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The three "short stories" in this 1995 anthology cover familiarterritory, yet they manage to make the trials and tribulations ofbeing gay in a hostile world feel fresh. That could be because the shorts in Boys Life explore very personal, autobiographical reminiscences for their directors, Brian Sloan, Raoul O'Connell, and Robert Lee King. Of the threehalf-hour films, "Pool Days" and "A Friend of Dorothy" deliver the most fun and poignancy over coming out of the closet. Their youthful heroes find they have crushes on the most handsome--and often unavailable--men, whoheartbreakingly delight in teasing and taunting these smitten suitors. "AFriend of Dorothy" also reeks of Woody Allen reverie, as its lovelorn NYUstudent treks through the park in its autumnal glory--resembling Hannah and Her Sisters and Husbands and Wives in tone. The third installment of the trilogy is most painful. "The Disco Years" chronicles theheartache and self-deception that is often a part of struggling through highschool, with its echelons of command and cruel taunts, as a gay teen. Together,these stories form a definitive trilogy that examines the agony and joy of being"different." Boys Life was a modest success and spawned a sequel quartet of shorts that comprise Boys Life 2, a less personal--and affecting--delving into the dramas of gay life. --Paula Nechak ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Synopsis
"A collection of well-known short films with gay themes, including "Pool Days," "A Friend of Dorothy," and "The Disco Years.""Boys Life" consists of three shorts about coming out. In the first, "Pool Days," a teenager who works as a lifeguard finds himself attracted to and frightened of a beautiful man paying extra attention to him. In the second, "A Friend of Dorothy," a college freshman passionately falls in love with his straight roommate, and "The Disco Years" explores how peer pressure can lead someone to homophobic behavior -- even if he may be gay himself.The video includes three short films: "Pool Days" (Dir. Brian Sloan) "A Friend of Dorothy" (Dir. Raoul O'Connel) "The Disco Years" (Dir. Robert Lee King)" 90 minutes - From Bigstar

Calling card for talented directors
"Boys Life Three Stories of Love, Lust, and Liberation" is a compilation of short gay films on the theme of 'coming out'. Though directed by three different people, these three episodes share the same budgetary limitations and basic point-and-shoot style, all of which serves to roughen their edges a little.

Brian Sloan's "Pool Days" (1993) follows the exploits of a young pool attendant who tries to suppress the feelings generated by the semi-clad beefcake which surrounds him in his otherwise dull job, before finally coming to terms with his sexuality with the help of a regular visitor to the pool (gorgeous, naturally) who takes a shine to him. It's a likable, sexy film, but it seems to end abruptly, leaving a couple of unresolved situations in its wake.

Raoul O'Connell directs "A Friend of Dorothy" (1994) and casts himself as a nerdy college freshman who's seeking Mr. Right, whilst secretly pining for his apparently straight roommate. Sadly, O'Connell affects a range of tics and mannerisms which translate as geeky rather than appealing, though his film is competently constructed.

And finally, Robert Lee King's "The Disco Years" (1991) depicts the trials of a seriously cute high school student who longs to be accepted by his homophobic peers until their cruelty eventually forces him to confront his true sexual identity.

Many of the situations depicted in all three films have a ring of truth about them, and each story offers its own heartfelt commentary on the lives of young gay men in America. despite the penny-pinching production values.

Each film is presented fullscreen at 1.33:1 (presumably the original theatrical ratio), and the DVD format makes the best of the grainy low-budget film stock. Sound is Dolby Digital mono.

Ah, the blossoming of desire!
Three delicious gay-themed short stories in one. POOL DAYS about a young boy who discovers what steam rooms [my what gorgeous hunks] and shower rooms and locker rooms are all about. He makes an attempt to try it out but never really jumps in the pool. Too bad. In FRIEND OF DOROTHY [that's all about being a lover of Judy Garland] we follow another young boy who is desperately trying to get hit on while attending NYU. He finally does get his gorgeous roomy in a very sensual scene only to see him graduate. Can't believe that this cutie patootie can't get laid in the Village. He sits around in Washington Square Park and gets passed over. Not real. But, again, all the actors are gorgeous. Finally there's DISCO YEARS. Young boy meets another beautiful blonde beauty playing tennis, and finally they meet for a midnight nude dip in the pool and turn it into a one night stand of passion. But, after some accepting of his sexuality and confessing to his Mom, who seems a bit too strained and lost in her own world of disco, he ends up coming to terms with his life and dances his disco buns off. All three films are American produced and sometimes the acting is obvious, but the guys are gorgeous to look at and some of the leads do a decent job of it. I always wonder how they do those wet kissing scenes. If these actors are straight, how do they put so much into the sexual scenes as well? My hats off to their believability.

The Disco Years is a Winner
I couldn't get into the first two shorts here, finding the lead protagonists either boring and uninspired (Pool Days) or just plain weird (A Friend of Dorothy). But I was very impressed with the third short, The Disco Years. The film is simple and direct in its depiction of the trials and traumas of a teenager coming to terms with his sexuality, and hats of to Matt Nolan, who plays the lead protagonist Tom. He turns in such a sweet and emotionally honest performance, its hard not to be moved by him, and his experience.

Good collection of work
This is a nice collection of short films and is a good investment for an entertaining night of movie watching. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

80's cyberpunk rock video mecha girl classic
Future post-earthquake Tokyo has all-powerful corporation Genom taking complete control, were it not for interference from a vigilante mercenary super hero girl group called the "Knight sabers".

This is one of the best anime series projecting beautiful, sexy women in a non-degrading way. The Knight Sabers leader (Dr. Stingray) is a super-genius who designed (and keeps improving) the hard suits which are the only thing that can defeat Genom's android fighting units. Anime pinup idol Priss, the toughest one, is as daring on a motorcycle as she is beautiful. Linna is a great athlete while Nene is a computer hacker. Inter-personal relationships between these 4 are done really well.

There are lots of fighting scenes for those into that, but the story is really about the state of society (a possible future for us) and why the girls put their buts on the line and try to change what they can.

The music is like what MTV used to play, back when they actually played music videos. Those really into this (Or fans needing to see more of the Knight Sabers in action) will love the "Hurricane Live" bonus DVD. Kind of nostalgic, but not obnoxious as some 80's revival stuff tends to be.

Overall this MegaSeries is a great value with all 8 "OAV" episodes in this box set. The animation is a bit dated compared with more recent releases, but the story line is still better than most recent releases.

Anime doesn't get much better than this. A must for "best of class" collectors. (Word on the 'net is that this OAV series is superior to later derivatives).

Must-have '80s Anime!!!
This DVD presents the first three episodes of the Bubblegum Crisis series. The first episode presents the post-earthquake world of MegaTokyo in 2032, with Genom Corporation's Boomers wreaking havoc in the city, and a band of four women (the Knight Sabers) in hardsuits protecting the innocents. The second episdoe focuses on one of the women, Linna, and a close friend who is targeted by a Genom executive. In the final episode, the conflict between Genom and the Knight Sabers escalates.

The series, inspired by Blade Runner and itself a tremendous influence on following anime, is full of fast-paced action and incredible music. This DVD provides anime newcomers with an excellent introduction to the world of anime.

