleton's best interrogation in The Box.
-"All Through the House". It's Christmas in Baltimore. Bolander gets overly pious over the squadroom tree, Bayliss tries to hustle Giardello at a game of hearts, and Munch has to babysit with the precocious son of a slain street-corner Santa Claus.
-"A Model Citizen". Everyone gets something to do, from Bayliss's creepy romance with crime-scene artist Emma Zoole, to Munch's efforts at taking an alcohol-awareness class, to Felton receiving more bad news about his marrage. "Homicide" was always noteworthy for its use of alternative and hip-hop music on the soundtrack. This one ends with "Hurt", years before Johnny Cash made it cool again.
-"The Gas Man". The season (and, at the time, nearly the series) finale, focusses entirely on Bruno Kirby as a released convict stalking Pembleton. The DVD also features commentary by writer Henry Bromell and director Barry Levinson. Together with the Season 3 featurette, narrated by Daniel Baldwin, these DVD extras give you all the behind-the-scenes dirt. It's a shame that we only got one commentary track, but it is a good one.

the best tv drama (cop or otherwise) ever
I won't get many this review was helpfuls because I'm not going into any detail of plot and characters etc.. I'm simply saying for any fan of drama, comedy and pathos - this is simpley the best tv drama ever produced. I followed its' journey from beginning to end during its original broadcast - despite the time changes and interuptions in scheduling. You cannot buy better television at any price - buy them all and enjoy.

Ah, the mid 90's...its all coming back. Plus one scolding.
I'm not going to add much more to the terrific reviews of the series - it is the best show you never watched, and since I managed to watch most of them (and caught up on the rest!), it is a terrific blast from the past.

I am going to add one scolding, and its the reason I gave this DVD set 4 stars instead of 5. Unlike several other reviewers, I thought that the commentary track ("The Gas Man") was rather thin. Yes, great, we got the writer and director of the show. But would it kill them to spend 47 minutes watching said show at least once before commenting on it? C'mon guys! You had a couple of interesting bits. Saying several times in essence "wow, this is so great, wish I would have seen this before, lets watch..."...well, I can do that.

Study for the test, dudes!

Can't Wait For The Next Season
I only began watching this wonderful police drama when it was in syndication and airing on Court TV--Now I Can't wait to own "every" season of this great show and be able to put it all together from "beginning to end". If you enjoy this type of show, it's a "must have" set in my view. I am eagerly awaiting my next installation of Season 4 and then will, no doubt, be just as excited to continue my collection with each and every season of this great TV show. ... Read more

Reviews (191)

Docked two stars for shoddy DVD treatment
First of all, let me go on the record as saying that Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my all-time favorite films. The acting is nothing short of astounding. Each actor (particularly Jack Lemmon) is at the top of their form. This is an actor's movie. There's no special effects, chase scenes, superfluous love story subplot, or pat ending. It should be obvious to anyone watching this film that it is based on a play -- specifically, David Mamet's Pulitzer-prize winning play of the same name. Mamet also wrote the screenplay, which is full of the fiery brilliance he always brings to the table. This is not a film for the timid. The language is raw and crude. The film takes no prisoners and I love it.

The film takes place in a real estate office, where cutthroat salesman do "cold calling," basically selling land by telemarketing. It's a brutal business (we've all been on the other end of that phone call and usually end up hanging up on the salesman), and the people these guys work for are brutal as well.

Case in point: during an early, crucial scene, Blake (played brilliantly by Alec Baldwin) tells the gathered crew that the top prize for highest sales is a Cadillac. The second prize is a set of steak knives and the third prize -- "you're fired." The speech is a sadistic, humiliating version of a pep talk, all macho brags and venomous insults. He dangles the new contacts, or "leads," in the faces of the salesmen. "They're for closers," he tells them. These guys would kill for the good leads, and Blake knows it. The scene was written especially fo the film and Baldwin eats it up. It's easily the best thing I've seen him do.

Jack Lemmon plays Sheldon Levene, the office's oldest employee. He used to be the best one around (they call him "The Machine"), but he's been on a bad streak lately and desperately needs his luck to change. His daughter's in the hospital and is unable to pay her medical bills. Al Pacino plays Ricky Roma, the current hotshot. His way of befriending a potential client in a bar and gaining his trust is odd, but effective (his opening monologue is totally insane, but thoroughly entertaining). Kevin Spacey is the office manager who will not bend the rules for anyone, much to the rage of the office. Ed Harris and Alan Arkin round out the rest of the salesmen. Harris plays Dave Moss, who has the world's biggest chip on his shoulder. Arkin is George Aaronow, who desperately needs to land a good sale. Most of his role consists of reacting to Harris and Pacino, but he's very good.