GREAT
This is one of the pioneering shows of Anime! I remember shelling out $35 to $40 for ONE tape! Blech..what a rip off! But it got me hooked on the "Knight Sabers"! This show is fun and shows it's age with the clothes they wear etc but is a GREAT show and is the BEST in the series. If you are a fan buy THIS edition, the casing is junky as its a big clunky box with plain ol jewel cases etc but its well worth the price alone for fans of the show. The characters were done very well in this show amidst some sillyness, but not as silly as the new show 2040.

Blade Runner Anime Style
Takes place in the same universe "Bubblegum Crisis", but before Knight Sabers existed. Robots called Boomers, look just like humans, are very intelligent and work in the cities for the humans doing a variety of tasks such as construction, cleaning and even sexual services. Sometimes these robots malfunctioned and ended up killing innocent people. The A.D. Police force was created to destroy malfunctioning boomers. What I liked about this series was the good quality of animation, action, sound fx, and tense story telling, it has all the makings of a great anime. With its futuristic cities and noire over-tone it has a similar look and feel like the movie, Blade Runner. The Boomers are robots that look and act like humans; they are like the Replicants. In a way, the A.D. Police are like Blade Runners. I also enjoyed this anime because the cop, 'Leon' is a good character, and I always wanted some background on him. Blood and gore, nudity, for adults only. Each episode is self contained so you can watch any of them and not feel lost in the story. Ends on 3 then connects with the anime Bubblegum Crisis 2030

I want my bubbleguMTV
As you should know, most of J-pop and MTV music video are worthless. Then, how surprising that Hurricane Live, which features songs in music video format with images culled from the series Bubblegum Crisis, comprises some of the best pop songs and cool visuals ever.
For admirers of Bubblegum Crisis it's a well-known fact that the series is great on many levels, not least in its musical department. Songs range from hard rock to love ballads, from catchy pop tunes to elegiac lamentations. Also, the singer for the first Hurricane Set, Omori Kinuko, had a truly rare quality, almost extinct in today's pop music culture: a quality simultaneously tough and vulnerable, fierce and gentle.
Songs like Mad Machine are as thoughtful and complex in laying out sci-fi themes of technology out of hand; other songs are about being lonely in a faceless crowd, the irrepressible life spirit, the romance of rebellion, sad love for a lost friend, the power to overcome hopelessness and face the new day.
Comparable to Beatles' Rubber Soul, Stone's Between the Buttons, and Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Big goofy monster makes for big goofy fun.
Lord Doom is tired of sitting in the middle of a cold, dead planet. He wants to live somewhere that is warm. So he instructs his dwarf henchman to send planet destroyer Kraa off to Earth to wipe out its civilization, thus making a takeover easier. The Planet Patrol gets wind of this horrid plan and attempts to stop Lord Doom. But Doom anticipated this and knocks their Death Star kinda thingie into self-destruct mode. The Patrol does manage to send an operative to Earth to stop Kraa though. His name is Mogyar and he kind of looks like a cheese covered crab, and he takes in an Italian accent!

Oh how I love this small, dumb movie. It rips off everything that was popular in 1998. Godzilla, The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Star Trek, Men In Black, and it even tosses in Masters of the Universe for good measure. I doubt that words can get across how gleefully stupid I think this thing is.

Kraa! The Sea Monster was one of two attempts at making old school style Kaiju funness by Charles Band's once Paramount funded Full Moon Pictures. The other was Zarkorr! The Invader. By 1998 the deal with Paramount was finis and Band was on his own. Still with a little bit of cash (and a studio in Romania) he attempted to keep up the crank 'em out fast ethic alive. Under the Full Moon umbrella such smaller 'speciality' productions were founded. Pulsepounders (for tween entertainments), Surrender Cinema (for the *ahem* mature audiences), and Monster Island Entertainment (which distributed Zarkorr and Kraa) are the three I clearly remember, but I am sure there were one or two more. Sadly the whole operation crashed and burned within a year or two and, for awhile, Band floundered. Ever the astute survivalist though, Band has rebounded and Full Moon lives again! So Kraa! The Sea Monster now sees life on DVD. Sadly director Aaron Osbourne (or Dave Parker) contributes no commentary. Heck, I doubt there are even any chapter stops! There are some trailers, but parents be warned. Most of the trailers are for Full Moon's skin exposing output, which makes this juvenile friendly movie a rather juvenile unfriendly disc release sadly enough.

Clearly Kraa is aimed at kiddie's, what with its teen heroes dolled up as Star Trek convention attenders and acting like they are Power Ranger style defenders of the galaxy. Sadly they spend most of the movie trying to fix their busted Death Star station while the talking cheese covered crab attempts to convince the MiBs that he came in piece and can stop Kraa. There is a generous amount of building smashing and the monsters are goofy looking (look close when Kraa smashes through the power lines, you can see the man in the suit's chin behind the teeth) yet still kind of cool looking (well Kraa is). The only down side is that the dwarf henchman isn't played by Phil Fondacaro. Mr. Fondacaro is one cool dude. The dwarf in this movie, while I am sure he is a nice enough fellow, just doesn't hold a candle to the coolness that is Phil Fondacaro. We need more movies with Phil Fondacaro.

I wish that Full Moon had done more Kaiju!

Absolutely dumb!
This movie has a talking sandwich in it, how could you not like it? The acting is wooden, the special effects are laughable (even for a B movie), and the plot is rather vapid and torpid to say the least. The monster, however, looks cool, but don't expect anything grand if you see this. I mean this is to bad to even be on Sci-fi!!!

Chubby Gillman stomping New Jersey
Alright guys, this is not suppose to be some masterpiece entry into the monster genre. It is suppose to be straight to video and fun, and i think it really delivered on what it was ment to be. True an itialian speaking mollusk that sounds like the worst sterotype for Mario is dumb.....but what you want.....that or a cute and cuddle pikachu wanna be.

Only real complaint i have is the Planet Patrol.....eesh. Ok, teenagers that travel the galaxy like an interglactic police force......yeah. That is all i am saying on that.

Ok, now for the real reason y you people bought this dvd. Kraa. I admit, at first i kinda cringed at the sheer bulkness of the suit, over time watching it, i have grown accustom to it. It kinda is like a lovechild from the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the gillman from Monster Squad. The minitures and effects are fun to watch, though nothing extravagant. Kraa really didnt remind me of a dangerous world demolishing creature. I guess the Dr. Doom rip off villian didnt quit think his plan all the way through. Ah well.

Story is easy to follow. Kraa gets sent to earth. Speaking mollusk gets sent after to help earthlings build a gun that in the end kills poor kraa. The fish didnt see it coming *sob*

Overall...its worth the 10 bucks. But i still like Zarkorr better, and admit people to get that one first. Hopefully this is help the shy people from debating to buy this.

A good cheese movie for the kid in us all.
You want a good giant monster movie then rent something made by the Toho studios or featuring stop motion animation from Ray Harryhausen. If you want just dumb fun then you could do a whole lot worse than Kraa! The Sea Monster. A talking cheeseburger (believe me) tries to enlist the aid of some earthlings to battle a giant sea monster that threatens the world! Not great, but I found it a lot of fun on a Bert I Gordon level of filmmaking.

fab b movie
I would like to see this one of DVD! Colorful and interesting to say the least. WARNING!! Don't expect a total FX movie. The budget just isn't there..but it was a good movie to enjoy with the family. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Marry in Haste.....
"Crime of Passion" is a solid basic film noir. It lacks much of the dark exteriors, night shots, strange camera angles and gloomy interiors of a complete noir film but this is still the real thing. Barbara Stanwyck is a successful newspaper columnist in San Francisco. She impulsively marries an L.A. cop, Sterling Hayden. The suddenness of the marriage might signal some future "problems". The newlyweds settle down to a neat little suburban house, which would appear right at home on an "Ozzie and Harriet" set. Hayden is happy as a clam but not the Mrs! She wants more! She quickly becomes bored with the stilted little dinner parties and catty gossip of the other police wives. Who could blame her! Then Stanwyck over reaches! She has an affair with her hubby's boss. The intent was getting him a promotion. The guy is none other than Raymond Burr, the soon to be Perry Mason of 50s TV fame. Can we imagine Perry getting involved with a hot girl like Barbara? This reviewer is straining not to give away the ending, so I'll just reveal that matters start to unravel. At least one person winds up dead! The gossip columnist is out of her league. Her ploy does not exactly work. The hard-nosed ending is quite satisfying and in line with 40s and 50s cop/noir films. A star is subtracted for the rather sudden "resolution". 2 final notes: True crime fans may be appalled at one especially egregious example of shoddy police work. Does anyone remember the term "protection of evidence"? No wonder O.J. walked 35 years later! Silver and Ward's "Film Noir" states that CP was a prime example of the "malaise infecting suburbia" in the 1950s. While that does not apply to Hayden it certainly does to his conniving spouse. If only she had stayed in San Francisco!

"I hope all your socks have holes in them."
In the film "Crime of Passion", tough, successful career woman Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) abandons her newspaper column and a prestigious new job to marry LA police detective Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden). She imagines a life of domestic bliss, and soon she's living in suburbia--along with all the other detectives' wives. Doyle is happy plodding along in his career, but Kathy really can't stand the life she finds herself in. The Doyle's social life is composed of dreary evenings with Doyle's co-workers. The men play card games, and the women chatter on about inane subjects. While no unpleasant words exit from the mouths of the detectives' wives, it's quite clear that a strict social hierarchy exists. In particular, one wife, Sara Alidos, is all too happy to carry on at length about her intimate friendship with the Police Commissioner Pope (Raymond Burr) and his wife. Kathy really doesn't belong with these other wives. Try as she might, she just doesn't fit in, and her own lack of conformity drives Kathy to the brink of a breakdown.

But then Kathy has an idea. In Kathy's mind, her husband is superior to the other detectives, and she is cleverer than the rest of the wives. And so Kathy sets out to use her brain to promote her dullard of a husband through whatever means are necessary.

Barbara Stanwyck is excellent in the role of Kathy--a woman who gives up her career and lives to regret it. Kathy is hard and tough, but when she meets Bill, she gives into romance, and in her case, this is a big mistake. Bill Doyle is a good, hard-working man, but Kathy doesn't respect him. Raymond Burr as Pope is the man who sees past Kathy's persona and sees the conniving woman underneath.

"Crime of Passion" contains some extremely interesting comments especially about the roles of women in the 50s. Some of the scenes and comments in the beginning of the film were very revealing. However, I don't think the film went quite far enough with Kathy's character, and so, ultimately, the film was a little disappointing. But for film noir fans, this is a film worth watching--displacedhuman

WHAT SCHEMES MAY COME....
Neat, tidy little B-picture about a woman who tries to push her husband up the ladder of success only to have it backfire on her. San Francisco newspaper writer Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) meets and quickly marries macho LA detective Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden) and finds herself plopped down in the middle of suburbia. This is all well and good until she finds her role relegated to the living room with the brainless other wives while the "boys" play poker in the kitchen. Being from a newspaper, she's used to being one of the boys and not one of the "little women". She finally snaps after one too many of these evenings and starts scheming to move her husband up in the department so she can be proud of him and mingle intelligently with the upper crust where she feels they belong. Her plans go beautifully until she runs up against her biggest obstacle, Bill's boss police chief Raymond Burr. They become close and one night he shows up at Kathy's while Bill's away and confides that he needs to retire and is looking for a replacement. Kathy siezes the opportunity to sell Bill as the replacement and commits the ultimate sacrifice via a one-night-stand with Burr thinking she's cinched the "deal" for Bill. But Burr has other plans---leaving Kathy horrified and guilty over what she's done. Her next move will be murder. Stanwyck always excelled at portraying strong, driven, ambitious women and Kathy is no exception. But the film has an obvious feminist slant unusual for the time. The director and Stanwyck make it clear what motivates Kathy and why she she goes over the edge. She loves her husband enough to go all out for him but smart enough to know that she will benefit too. She's too strong a woman to just sit around and mindlessly gossip over dresses, diets and phony aspirations. Her aspirations are real because she knows what she wants for herself and her husband. And it doesn't include cream cheese and olives. For Stanwyck fans, this is an interesting addition to her gallery of headstrong women with an agenda. It's not a "great" film but it's good and worth watching.

Criminal Intent
This movie might have single-handedly brought on woman's lib. When middle-aged San Francisco reporter Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) meets hunky middle-aged LA cop (Sterling Hayden), she chucks her career for love. This lands her in the San Fernando Valley in the dining room listening to the unbearably grating chatter of her husband's cop buddies wives. Naturally, this drives Kathy completely bonkers (If I heard the words "cream cheese and olive" one more time, I might have gone bonkers with her), and she becomes determined to get her husband to the top at any cost! Naturally, mayhem ensues.

This movie is only saved by the performance given by Barbara Stanwyck. She manages to make Kathy Ferguson a real person; she shows the real longing, desire (Barbara eyes Sterling Hayden like the prime slab 'o beef he is, and makes her intentions very clear), and smarts this woman has, and how frustration at being sidelined by society can bring out fierce competition in someone (today she'd be called manic-depressive). What's funniest about this movie is that it's so subversive. On the surface, we are supposed to be shocked, shocked I tell you, that Kathy does what she does in the name of her husband's career. On the other hand, life in the valley in the 50's is painted as so soul-destroyingly vapid, you wonder how she managed not to go on a killing spree. A really seldom seen gem that any fan of film noir should check out.

crime of passion
Good Noir. Good Stanwyck. Middle-aged love affair that goes wrong. What can happen to someone from San Francisco, if they move to LA. Well the valley that is. Stanwyck plays Kathy Ferguson, a reporter for a major newspaper who gets married, and has only one ambition, to make her husband move up in the ranks of the LA police Dept. And she will do anything to do it. You know there will be trouble. The acting is crisp and the pace is quick and watchable. I beleive Raymond Burr gets his only screen kiss that I know of. Fay Wray is terrific in a supportive role. Its great to see her and Stanwyck together.

Watch this with chips and CreamCheese and Olive dip. ... Read more

Description

From the Director of Bubblegum Crisis, in the two-fisted tradition of Ultraman. If it weren't for the horrific dreams, Tomonu would be having the time of his life cutting classes and playing video games.But an alien intelligence has invaded his mind and is about to plunge him into an interstellar war.Battleships are headed for Earth and Tomoru's psychic link is humanity's only hope! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Morse in God's Own Country?
Promised land begins, rather unpromisingly, with Morse and Strange observing a funeral and identifying in the grand tradition of detective movies the villains. A nod to the old Thaw series, the Sweeney, the show continues in this vein for a while as the boundaries are established, of getting the final villains, the possibility of a gang's release.