The day after Baldwin's talk, the salesman come to work to find the office robbed. The new leads are missing. Probably an inside job. It could have been anyone. Everyone is questioned by the police and everyone is insulted that they are considered suspects. Ricky is mad because the robbery may have screwed up his latest sale, putting his ownership of the Cadillac in jeopardy. Also, last night's client comes looking for him -- he has second thoughts. The way Ricky tries desperately to blow off his client while still playing the salesman is creepy and brilliant. Lemmon is amazing as Levene -- I've never seen desperation played so well.

Having said all that, I, along with the rest of the GGR fans, have been waiting years for this film to arrive on DVD. Especially since it's been promised as a "two-disc special edition." What a disappointing package it turned out to be.

Well, let's be fair. First of all, the film. It looks great. It sounds great. They did a great job with the film itself. But don't promise a loaded special edition and then give us something as lame as this. The only commentary track on the widescreen version is director James Foley. He only speaks during three scenes. The other commentary tracks are only available on the full-frame version (on disc two) and are not scene-specific.

The extras include "Magic Time," a tribute to the late Jack Lemmon, which is well-meaning but could have been a lot better. It does, however, end with a clip from Lemmon's appearance on "Inside the Actor's Studio," which is sweet. There is also "Always be Closing," another slapdash mini-documentary that features directors, playwrights, actors (including GGR's Alan Arkin and Alec Baldwin) discussing the role of the salesman in plays and films, as well as actual salespeople themselves. Sound interesting? It's not. It lacks any kind of cohesive thread. It appears to have been produced by a first-year film student. There's no structure to it. It looks unfinished.

There's also a clip from Kevin Spacey's appearance on "Inside the Actor's Studio" where an audience member acts out a scene from GGR with Spacey. I'll admit, I enjoyed that bit.

Why in the world didn't Criterion release this? They would have done a much better job and besides, they released the laserdisc version (with commentary tracks from Jack Lemmon, among others, I'm told). What we end up with here is an amazing film with an amazing transfer...and a bunch of lame extras thrown in.

If you're a fan of this film, by all means, buy the DVD...but don't expect much in the area of extras.

Best Sales Movie Ever
Exaggeration & Repetition: Performance keys to live by

There are two keys to being a good performer, whether you are writing or telling a story, whether you are selling something or selling yourself: Always exaggerate things by one thousand percent, and use repetition at least 500 percent.

Those who understate a story or product that may not be very strong in the first place, will fall victims to making that story or product look weak. The way to avoid making yourself or whoever/whatever you are representing look weak is to follow the aforementioned keys. The way to do that when the product or story is weak is to learn how to "B.S." That is where being a good performer comes in...

You are an actor, and being outgoing and to the extreme will always give the impression that whatever you are talking about is "the best." A good actor can do this perfectly and not come off as overly co.cky or obnoxious. Always say what the other person wants to hear. The customer is always right. Do whatever you can to "nail the gig."

There is something else to keep in mind when doing this particular form of "B.S.-ing," and that is the "K.I.S.S." method of "keep-it-simple-stupid." That may sound like a contradiction to the keys, but it is not. Keeping it simple, is not disclosing the real specifics, but still making your case sound like it's above and beyond every other possible option. This comes in handy particularly when someone asks you a question that you may not know the full answer to. That is where "filling" comes in---something that students do when writing an English essay on a test. If you have a general idea of what you want to say but don't have a specific reply to a portion of the question, you "fill" that essay with long winded run-on sentences. However, the whole thing must be coherent, and if your essay is well-written and has a good amount of clever puns and humor, you cannot lose. If you are a slick actor or writer, you can fool even the best of English teachers into at least giving you an "E" for effort.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you will never lose if you can "meet in the middle." What that means is this: Suppose a shirt looks like it is worth $15 to a customer but you build it up so much and make it sound like it's worth $50... By the end of the conversation, if you are doing your job, you are going to get them to meet you in the middle and the final conclusion will be that the price of the shirt is around $25. The real worth may be no more than $15 (and maybe even less), and certainly nowhere near $50, but you still get the "E" for effort and earn $25. You aren't really getting into details on why the shirt is worth so much more than the customer thinks, but you are pounding it into their head that it's worth $50. You are exaggerating and repeating. You are using adjectives that may or may not apply to that shirt but you are making it sound great and far above what it's worth. So finally, they will concede a price of $25. You were stretching the truth about the shirt being worth $50 and they may have been undervaluing it at $15. Essentially, you are both lying and both playing a game with one another, but finally, a minimum of $25 is agreed upon. No one may ever find out the true value, but it's irrelevant anyway. This works in any situation.

Exaggeration and repetition. But remember to K.I.S.S.