Morse is ordered to revisit a supergrass to try to uncover evidence which would resolve both the issues. The snitch has begun a new life in the equivalent of the witness protection scheme so everything appears to be straightforward.

On the eve of their departure, Lewis is more than a little miffed at having to forego his vacation, a burglary occurs at the local freesheet newspaper and in the grand Holmesian tradition, nothing is stolen.

Off our intrepid heroes set for Lewis to discover that the person they are visiting was transplanted to Australia.

There are some spectacular shots of the countryside which dwarf the car that they are driving and which serves to give a sense of perspective on the vastness of the country. In a vignette Morse discovers that he has not brought his beloved opera tape with him to play on the long drive. Lewis, searching for an alternative discovers country music, Australian style, on the radio. This again underscores the notion of Australia as a new country shaking off her connections to Britain.

On arriving at their destination the sterotypical portrayal of Australian men as boorish, gambling, womenisers is presented in a scene where Morse and Lewis venture into the local bar. In a very funny moment, Lewis orders a beer while Morse contents himself with an orange juice - a reversal of the usual position - which moves on to a condemnation by Morse of non-real ale and a perception by the locals that Morse is possibly homosexual.

The plot develops with a mysterious stranger driving a camper, the stoolie's wife is both hostile and yet welcoming. Her husband has disappeared, nothing new in that, and Morse and Lewis expend considerable energies in the search.

As the programme develops the stereotypical views of the country and it's people are challenged and they are shown to be warm, sociable, and open minded.

In the conclusion, in front of the Sydney Opera House, Lewis has resolved his issues by remaining in Australia to be joined by his wife. Morse is left in solitude with his ticket to the opera, a tragic figure who is unable to articulate his feelings.

This Morse does not have the usual twists and turns and in many ways is one of the most approachable of the shows. Regardless it is still terrific entertainment and well worth the five stars. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Anime thong song video
Fencer of Minerva: The Tempest is a very disappointing anime. The female characters are slaves or eventually become slaves. They have shackles around their necks and a flimsy top and a g-string to "cover" their bottoms. The plot drags and the action is basically missionary. The clothes keep falling of the slaves at the sight of another male, or female in some instances. The characters are not developed or likable. Diana, who is a princess; was strong willed, and a great swordsman. She also had to put on her thong for Master Sho, and become his personal slave (oh joy). (sniff, sniff) I own Vol 1 and 2 of this series. You have been warned.

One of the best mature anime, i have ever seen!!!
this is one dvd or vhs you must have.. im not about to give it all away here but i will give you the basic's... it is a bout a prince of a forgotten and evil (to some people) kingdom, and a princess of the reformed evil kingdom these two meet and have many adventures in the two movies but the catch is it is a adult like novel in a movie format great story line no to much xxx rated sex but for you who like that kind of thing it has enough nough said it is a great video i have seen it many times and have yet the money to buy it it is realy great.
characters:(main),sho
"d" (diannna)

through the movie the princess is taken from her land and ends up in a rape and thiefish gang where in this time and setting it is not rape people are allowed to have love slaves and are suposed to be treated by them acordingly. find out more about this movie by seeing it

A bit of a disapointment
Well...at first i noticed that most of the female characters in this anime..are barely dressed while the men are decently covered..why is that?..second of all Diana realy got me hooked at first but then she yeilded in being a slave..To Sho? coz he's her childhood sweet heart? ...if he really loved her he wouldn't let her go on disgracing herself..he should have married her..thats another thing...and i think the story would have been ten times more exciting if Diana put up a struggle ..like the one she had at the first episode..i think if she had,...Sho would have been more and more into her...
And the sex..God the sex!...Its in every scene.!
Note the Diana lets Sho take other woman!!...Iw anted to kill her!!
I swear...
but i liked the characters...
If your bored and need something to watch..take this

The worst film I have ever seen
The entire film plays like an adolescent boy's wet dream.

A spirited princess escaped a forced marriage only to be captured by slave traders and given as a sexual slave to her childhood friend. Because she loves him she is happy to be his slave and renounces her identity so that she will not have to fight against him.

That's it for the plot. The first thing I should say is this is truly bad anime. The animation is nothing special, there's virtually no characterization or conflict and the dubbed dialogue is atrocious. Most of the film is given over to two things: reinforcing to the viewer that Sho and Diana were childhood friends and gratuitous shots of Diana's nude body and the experience of her sexual awakening.

This film is hideous in its depiction of women. If there was a decent plot with any actual depth there might be something to recommend it, but there isn't. If you want to watch anime sex, go get one of the Countdown movies or Rei Rei, at least they don't pretend to have a plot. If you want actual depth to your plot and a medieval (or quasi-medieval) setting, get Heroic Legend of Arislan, which is wonderful.

Not Recomended for Children
This aname is not recomended for children. The quality of the animation is first rate from the beginning to the end. The story line from beginning to end also involves adult situations as to bondage, submission, explicit sex (not hardcore), and for the adult viewer I would recommend that they consider this movie. If you are looking for lots of sword play look elsewhere, the story line has a different intrigue. I was pleased with the movie and am going to be purchashing the Tempist. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

80's cyberpunk rock video mecha girl classic
Future post-earthquake Tokyo has all-powerful corporation Genom taking complete control, were it not for interference from a vigilante mercenary super hero girl group called the "Knight sabers".

This is one of the best anime series projecting beautiful, sexy women in a non-degrading way. The Knight Sabers leader (Dr. Stingray) is a super-genius who designed (and keeps improving) the hard suits which are the only thing that can defeat Genom's android fighting units. Anime pinup idol Priss, the toughest one, is as daring on a motorcycle as she is beautiful. Linna is a great athlete while Nene is a computer hacker. Inter-personal relationships between these 4 are done really well.

There are lots of fighting scenes for those into that, but the story is really about the state of society (a possible future for us) and why the girls put their buts on the line and try to change what they can.

The music is like what MTV used to play, back when they actually played music videos. Those really into this (Or fans needing to see more of the Knight Sabers in action) will love the "Hurricane Live" bonus DVD. Kind of nostalgic, but not obnoxious as some 80's revival stuff tends to be.

Overall this MegaSeries is a great value with all 8 "OAV" episodes in this box set. The animation is a bit dated compared with more recent releases, but the story line is still better than most recent releases.

Anime doesn't get much better than this. A must for "best of class" collectors. (Word on the 'net is that this OAV series is superior to later derivatives).

Must-have '80s Anime!!!
This DVD presents the first three episodes of the Bubblegum Crisis series. The first episode presents the post-earthquake world of MegaTokyo in 2032, with Genom Corporation's Boomers wreaking havoc in the city, and a band of four women (the Knight Sabers) in hardsuits protecting the innocents. The second episdoe focuses on one of the women, Linna, and a close friend who is targeted by a Genom executive. In the final episode, the conflict between Genom and the Knight Sabers escalates.

The series, inspired by Blade Runner and itself a tremendous influence on following anime, is full of fast-paced action and incredible music. This DVD provides anime newcomers with an excellent introduction to the world of anime.

GREAT
This is one of the pioneering shows of Anime! I remember shelling out $35 to $40 for ONE tape! Blech..what a rip off! But it got me hooked on the "Knight Sabers"! This show is fun and shows it's age with the clothes they wear etc but is a GREAT show and is the BEST in the series. If you are a fan buy THIS edition, the casing is junky as its a big clunky box with plain ol jewel cases etc but its well worth the price alone for fans of the show. The characters were done very well in this show amidst some sillyness, but not as silly as the new show 2040.

Blade Runner Anime Style
Takes place in the same universe "Bubblegum Crisis", but before Knight Sabers existed. Robots called Boomers, look just like humans, are very intelligent and work in the cities for the humans doing a variety of tasks such as construction, cleaning and even sexual services. Sometimes these robots malfunctioned and ended up killing innocent people. The A.D. Police force was created to destroy malfunctioning boomers. What I liked about this series was the good quality of animation, action, sound fx, and tense story telling, it has all the makings of a great anime. With its futuristic cities and noire over-tone it has a similar look and feel like the movie, Blade Runner. The Boomers are robots that look and act like humans; they are like the Replicants. In a way, the A.D. Police are like Blade Runners. I also enjoyed this anime because the cop, 'Leon' is a good character, and I always wanted some background on him. Blood and gore, nudity, for adults only. Each episode is self contained so you can watch any of them and not feel lost in the story. Ends on 3 then connects with the anime Bubblegum Crisis 2030

I want my bubbleguMTV
As you should know, most of J-pop and MTV music video are worthless. Then, how surprising that Hurricane Live, which features songs in music video format with images culled from the series Bubblegum Crisis, comprises some of the best pop songs and cool visuals ever.
For admirers of Bubblegum Crisis it's a well-known fact that the series is great on many levels, not least in its musical department. Songs range from hard rock to love ballads, from catchy pop tunes to elegiac lamentations. Also, the singer for the first Hurricane Set, Omori Kinuko, had a truly rare quality, almost extinct in today's pop music culture: a quality simultaneously tough and vulnerable, fierce and gentle.
Songs like Mad Machine are as thoughtful and complex in laying out sci-fi themes of technology out of hand; other songs are about being lonely in a faceless crowd, the irrepressible life spirit, the romance of rebellion, sad love for a lost friend, the power to overcome hopelessness and face the new day.
Comparable to Beatles' Rubber Soul, Stone's Between the Buttons, and Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. ... Read more

Description

Contains episodes 4-6. AGONY: Yuji disobeys Marlene's orders by saving a little girl's life, and discovers a group of survivors hidden among the ruins of the city. Yuji makes a promise to the little girl, Yung, that he will protect her from the Blue. But this new cause is threatened when he learns a shocking truth about his rescuers from Second Earth. PRIORITY: The surviving members of the Sleeper Recovery Team must enter an abandoned communications tower that is now a Blue nest in a desperate attempt to contact Second Earth.With the Blue now converging on their position, the only chance of staying alive is to draw the Blue into a fight using human survivors as bait. Yuji has promised to protect Yung at any cost – but is it a promise he can keep? RELATION: Marlene and Yuji now travel on foot towards Baikonur Space Base. The tensions between the two come to a head, as Yuji confronts the demons that now haunt him in this nightmarish new world. As she witnesses Yuji's struggle, Marlene's own horrifying memories of the past begin to resurface. But can even Yuji's fiery emotions help to melt away Marlene's icy exterior? Unrated; suitable for ages 17 and up: Graphic violence, brief nudity, sexual situations, grotesque imagery. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

just amazing 4 and a 1/2 really
i remember when i first got this dvd i was so excited i instantly put it into my dvd player and boy was i ready to watch.episodes4 was a bit boring but episode 5 was probaly the best episde of blue gender i've seen because it was filled with drama and tons of action the spcial feautures are good to.all in all this a great dvd and really revealing during episode six. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Fantastic movie, one of Ms. Stapleton finest roles
I just saw this movie last night for the first time and I absolutely loved it. I bought the DVD because it seemed like a very good movie with a terrific cast and I couldn't agree more. Maureen Stapleton is excellent in this film and she plays Bea Asher, the recently widowed wife with great warmth and sincerity. She even sings in this movie and she does it very well I think. She is also a wonderful dancer who makes ballroom dancing very interesting to watch and learn. Charles Durning is also great in this fantastic movie and they both have great chemistry together. QUEEN OF THE STARDUST BALLROOM, is a magical film and the acting of both Stapleton and Durning is superb. I couldn't help feeling a little sad in the end (I won't tell you so I won't spoil the movie for you). However this is a wonderful movie and it shows that you're never too old to fall in love and follow your heart. They certainly don't make movies like this anymore.

wonderful love story
I loved this movie. I was able to relate to Bea and what she was going through and dancing is so much fun. She is a very strong woman even though her children think she isn't able to run her own life. Children have a lot to learn when it comes to their widow mother. And it is a wonderful movie. Jean Stapleton is wonderful in it. After her husband has been gone for over a year
she desided to stop being a plain looking woman & colors her gray hair and starts to wear makeup which she never did before.
And Charles During was wonderful as her dance partner & friend. Very enjoyable movie.

Al teaches Bea to dance at the Stardust Ballroom
A lovely story about rediscovering love. Bea Asher (Maureen Stapleton) is suddenly widowed and finds her comfortablelife shattered. She thinks that the only thing that lies ahead of her is a future of living alone. Then she Al Green (Charles Durning), a mailman, who introduces her to the Stardust Ballroom. It is a marvelous understatement to say that Al teaches Bea how to dance. "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" offers an exceptional script by John Kass while Stapleton and Durning have never been finer in this 1975 film directed by Sam O'Steen. Even if the songs are too old for your taste and you could never seen yourself ballroom dancing, you will certainly respond to the emotions at play in this sentimental tear-jerker.

Queen of the stardust ballroom
Underated sleeper. For the middleaged and family. Charming and heartwarming.

Nice film to see in family
I bought this film thinking it would be a concert of the rock band queen, of course it wasn't. When I saw it I got very into the story. It is a very intriguing film to enjoy with all the family, buy it you wont regret it. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Fun Film But Nothing More
I saw this at a local Suncoast and, being a fan of giant monster films, I decided to pick this one up. I wasn't expecting much from this film knowing it was made by a production facility that ended up going bankrupt several years after this film and also knowing it had a shoestring budget (smaller than most of the earlier Godzilla films).
The beginning of the film didn't sit too well with me because the acting seemed so bad and the story is nothing new to this type of genre.
There are a couple of women that look gorgeous in the film but it does not really make up for the sub-par acting. But as the movie progresses, everything seems to get a little bit better.
Aside from the sub-par acting and re-used plot, my major gripe is that Zarkorr, the monster, hardly shows up at all during the film. A sign that the budget was so thin they didn't want to shoot too many scenes of him destroying a miniature city. Even when Zarkorr is shown, it's only for a few seconds and nothing more. It made me upset but it is understandable why there weren't many shots of him. Also, the ending is a little goofy. Considering I thought I had seen it all with my extensive collection of giant monster films, the ending was something new to me and it made me raise an eye-brow. You'll have to see it to understand what I am saying; don't want to give out too much info.
Overall, Zarkorr is a cheap film but it really isn't all that bad. For those who are looking for some good monster sequences, this is not for you, but if you are a casual monster movie fan, you should find some quality to the film.

One of the best Godzilla Rip off ever made.
Zarkor the Invader is about a monster thatsome howends up in earth. Is sent to destroy the planet.Is part of some test.Zarkor is big and strong practicullary indesctructables.He does not havea heatbeam.