These keys could have been discussed in one paragraph, but it took an entire page, yet you as the reader were compelled to hang onto each word from start to finish. So I succeeded as a writer in that this essay was read from start to finish and my point was proven.

The "Whale"

A whale is a customer that you pull in, hook, line and sinker and mount on the wall. He is a golden nugget, a superstar, a monster. This type of customer that you get lucky enough to snag will be your customer for life. That means, you will either be set up for life from one deal you strike up or you will have him as a repeat customer that you can call back as a strong possible prospect forever.

Sometimes it is tough to spot a whale, he may not always be overly outgoing or obvious about being a "buyer." So anyone can be a whale. The way to learn if someone is a whale or not is to simply get into their home and learn about their life and about them. So anything you can do to get your foot in the door will work.

Start off small and discuss something that may appeal to their interest and work your way into their world. Don't pre-judge them until you learn about them. This will take time and patience, but all you need is a small "in" and then you can build on that and if you win the whale's trust, all it takes is one big deal to set you up for life.

So practice the "A.B.C." method of "always be closing" with everyone, because anyone can be a prospect. While the impression may be given that you genuinely care about them, the main objective is getting them to sign on the dotted line.

Of course the obvious "Gordon Gecko" type whales who go around showboating their spending habits and their skills are the true whales that if you are lucky enough to somehow snag, you are set.

A play trapped inside a movie.
'Glengarry Glen Ross' has good dialogue and good acting by the fine actors, but this is actually a play trapped inside a movie. They should not have made it into a movie.

Put that coffee down!
If you're looking for car crashes, gun fights and naked people you won't find them here. But if great dialogue and raw emotion hold your interest, it doesn't get any better than this. Every one of these guys should have won an award for their roles in this movie. Not sure if this particular DVD contains the interview with Jack Lemmon that was included after one of the cable TV broadcasts of the film. If not, it should!

Always Be Closing!
Most people think of explosions, car chases and action/adventure films as guy movies. Well, maybe, but those are for boys. There's no car chase in this movie, no deaths and no guns. But it manages to hold your attention while telling its story of real estate salesmen. This is the quintessential guy movie. This screen adaptation of David Mamet's Pulitzer-winning play is incredibly stagebound, which was a stroke of genius: thus, the fast-paced dialogue and the desperate, macho facades of the characters become, and stay, the focus. This allows the amazing talents of the cast to flourish. Pacino and Lemmon are untouchable. Ed Harris is outstanding. Having just the four main characters makes the whole thing seem oddly forced at times. Baldwin's slick delivery of his ball-busting speech to the three underachieving salesmen, is a scene to remember. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nowadays it's rare to find a movie that pays attention to human weakness as well as strength, and that sees a whole person as having both. When a sports magazine gets bought by a media conglomerate, an ad sales executive named Dave Foreman (Dennis Quaid, The Rookie) finds himself playing second-in-command to Carter Duryea, a hotshot barely half his age (Topher Grace, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!) whose marriage has just fallen apart. One evening Carter invites himself over to Dave's house to escape his loneliness, where he meets Dave's daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation). The two strike immediate sparks and when they run into each other later in the city, a relationship begins--which they discreetly keep from Dave. But the heart of the movie is not in its plot, but in the way that Dave responds to the news that his wife is pregnant, or how Carter tries to fortify his self-image with a new car. These aren't jokes; the actors inhabit these moments fully and turn them into psychological events. Quaid plays Dave as a simple man, but his straightforwardness feels genuine (rather than a failure of the writer's imagination). Grace and Johansson have terrific chemistry as lovers, but so do Grace and Quaid, both as rivals and as a substitute father and son. In Good Company isn't likely to win any awards, but it's honest and honorable; there's a core of truth to its characters and their problems aren't resolved too neatly. Sometimes, that's worth watching. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Moral Fable Never Gets Sappy
Dennis Quaid plays a 51-year-old father of two daughters and head of a sales division for a sporting magazine. After a buyout, he is demoted and has a new boss, a 26-year-old coffee-drinking yuppie full of corporate speak and blind ambition who falls in love with Quaid's gorgeous daughter. The father's self-worth is tested savagely in this comic film which, exploring the absurdity and brutality of the corporate world, actually has a moral message about integrity and being true to yourself. It's rare that a comedy is both funny and packed with moral meaning as it attempts to find redemption for the father and his new boss. For a darker look at corporate life with no redemption for the characters, check out the bleak and nihilistic In the Company of Men by Neil LeBute.