He does havelightning bolts that he suit from hiseyes that are just destructive.It'sd up to Tonny a local mail men to defeat Zarkor.

The characters are funny.My favorite is author the nerd computer hacker who is a minor cator in the movie. I am a big Godzilla fan.Ownall but4 of.Iyou like this I recomendKraa the Sea Monster.

Suitmation fun is no classic, but entertaining...
...for what it is, and what Zarkorr! The Invader is is 70 or so minutes of old school man in suit monster mayhem with a semi-decent story padding it out (at least they tried to draft an actual story of sorts).The movie begins with the titular beastie popping out of a mountain.After shaking the dust off its scaly shoulders, Zarkorr commences to do what he was sent to Earth for.Ridding it of Earthling civilization.Meanwhile a Newark, New Jersey postal worker gets a visit from a tiny Mallrat, and I do mean tiny!She could fit inside of a spoon.When fans consider that Zarkorr! The Invader is a Charles Band production, it comes as no surprise that something small had to show up at some point.The miniscule Mallrat Alien then informs our hero that he has been specifically chosen to fight Zarkorr.If he fails, then all the world will be destroyed.Not happy with this, but having no choice in the matter, our hero tries to get help from a lovely cryptozoologist, who is not interested in helping someone who appears to be completely crazed.Most of the human action is kept separate from the monster stuff because the effects were completed before they had even decided with kind of movie to put it in.Screenwriter Benjamin Carr has done his best - his story, while obviously padded (and this is 70 minute movie), is a hodge podge of familiar elements that don't quite fit together, yet work in their own scatterbrained way.Forgiving Full Moon fans might enjoy this, I did.

Zarkorr came, saw, and destroyed
Who the heck can honestly say they bought this movie for the wonderful acting, or the completly drawn out plot. BAHAHA! Noone can. Admit you just want to see a giant dragon like dino stomp around and look cool against back drops of fire. THe movie is worth the 10 dollars. Thats all. And Zarkorr diffently was a good effort to make a giant monster movie that we see on Scifi every flipping week. I rather take the old detailed suit than the crappy cgi any day of the week.

Hahahahahaha...
With a name like Zarkorr what were you people expecting. Actually it seems as though the actors are having a blast, and there are alot of funny lines in this movie (ala "what are you some kinda...question asker?") It is really poorly made but if you have a since of humor you can enjoy this pretty pathetic movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"The Enterprise Incident"
An overwrought, highly-stressed Captain Kirk blunders into Romulan space and finds the Enterprise surrounded by enemy vessels, all equipped with strategically valuable cloaking technology. Along with Spock, Kirk is invited to meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) to discuss the situation, leading to a crisis when the captain suffers a breakdown following Spock's apparent betrayal. Written by story editor Dorothy Fontana (who was unhappy with the final results) and directed by John Meredyth Lucas (who briefly took the producing reins from Gene L. Coon during season two), the episode has a colorful espionage angle, but depends heavily on an improbable romance between Spock and Linville's character. Still, there are things to savor here, especially Kirk's one-and-only appearance with Vulcan/Romulan pointed ears. --Tom Keogh

"And the Children Shall Lead"
The Enterprise arrives at a distant research outpost to find all the adults dead and their children eerily cheerful. No sooner are they aboard the ship than the children begin taking over, using strange powers bestowed on them by a malevolent "friendly angel." The kids make for an engagingly creepy episode as they alter the crew's perceptions to play on their worst fears, all with angelic smiles on their faces. Kirk's stiff-necked nature is well played against the manic playfulness of the kids, and legendary attorney Melvin Belli (who enjoyed a moderately busy acting career in the late '60s) does an interesting turn as the smooth-talking angel. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Without Followers, Evil Cannot Prevail
Volume 30 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains two contrasting episodes from Season Three.

The Enterprise Incident is a successful and riveting story, even though its plot--full of Nixonian plotting and plausible deniability--runs counter to Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek philosophy. What makes this episode work is the taut writing, tight editing, powerful scoring, and excellent performances from all involved. The scenes between Leonard Nimoy and guest star Joanne Linville--as the Romulan Commander smolder with erotic tension. The visuals are also superior to most of the series. However, some of the Romulan makeup looks rushed, with some clumsy ear appliances.

Despite an interesting concept, And The Children Shall Lead is not a success. The episode, essentially an allegory about religious cults, is undone by tortured dialogue, weak plotting, and the most egregious incident of "stunt" casting in Trek history: Lawyer Melvin Belli portrays the evil Gorgon. Dressed in a silver gown with a floral patterned collar, Belli looks like a second-rate televangelist in drag. Most of this episode is so laughably ridiculous that it's best ignored or viewed as a party gag. What a wasted opportunity.

No complaints about the picture and sound restoration. However, Al Francis' lighting and camerawork lacks the beauty and subtlety of Jerry Finnerman's, who resigned after the second season.

ONE OF THE BEST AND THE WORST STAR TREK EPISODE EVER!!!
Volume 30 of the Star Trek DVD series will draw the buyer because of the classic ENTERPRISE INCIDENT episode. However it will also repel many because the episode has had the ill luck of being coupled with the worst episode that came out of the original series; AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD.

Those who say the entire third season of Star Trek is bad obviously didn't see THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT. The episode finds the Enterprise crew venturing into Romulan territory under a secret mission. The episode is well written and well acted. Joan Linville makes a fine appearance as the Romulan Commander. Her scenes with Spock are very memorable. A great action packed story with some great moments make THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT a classic definetly worth seeing. Especially when Kirk is disguised as a Romulan.

There is no doubt in my mind that AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD is the worst Star Trek episode of the entire series. The plot tries to take a sort of 'Children Of The Damned' status but comes out as a joke. The casting is terrible as several bad child actors were hired as well as lawyer Melvin Belli (of The Rolling Stone's Gimme Shelter fame) who was cast as the evil spirit whom controls the children. The entire episode is totally unconvincing but particularily because Belli looks more like a Christmas tree than a threatening entity. This is best viewed as a joke but watch it at your own risk.

Overall the DVD is worth getting for the classic ENTERPRISE INCIDENT and perhaps if you are bored you should watch AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD but it is the worst episode of the bunch. Recommended but don't get mad at me if your disappointed I warned you about AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD : )

One action episode, one creepily surreal show
The Enterprise Incident-This Romulan intrigue story is one of the 3rd season's most solid offerings. It offers a tight and dramatic plot, with plenty of twists and surprises. The teaser is particularly well-executed, and may be second only to Mirror, Mirror's opening in dramatic effect. I also enjoy the moral ambiguity of this episode. By that I mean not only that we are left to ponder whether the ends justify the means, but also that WE are left to ponder that question, rather than being beaten over the head with it and having it answered for us. Would a 1st season episode have been comfortable with this ambiguity, let alone keeping it implicit? No normative judgments implied, but Star Trek had in some sense grown up by the Fall of 1968, for better or worse. (4 stars)
Tidbits: Spock was able to stay fairly true to himself in this romance; others weren't so lucky in their 3rd season romances, which generally yanked crewmembers far out of character. As a result, here the sacrifice Spock makes is a real one, in which he compromises himself. The production team did a nice job of giving the Romulan ship interior a different feel.