Not exactly what I expected.
Dennis Quaid gives a magnificent performance as a long-time salesman who's proud of his work, and who suddenly loses his status when he gets demoted. Topher Grace plays the new boss, and he's terrific as an obnoxious but charming kid on a power trip. Quaid and Grace's awkward, amusing, and (eventually) fond friendship is the crux of the film, and the best reason to see it. The movie's flaws: First, it's slow at times, I expected more inter-office interaction. Second, for a film about cold corporations and job insecurity, the comedy is less sharp than it could be. It's almost as if the movie is too light for its subject. Characters get laid off but you never see how it would hurt their families. The only really bad thing that happens to anyone is that they have to take out a second mortgage! Another reason the comedy is so lightweight is that there no major bad guys to make fun of. Quaid and Grace (who lays off Quaid's colleagues) represent different business philosophies, but they're both essentially good-hearted. Only one or two characters are slightly villainous, and they're on screen for just a couple minutes.

An Excellent satire
"In Good Company" is a lovely movie - part romance, part drama, part satire. It strays occasionally into the obvious, but, overall, it's enormously entertaining. While the satire and drama elements are marred by pat endings, the romance part is given a blissfully hopeful, rather than a happy, ending.

Dan [Dennis Quaid] is a high powered advertising executive at a big sports magazine. At age 52, he's at the top of his game. Out of nowhere, his company is bought by a media conglomerate headed by a billionaire megalomaniac. To Dan's horror, his new boss is a 26-year old kid named Carter [Topher Grace]. In typical early 21st Century fashion, Carter has arrived through sheer ambition and charm. He has zero experience in advertising. Carter does, however, have some experience in romance. He meets and falls deeply in love with Alex [Scarlett Johansson]. As fate would have it. Alex is Dan's daughter.

The acting here is superior. Quaid was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. Johansson is one of the best young actresses working today. The revelation is Grace, prior to this best known for his role in a hit sitcom. Here he creates one of the more memorable movie characters in recent movies.

Funny and original
Genre: Indie Comedy

Genre Grade: B+

Final Grade: B

This movie was disguised as somewhat more of a romantic comedy, but it indeed was not. It did have some of that in it, but mostly the movie was about the connection of a younger, naive boss taking on the older, experienced salesman. There was some hilarious moments and some really cheesy, odd ones too, but overall it had a good feel to it and was a good movie. The best part about this movie was the music - from The Shins, Damien Rice, and Iron & Wine. Unfortunately, Iron & Wine is the only bad that appears on the soundtrack to the movie. Bad mistake!

On a side note, this movie does not have a cliche Hollywood ending, but rather a more realistic approach to a very possible situation. Some people may not like the ending because of that, but I applaud the creators of this film for doing what they did. Wandering outside the box is something more movies should do these days. I would compare this movie to Garden State, and while Garden State may have seemingly followed the Hollywood guidelines more than this film did, I just think it was more appropriate in that film, because of the depth of the connection between Zach Braff and Natalie Portman. I don't think Scarlett Johannson and Topher Grace shared as much of a connection. Or maybe they did, but that was not the entire focus of this movie.

Not the greatest movie!
Kind of cute. I really thought I would have liked this movie, it was really great until the end of it.They could have done better on the end, kind of cheap.It definetly deserves three stars. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

There are three subtitle modes
Actually there are two subtitles, full english captioning and just the translated subtitles, the modes are Subtitle Off, Engligh 1, and English 2.

And the aspect ratio is actually letterboxed in 2.35:1 instead of the standard PSP widescreen, so I don't know what is being misprepresented. I've heard more people complain that it is in its original widescreen and not formatted to fill the PSP screen (Spider-Man 2 for example actually was cropped from 2.35:1 down to the PSP's screen size).

This is a great UMD, it has great looking animated menus, it actually HAS a scene selection menu, and it has extras too, a Making Of video and music videos. Compared to the rest of the UMD pack this disc is a feature packed jewel.

Looks and works great, but...
It looks and works great on the PSP, but my only complaint is that there is only two subtitle modes: All off, or all English on. In the DVD version there was an option to translate (display) only the Japanese words and not the English ones. Otherwise, a good buy if you want a great movie on the go.

Do not buy this UMD
Put everything else you have against UMD's aside for the moment (sparse extras, poor video and sound by comparison to DVD's, and insane pricing) and realize what a half-assed product this is. Kill Bill is a fantastic film that was sorely screwed over in its UMD conversion. Not only is the 2.35:1 aspect ratio incredibly misrepresented on the PSP, which means you lose a large amount of the picture on each side of the screen, but you're not even getting the complete director's cut. It's still the edited version. Since the director's cut will be out on DVD in only a few months time, there's a good chance they'll re-release the UMD again as well. And fairly soon at that I'm sure. It'll just prove to be a bigger waste of money for those of you complaining that this format is already expensive enough as it is.

price, not that big of an issue
the price isnt much higher than dvd's, and converting a movie to umd format, you can't expect it to be cheaper i mean come on...... and the quality is just as good as dvd's, if not better.

the shipping is great
i think you should have a selection of movies and ask the customer which regional psp they are getting then it will work i have 2 PSP's one american and one japanise so if i buy the any rejion UMD DVD it will work but most of i will recomend u guys definetly!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally telecast in the 1970s, Good Neighbors is the wonderful 1970s Britcom about an upper-middle-class couple who relinquish consumerism and turn their cozy suburban London home into a self-sufficient farm. Tom (Richard Briers) and Barbara (Felicity Kendal) Good trade in one version of the good life for an impoverished other--an old tractor instead of a car, a goat instead of a purebred pup--to the continuing consternation of their best friends and executive-salaried neighbors, Jerry (Paul Eddington) and Margot (Penelope Keith) Ledbetter. Among the episodes contained in the first three series are "Pig's Lib," in which Margot covertly seeks help from the local residents' association to stop Tom's plans for keeping pigs; "Just My Bill," in which Tom and Barbara face the rare problem of a harvest surplus that has to go somewhere; "Mutiny," in which poor Jerry is caught in a crossfire of obligations to both his boss and bossy Margot; "Going to Pot," in which the Goods come close to abandoning their self-sufficiency ethic when Tom proves a profitable craftsman at the potter's wheel; "The Happy Event," in which the birth of new livestock is wonderful news for the Goods but a sore point with the Ledbetters; and "The Last Posh Frock," featuring Barbara at the end of her rope when her last nice dress gets torn. As always, the series' concept ultimately takes a back seat to the lovely chemistry among four outstanding actors, and story lines that wisely emphasize relationships. Fans of British television would do well to look into Good Neighbors. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Finally!!!
Easily one of the best Brit Coms...I have these taped off of PBS, and have been waiting for the DVD to come out for a long time.I know Brit Coms are not to everyones' taste, but I have found everyone I have watched Good Neighbors/Good Life with absolutley love it.The episode with Margo telling off the rates guy is a classic.Definately a must buy!

The best of all Britcoms.
Like the title says, it's the best of the Britcoms.The cast is great, the writing is great, and the whole thing is utterly charming.

There's not a whole lot more to say, except, in response to one of the previous reviewers questions, that it's going to contain all those episodes that didn't make it to VHS.The three seasons on these DVDs each had seven episodes.At about 28 minutes each, that's 588 minutes, which doesn't even come close to the 640 minute runtime advertised for this set.

Upcoming "Good Neighbors" release on DVD
I love the Good Neighbors (or as in UK "The Good Life") since I first saw in on the local PBS channel in the late 70s. I have the complete collection on VHS, but I am missing 7 episodes which are the following:

Season 1/Episode 3 The Weaker Sex?
Season 1/Episode 5 The Thing in the Cellar
Season 2/Episode 2 The Guru of Surbiton
Season 2/Episode 6 Home Sweet Home
Season 3/Episode 1 The Early Birds
Season 3/Episode 3 A Tug Of The Forelock
Season 3/Episode 6 Whose Fleas Are These?

Does anyone know if the new DVD set coming out in June, will have ALL the episodes from the first 3 seasons? (I hope so!)

Thank you!
SheShe

A cracking comedy series from the 70's
I loved this stuff when I was a child. It tells the tale of Tom and Barbara Goode and their attempts to live the self sufficient life, turning their backs on the rat race, and doing it in London surburbia; under the watchful eye of their freinds and snobby neighbours, Jerry and Margot Ledbetter.
In my country the series is know as, "The Good Life" and the gentle hilarity that ensues as the mini farm grows,is outstanding. Richard Briers is energetic and naughty as Tom while Felicity Kendall, as Barbara, is sweet and cute (Felicity Kendall was huge British pin up in her time and you can see why in this series).
The late Paul Eddington is very funny as the long suffering Jerry but for me the show is always about the insufferably snobby Margot, Penelope Keith, who is forever on the look out to keep up middle class standards; her accent makes the Queen sound a little common! Fabulous nostalgic stuff!

one of the best british comedies
Definitely up there with Fawlty Towers in the running for best British comedy.

A wonderful cast that does a wonderful job. Starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith, and Paul Eddington whom you may have seen in many other great Britcoms.

As others have said, I'm glad this is finally coming out on DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Homicide: Life on the Street was always ahead of its time. As this collection of the first two seasons proves--it still is. Crime dramas that have thrived on cable, like The Sopranos, have benefited from the ground Homicide broke--and inherited many of the talents (like Edie Falco) that made it great. To NBC's credit, particularly then-president and fan Warren Littlefield, it supported the show for seven years, despite several cast changes and lukewarm ratings. Fortunately, critics were enthusiastic from the start and fans were loyal. Awards would roll in, too, culminating in a richly deserved Emmy for Andre Braugher (Frank Pembleton).