And the Children Shall Lead-Incredibly, the second of the 'children' episodes is even darker than the first (Miri). This atmospheric episode is shrouded in a sense of mystery and dread. I would go so far as to call the episode courageous in it's depiction of evil and willingness to give the children complicity in the adults' deaths. Each individual's insecurities and fears are exploited by the Gorgon, and at the height of the episode Kirk has lost control both of his ship and his entire sense of reality.
While some of the effects are quite gimmicky (the knives), others are effective in their simplicity (such as the summoning of the Gorgon). Overall I found this to be an effective, eerie and surreal episode, although some may dislike the fact that there is no simple moral. The cold finality of much of the death (such as being beamed into deep space) may also upset some. The conclusions/ means of dealing with the Gorgon were also admittedly weak.
Tidbits: It would be interesting to know how attourney Melvin
Belli ended up in this role. (4 stars)

I'm gonna lead myself away from this unfortunate incident...
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 30: The Enterprise Incident © / And the Children Shall Lead ©

THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The balance of power; military one-upmanship

Historic Milestone: the introduction of the fictional "Vulcan death grip"

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

Jimmers' libido takes a rest in this outing as Spock takes on the task of romancing the babe-of-the-week. And what a job he does: he melts the heart-- whilst earning the trust-- of a Romulan ship commander with his little routine of logic and lack of emotion following the capture of the Enterprise after encroaching into the Neutral Zone. Adding to his credibility with the Romulan commander is his application of the aforementioned 'Vulcan death grip' on the good captain when it appears he may've gone a bit loopy. Um, the captain that is. Meanwhile, Jimmers' 'corpse' is returned to the Enterprise, where he's revived, disguises himself as a Romulan officer, and sets out to steal the enemy's cloaking device. Scotty's expression of joyful surprise as he sees the good captain in Romulan togs is absolutely priceless! Eventually, the Enterprise makes off with their prize, and with a touch of Scotty's miracle-working, uses it to escape detection. In the end, Spock has the temerity to try and salvage his 'relationship' with the captured Romulan officer after using her like a wad of tissues! And apparently she falls for it to a degree, the silly fool. Oh Spock, you smooth character you!

AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The folly of giving Melvin Belli a part on a TV show-- or an acting part of ANY kind!

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: The entire freakin' episode!

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 2 killed

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

I was pretty freaked out by the teaser to this particular eppie, featuring a buncha kids playin' and carrying on whilst their parents lie dead all around 'em! Was Stephen King a contributor to the script, or what? Unfortunately, things break down after the teaser, and never improve one iota. Melvin Belli's ultra-stiff performance as the evil Gorgan proved to me that, as an actor, he makes a pretty good lawyer. Actually, his character is very lawyer-like: he produces and feeds off of the anxiety & paranoia of others! Okay, so I made a cheap shot with that last crack. What'cha gonna do about it-- sue me? No wait, I was only kidding... honest! Please put that summons down...

Anyhoo, after pickin' up the adolescent survivors, the Enterprise encounters all sort'sa troubles... like the kids using mind-control to systematically take over the Enterprise, and making Sulu hallucinate huge knives out in space. Fortunately, the Gorgan's power over his prepubescent charges is broken when Jimmers shows 'em a few home movies with their late 'rents. This causes the young'uns to bawl somethin'awful, and frees them from their captor. I can't really blame 'em for their reaction; if I were forced to watch old home movies, I'd be cryin' too...

'Late

The Classic "Enterprise Incident" and the Worst ST episode
Volume 30 of the Star Trek DVD series certainly offers the most uneven pair of episodes in the entire collection. First up is the classic episode, "The Enterprise Incident," in which Kirk apparently goes off the deep end, ordering the Enterprise into Romulan space. Surrounded by Romulan ships, Kirk and Spock meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) in which the First Officer declares Kirk acted alone, without authority, in a blatant attempt to grab some glory. An enraged Kirk attacks Spock who then uses the "Vulcan death grip" to kill the captain. Of course, that was the last episode of the show and nothing was heard from Star Trek ever again. Actually, it is all a complicated plot for Starfleet to get their hands on the Romulan's cloaking device. But while Kirk goes undercover as a Romulan, it is up to Spock to keep the Romulan commander distracted. Leonard Nimoy and Joanne Linville deserve a lot of praise for this episode, because their scenes are arguably the most erotic in the entire series. Take that William Shatner! "The Enterprise Incident" is on my Top 10 list of Star Trek episodes and I know I am not alone in that regard.

On the other hand I think I actually sat through "And the Children Shall lead" them ONCE in all the years I have been watching Star Trek. The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a scientific expedition on Triacus where they are shocked to find not only that all the adults have killed themselves but that their children do not seem to care. It turns out the children are enthralled to Gorgon, a sort of demon entity that lives on the planet. Lawyer Melvin Belli portrays the evil Gorgon is one of those horrendous casting decisions that get made from time to time. Anyhow, now Grogon wants to find a planet with millions of people he can make suffer and to distract the Enterprise crew he has them each imagine their worst fears coming true. If I bothered to put one together, this episode would be in my Bottom 10 episodes of Star Trek. Actually, I think it is the worst of the bunch, mainly because Belli makes the most unthreatening evil etity you have ever seen while the children do not even come close to "Children of the Damned" status. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Blue Gender just keeps getting better!
Blue Gender just keeps getting better with "Blue Gender, Volume # 3." Includes the episodes "Sympath", "Oasis", and "Confirm". The episode Sympath is great, Yuji and Marlene come across a new character named Dice (Finally! I thought they were going to be alone forever), a roughneck loner who remains alive due to the fact that he has an armored shrike (a bad one at that, it's alright I guess). Anyways, he helps Yuji and Marlene out throughout the entire DVD.
In the episode Oasis, Yuji gets separated from Marlene and Dice, and is picked up by some nomads and ends up falling in love with a girl named Elena. This episode isn't without its action scenes though, Yuji protects the nomads from a group of bandits. Great episode.
Lastly, in Confirm, Yuji is finally reunited with Marlene and Dice, and is forced with a decision - Go with Marlene to Second Earth, or stay with his new love, Elena. Decisions, decisions.
Overall this DVD is really more of a plot-evolver, but it's still a GREAT DVD which I highly recommend buying. The animation and dubs are better than ever. Anyone who thinks of this series as a poor one is obviously a moron, yes a moron. Buy it while you still can! It's Great! :) - Ryan ... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sherlockian completists will be interested in this ambitious pastiche that neglects innumerable conventions from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes canon but offers an original showdown between the Great Detective and his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Holmes (Edward Woodward), vexed by Moriarty's daring escape from the gallows, rebuffs a request by his brother Mycroft (Peter Jeffrey) to assist on a government matter but ends up seeking his older sibling after Moriarty (Anthony Andrews) kidnaps him. The villainous professor--a mathematical genius--can't break a secret code of Mycroft's design, putting the latter at risk and upping the ante in Holmes's longtime battle with his foe. John Hillerman makes a low-key Watson who calmly stands up to Holmes' condescension, and Terence Lodge's bumbling Lestrade actually elicits sympathy. The story by Charles Edward Pogue isn't as good as his earlier television adaptations of Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four, but it is memorable. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Anthony Andrews is amazing as Moriarty!
This movie is by far the best Sherlock Holmes adaptation ever! Anthony Andrews is absolutely chilling as the evil Professor Moriarty. He inhabits the character and exudes the searing darkness of his soul. Although this movie does not actually come from a particular Sherlock Holmes mystery, it maintains the feel of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work. The actor playing Dr. Watson is also fantastic and the only drawback is the actor playing Holmes, who bears no resemblance to Doyle's famous sleuth. The last word? See this movie...soon! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Brilliance and fun
Lost love, new enemies, hidden and resurfaced emotions become the underlying theme for these two episdoes, The Man Trap and The Naked Time.