Homicide was based on the book by David Simon and created by Paul Attanasio (Quiz Show), Tom Fontana (Oz), and Barry Levinson (Diner). It was filmed in Levinson's beloved Charm City and he directed several episodes, including "Gone for Goode," which introduced the case of Adena Watson (and won another Emmy). It would haunt Tim Bayliss (the underrated Kyle Secor) for the rest of the series. The authentic Maryland locations, unusual cases (many based on real-life incidents), groundbreaking camera work, edgy--often humorous--dialogue, and seemingly improvised acting set Homicide apart from everything on TV. Then there were the directors, like Nick Gomez ("Son of a Gun") and Alan Taylor ("A Dog and Pony Show"), and guest stars, like Gwen Verdon ("A Ghost of a Chance") and Robin Williams ("Bop Gun"). Could this really be network TV? Most times, it didn't feel like it. These 13 episodes present the main characters: Lieutenant Al "Gee" Giardello (Yaphet Kotto), Kay Howard (Melissa Leo), Meldrick Lewis (Clark Johnson), and John Munch (Richard Melzer), whose character would segue to Law & Order: SVU. Ned Beatty, Daniel Baldwin, and Jon Polito also make vivid impressions, but would not remain for the long haul. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (59)

the greatest television show ever made
Finally Homicide makes it to DVD. This was the greatest television show ever made simple as that.. from the revolutionary camera work(which would soon be copied by every show on tv) to the brilliant writing, amazing characters, and performances by some of the finest actors we've ever seen on the tv screen. What a joy to relive the experience on dvd, they better release season 3 soon! the characters were so complex and their relationships.. Pembleton and Bayliss being the standout.. the 1st 2 series of the tv show probably was some of their best work.. because it was so groundbreaking.. from the jump cuts..to a cop show where it wasnt all about car chases and gun fights..but intense interrogations in the box..i could talk about this show forever..but i'll say this.. It's simply a MUST OWN DVD.. relive or discover this classic piece of tv history which was sadly overlooked for most of its run on NBC

One of THE BEST cop shows ever!
I remember stumbling upon the show sometime around 1993 during what is ultimately one of its truly classic episodes ("Three Men and Adena", an episode solely regarding an interview with a suspect in a horrible murder), and stuck around up until it's eventual cancellation years later. The fact that it survived for as long as it did, despite being rather unconvential in its execution (a cop show not revolving around car chases and gun fights) is a credit indeed. The first 13 episodes (which make up the first two seasons it was on the air) boast some truly powerful stories. As impressive is the cast, boasting Yaphet Kotto as Al Giardello, the tough but level-headed Lieuteant of the unit, Richard Belzer as the manic John Munch, who drives his elder partner (played by Ned Beatty) completely nuts. Then there's the twisted partnership between rookie detective Bayliss (Kyle Secor) and the often volatile Pembleton (Andre Braugher), which creates some of the series' truly chilling moments (such as the aforementioned "3 Men and Adena"). And there's more that plays into the intersting tapestry that is "Homicide: Life On The Street." To say it influenced many of the cop shows today would be more than true. In its genre, the show still stands as one of the best of the best, period.

You want THE SHIELD -- you DO NOT want THIS ONE
Police dramas are a hobby of mine, both British and American. So many of them over the years have been anywhere from outstanding to poor, and this one is nothing but a yawner and money lost. The Sheild had something to say and a talented cast saying it, to the extent I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. With Homicide, by contrast, I couldn't take my eyes off the DVD player's time reader, to determine whether I had seen enough to make a fair judgment. We might be friends now, because I just saved you $200. Avoid Ned Beatty's Homicide series. Consider instead The Sheild, A Touch of Frost (British) and Foyle's War (British) which I have also reviewed. Cheers.

Arguably the best cop show ever made
This was a great series, and it was at top form in its first two years, so this is the box set to get. While not the first cop shows to get under the skin of its protagonists (remember Hill Street Blues?) it had a style all its own, with a literary flair that made this one of the most heady shows on television. Like Hill Street Blues, Homicide had characters that played extremely well off each other -- Pembleton and Bayliss for example. One got an intimate sense of the street, and each episode was fraught with tension without devolving into standard pot-boilers which was all too often the case with TV cop shows. The characters evolved, coming and going over the life of the series. The most important thing that can be said for Homicide is that it was never static.

Best Drama of Television History
Homicide: Life on the Street is hands down the best television drama of all time. Whereas The West Wing shows the struggles at the highest level of American political life, Homicide got to the heart of the lowest reaches of life, using investigations of death as a touchstone. Andre Braugher is quite simply the best dramatic actor of our time, and this was his peak.