Bringing hidden issues to the surface - confronting what we wish to forget, Star Trek goes boldly where no one has gone before with this innovative series.

In "The Man Trap", lost love of Dr. McCoy's Nancy Carter is isolated on Planet M113. There, during an away mission, crew members mysteriously are killed by being desalinated. Confrontation of emotion vs. fact - this episode yields a heart wrenching and character defining moment for our dear Dr. McCoy.

In "The Naked Time", the crew becomes exposed to a virus which allows them to act emotionally without thought. The virus is passed on through bodily fluids (in this scenario, perspiration) The forefront of sexually transmitted infections is hidden but very much so an issue in this episode.

Overall, two wonderful episodes backed by high quality of sound and picture. This DVD is a must have for the TOS collection.

Two early Star Trek episodes that were really too early
The one thing that the two episodes on Volume 3 of the Star Trek DVD series have in common is that they both should have come much later in the show's run. In "The Man Trap," we find out that once upon a time Leonard McCoy was romantically involved with Nancy Crater, who is working with her husband Robert on the distant planet M-113. When the Enterprise arrives to give the researchers their yearly physicals, crewmen start dying from complete salt deprivation. It turns out that Nancy has been dead for a year, and her place has been taken by a salt vampire. But this is "Episode 6," a point where we are still finding out about McCoy and his relationship to Kirk and Spock; i.e., too soon to really care about his past. Besides, Star Trek never really did all that well with traditional monsters. "The Man Trap" is a slightly below average Star Trek episode.

Then, in "The Naked Time" an away team finds six scientists dead on planet Psi 2000. When one of the crew takes the glove of his isolation suit off, a small drop of red liquid moves onto his hand. When they return to the Enterprise the crewmembers start acting strangely; Sulu runs around with a fencer's foil, Riley takes over engineering and keeps singing "I'll Take You Home Kathleen," and even Spock becomes an emotional wreck. The strange liquid from the planet affects everyone like alcohol and bares their souls. This is absolutely a great idea, but for "Episode 7"? This is just way too early for Spock to have his meltdown. Ironically, STNG made the same mistake with "The Naked Now" being Episode THREE for crying out loud. Of course, in syndication these concerns are less important because we the second/third/nth time you want a Star Trek episode you can put it in the context of the entire series. Still, way back when, they were really getting a bit ahead of the game with this pair of episodes, although "The Naked Time" is an above average episode.

Bare empty DVD....
I'm starting to find these DVDs of the original Star Trek television series to be very poor. Made when DVD production was just getting started in 1999, the last few years have seen whole TV shows released as four disk DVD sets labled with the complete episodes of each season. I am suprised and disapointed that Paramount has not extended this to the original Star Trek episodes either. Or a show to be as loved and admired as it has been, it deserves to be re-released as a four disk set with each season's episodes complete with commentery and behind the scenes featureets on how the show was made. But Paramount has given no indication that it plans to do so. The current management has not been that great in delivering high quality DVDs on Star Trek, and this inconstistency can be seen with the release of the Star Trek movies as Special Edition two disk DVD sets. Paramount seems to be on the decline in recent years. They have not had a big office movie in some time. They have done more with releasing their TV shows as full season disk sets, but why not TOS. There is a large fan base that would like it. Who knows? All I know is that with the recent failure of Star Trek; Nemesis at the movies, and with ENTERPRISE barely making the cut on TV, it seems that for the near future, the space dock is closed.

A hideous salt-sucker and a drunken party.
Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 3 presents two episodes originally aired in 1966:

"The Man Trap:" A shape-shifting creature that drains its victims of their natural salt content terrorizes the Enterprise crew. Even though this segment was the sixth Trek episode produced (if you count the first pilot, "The Cage") it was the public's first taste of Star Trek, debuting September 8, 1966. The creators obviously chose "The Man Trap" to lead off the series because it best exemplified Star Trek's "strange new worlds" concept. This is an excellent horror/mystery story, both haunting and tragic (inexplicably criticized by William Shatner in his book 'Star Trek Memories' as "a dreadful show, one of our worst ever" -- Huh? Did we see the same show?). A great first exposure for the masses, which nicely establishes the tone of the series; but it strangely got mediocre reviews -- the fools! GRADE: A

"The Naked Time:" This is one of my personal faves. The Enterprise crew gets infected by a space virus that causes them to lose all inhibitions resulting in ship-wide pandemonium. This episode answers one of the most burning questions of the series: Why does Kirk go after EVERY female he meets in the galaxy -- including aliens and androids? Because he's not allowed to fraternize with any of the women on his ship! (If this is true then what was he doing with Helen Noel at the ship's Christmas party as revealed in "Dagger of the Mind" [episode #11]? Ms. Noel is so incredibly gorgeous that Kirk can be forgiven this one transgression). Bottom Line: A fan favorite because it's got everything a viewer might be in the mood for -- mystery, drama, comedy, romance, action and suspense. It also happens to be a great episode in which to get to know the characters, seeing as how they all get to 'let loose.' WATCH OUT for the powerful scene in which Chapel admits her love to the emotionally distant Spock. GRADE: A+

Star Trek gaining momentum
The Man Trap-This episode, in which we meet a salt-craving creature with shape-changing abilities, was the first Trek episode to air. While decent enough, it certainly is not an exceptional episode. While it is conceivable that this was the only episode completed in time, more likely it was selected because it was not what NBC had called 'too cerebral'. Other factors that NBC might have liked include the fact that it was largely planet-based and had an alien that 'looked like an alien.' While this episode does touch on loneliness, the subjectivity of beauty, and all creatures' right to survival, it does no more than touch on these themes. As an action episode, it's no more than passable, and again everything from the delivery of the lines to the music is slow, slow, slow (compared to even one year later). The episode is, quite honestly, most memorable for 1) the well-designed vampire, and 2) the shock-value of humans being preyed upon. (2.5 stars)

The Naked Time-This episode, in which a virus causes the crew to lose their inhibitions, was the best offering yet from the new show. The episode commences with an effective teaser, and the story unfolds at a good pace once aboard the Enterprise. The basic premise is a good one, since it enables the cast to both playfully embellish their roles and have some serious ruminations. The episode certainly has its share of action, and is one of the more creative 'Enterprise in danger' shows. We are also introduced to adult themes such as tradeoffs between duty and responsibility on the one hand and joyous, unconstrained intoxication on the other. Some of the soul-searching monologues are a bit much though for characters who weren't exactly our friends yet (this was the 3rd show to air), and as others have noted Nimoy-who seems to really need to believe in the material-was not terribly effective here. The same can (as usual) be said of Takei, and the inclusion of a 'drunken Irishman' character was also somewhat unfortunate. The boomerang premise is also kind of silly, but what the heck, enough hating; this is Star Trek, and it's a good episode. (4 stars) ... Read more