You know it when you see it: This is the real thing. Even NBC execs recognized this fact, keeping it on the air far longer than its low ratings ever seemed to justify.

If you like the idea of art and intelligence in television, you will absolutely love this series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you've got a taste for big hair, broad Texas accents, and gay rights,this mixture of white-trash comedy and coming-out melodrama is for you.Sordid Lives starts out as chicken-fried farce, as a funeral isprepared for a woman who died when she tripped over her adulterous lover'swooden legs; about midway the emphasis shifts to a drag queen unfairlyheld in a mental institution and the dead woman's grandson, an actor inLos Angeles who hasn't come out to his mother. The tone shifts wildly, andthe humor depends on your fondness for the white-trash genre--if you likeit, this will tickle your ribs; if you don't, it'll fall flat as thepanhandle landscape. But it must be said that the cast (including BonnieBedelia, Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, and Olivia Newton-John) dives rightin, no matter how over-the-top their characters get. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (95)

This movie is a reflection of it's characters - Hysterical!!
It was easy to invision Delta Burke as the queen of a trailer court type neighborhood, but when you throw in Olivia Newton-John as a lesbian folk singer and Beau Bridges as a pathetic loser you begin to see the picture of a highly dysfunctional group of friends and relatives intertwined in a tale, more about righting the wrongs of a dysfunctional history and less about the real story: What are we going to bury mama in now that she is dead. Apparently she tripped over Beau Bridges prosthetic leg on the way to the bathroom in a cheap motel where they were doing the nasty!! Sordid Lives is a befitting title to a movie that will have you somewhere between horrified and in tears from laughter. Sounds like the way things were in many families I know!

Sordid Lives
This movie is a total crack up and deals with denial, [same sex relationships], infidelity, and the inner workings of a Texas family dealing with the death of the matriarch of the family. The movie revolves around the death of the matriarch who has just died in a motel room after having an affair with the husband (Beau Bridges,) of Delta Burke. She looks great by the way! The matriarch dies after tripping on Beau Bridges two wooden legs on the way to the bathroom, in a seedy motel after having committed adultery. Delta Burke's best friend is the daughter of the deceased and is worried about how this will affect their friendship. Beau Bridges plays a real jerk in this film, but you can't help but love to hate him. My favorite character is Brother Boy, played by Leslie Jordan. Brother Boy is also the son of the deceased. He is a [same sex relationship] transvestite who has been in a mental institution for 23 years after being beat up by his straight best friend. Brother Boy is my favorite character in this film. He gets through his life in the nut house by dressing up as Tammy Wynette and carrying on her legacy. He performs every day in the rec room of the mental institution for the other patients. Too funny, and he is great. Brother Boy's therapist is trying to dehomsexualize him in order to get a book deal on go on [a TV show]. This is a must see for anyone with a dysfunctional family (which most of us have.) I got a copy of the pre-released DVD and watch it almost everyday to get my Brother Boy fix. I highly recommend this movie to all. It is side splitting funny.

Sordid Pleasure!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to the wonderful world of White Trash---And boy are you in for a ride!!!!! When their mother (and sister) die in a motel after committing adultery (she tripped over her married lover's wooden legs!) a family comes together for the funeral of the family matriarch. There is Sissy (played by Beth Grant, who made the movie for me, she was HILARIOUS!), sister of the deceased, who unfortunately tried to quit smoking three days before the untimely death of her older sister. Her neighbor is Noleta (Delta Burke), who is the distraught wife of the man (Beau Bridges), who's wooden legs accidently became murder weapons. There is Brother Boy (Leslie Jordon), who for 23 years, has been in a "looney bin" for dressing in drag as his favorite country artists---Tammy Wynette being his ultimate----and in therapy to clear up his homosexuality. There are more wonderful characters (Bonnie Bedelia, Olivia Newton John play a couple of them)but not enough time to discuss them all. Suffice it to say, this comedy is well worth your time. And, while giving you plenty of laughs, the movie also has a message that can help all of us----accepting people as they are. Reward yourself with laughter----watch this movie!!!!!!!!!!!

Disappointing, Contrived
Perhaps it was sooooo built up as this amazing gut buster, that I viewed it with too high expectations. I was actually bored. I thought the writing was contrived and the acting so over the top that it was hard to find a shred of believability. Also - SHRILL goes a long way. I'm from Texas - I grew up with hicks and these characters were sub-standard imitations. I always miss that magical mix of the absurd with characters that you empathize with in Del Shores writing. One positive note, the slapstick element during the coffin scene helped pick things up a bit.

Destined to be a cult classic of 'white trash' humor
This DVD came highly recommended by several friends. I was sure not disappointed. I've watched it a half-dozen times now and loved it every time.

The actors are fabulous, especially Leslie Jordan as 'Brother Boy' Earl. Far from playing the role in typical drag queen camp, Jordan brings depth and even poignancy to his (hilarious) character, who copes with his hellish looney bin existence by living out vicariously the life of Tammy Wynette. Beth Grant is also sensational in her protracted nicotine fit.

I've seen enough of mega-studio Hollywood not to mind the fresh, offbeat, low-budget feel of this film. The big-name talent certainly delivers, including, as musical backdrop, Olivia Newton-John's awesome guitar numbers (impressively sung live on camera--wow what a talent, she's still got it).

Apart from uproarious laughs, the film offers a meaningful theme of the dysfunctionality that non-acceptance from DENIAL can inject into family relationships. Be sure to add 'Sordid Lives' to your DVD collection, because it's becoming a cult classic of white trash humor--and memorable lines from the film are starting to go around. I'd tell you more about this movie, but you'll have to, in the words of Brother Boy...."excuse me...I got a show to do!" ... Read more

Description

The is the year 2022. Overcrowding, pollution, and resource depletion have reduced society's leaders to finding food for the teeming masses. The answer is Soylent Green -- an artificial nourishment whose actual ingredients are not known by the public. Thorn is the tough homicide detective who stumbles onto the secret so terrifying no one would dare believe him. ... Read more

Reviews (97)

3 1/2 stars for sharply written and directed sf classic
THe 70's were a strange time for science fiction films. There were a number of minor classics (Westworld, the absurd and pretentious Zardoz, Logan's Run) and major space operas (Star Wars)that dominated the scene. While none of these films were perfect, Soylent Green was one of the outstanding efforts from the era. Although it's a flawed minor masterpiece, the strong performances from Heston, Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young and Chuck Conners help the film continue to shine. All the actors benefit from the assured direction of veteran Richard Fleischer. The film was produced during one of MGM's bleakest periods and, in turn, has a rather bleak out look about the future.

Set nearly twenty years from now, humanity has used up most of our resources and spoiled the planet. There isn't enough to eat and there's even less space to live in; the cities are crowded with street people everywhere. The middle class is virtually extinct and only the wealthy have lives approaching the comfort to which we've become accustomed.

A executive with a major food corporation is murdered. The company produces a variety of pre-processed foods that are popular among the general population. Fresh fruit and foods are almost as extinct as many of the species that have disappeared from our overburdened, overdeveloped planet. Charleton Heston plays Detective Thorn who is investigating the murder. In the process, his life is threatened and he comes into major conflict with the police force about his methods. What Heston's character discovers about the food maker could unravel the fabric of the comfortable society that runs the world.

Soylent Green is based on Harry Harrison's fine novel Make Room, Make Room!. The adaption incorporates a lot of common themes from films during the 70's particularly the issue of the ecology. That isn't to say this film is obsessed with issues. While there are a number of importance observations, all of them are well integrated into this sharply written science fiction murder mystery. The direction by Richard Fleischer (Fantastic Voyage, 20,000 Leages Under the Sea, Treasure Island)isn't as stylized as one would expect but he does manage to get the most out of the material. The director's commentary is often wry and observant--a rarity now on most DVDs.

This was Edward G. Robinson's last film and his 101st. A talented, popular actor often misused by Hollywood, Robinson gives a startling fresh and powerful performance as Heston's roommate and assistant Sol. His final scene in the film is both powerful and gives Heston's character the faith to carry on his investigation. The dinner scene between Heston and Robinson (which was ad libbed) is terrific and much of the dialog and banter between the two actors is both funny and touching.

The DVD looks terrific particularly after all the poor prints that have circulated on television. Yes, there's analog artifacts but this is probably about as pristine a print as were likely to see. The transfer is vivid and well balanced. The sound is fairly strong given the fact that this was pre-THX and stereo. The DVD includes a couple of short featurettes about Heston and the making of the film. Robinson also gets due notice. A vintage theatrical trailer is also included.

Soylent Green's importance in science fiction cannot be underestimated. There were a number of bad films produced after 2001 and Planet of the Apes (including many of the sequels to the original Apes film)that had cheapened the luster these two fine films had temporarily given to science fiction. Soylent Green is a somber, powerful film. It's also an entertaining mystery. After this the genre would fall back into decline (although there were a few highlights) until the success of Star Wars in 1977. Thoughtful, impactful science fiction films were rare during the 70's. Although Soylent Green hasn't aged as well as one would expect, it's intent and the power of the performances, script and direction still make it a potent look into the future.

'Soylent Green' still nourishing after all this time!
If