Amazon.com

Much like the U.S. series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., this cool, clever cold war spy show is built on elaborate espionage shell games and diplomatic chicanery, and Patrick McGoohan's John Drake is the ingenious con man behind the bluffs and feints. The eight episodes on set 3 feature the usual array of plots pulled off with tongue-in-cheek charm--the nationalistic fervor of "Have a Glass of Wine" turns espionage into a veritable sporting event between spies, and in "You're Not in Any Trouble, Are You?" Drake gets to the bottom of a murder for hire ring by taking out a hit on himself. But the humor is interspersed with more ambivalent episodes. "That's Two of Us Sorry" offers up a casualty of the cold war mentality, and the assassins school of "Such Men Are Dangerous" rings with an undercurrent of fascism. For sheer invention, "The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove" delivers a mind game worthy of The Prisoner's Number 2. The set also features "A Man to Be Trusted," "The Affair at Castelevara," and "Don't Nail Him Yet."

The episodes feature the complete British cuts, with the Danger Man title and bouncy spinet theme song, but if you miss the Johnny Rivers theme song from the American version of the show, just click to the supplements and you can enjoy the U.S. credits as well as a still gallery and a biography and filmography of star Patrick McGoohan. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Top Notch
Much has already been said. This is one of the best TV series of all time!

Secret Agent/Danger Man and Combat were the two best series from the 60s.

At last!
I remember watching two or three half-hour episodes of "Danger Man"as a very small child. I am cursed with a photographic memory, so Patrick McGoohan's face and style were imprinted on my mind.The first season of "Danger Man" was a huge success in the German speaking countries and I have always found it strange that the hour-long episodes were never shown here.I got the ITC tapes 10 years ago but I had given up hope to see more of this elegant series. So imagine my joy when I learned about the A&E releases.

The quality of the show is amazing. It is a feast for the eyes with its beautiful black and white filming and the fashion of the Kennedy era. Furthermore I have always loved John Le Carre's books and many of the plots here come as close in complexity as scripts in a TV series can get.Even a comedy like "Have a glass of wine" is basically a clever espionage story.

But of course the most important asset is Mr. McGoohan's portrayal of John Drake as a moral man trying to stick to his values despite doing an often immoral job. It is surprising how much of the drama originates in this conflict between duty and personal honour.I certainly had not expected this depth of characterisation in a cold war spy series.

There are many splendid episodes in these three sets.My favourite in set one is "No marks for servility"-no other actor can convey smouldering aggressiveness like Patrick McGoohan."Whatever happened to George Foster" in set two is surprisingly modern in this era of globalisation and "Colony Three" is a nightmare with many memorable images.It is almost too sinister for my taste.Set three, the best so far, has "A man to be trusted" with lots of clever dialogue and a very sudden violent ending set in a dark rainforest with the hero in severe distress; the delightful "Have a glass of wine", poking fun at the French and featuring among other things a bicycle chase; and "You're not in any trouble" with its hint of romance.

In my opinion this series is highly recommendable and I do hope that A&E release the rest of it .For me this is not a nostalgic memory but exciting and new.

Danger Man Set 3: A mixed bag...
Patrick McGoohan is back as British secret agent John Drake in the third boxed set of episodes of Danger Man. Adventures in espionage without the pyrotechnics. Here are summaries and/or comments for the episodes in this set. Episode ratings are on a scale from one to five (best).

Volume 5: (Disc 1)

That's Two Of Us Sorry (5): A well-written episode, featuring a "red herring" and a sad ironic finish. At the Loch Broom power plant in Scotland, some top secret papers are missing. Fingerprints on a briefcase point to a "Jock Lawson" as the culprit. Strangely, Lawson, a suspected traitor, disappeared 20 years previously and is presumed dead. Drake's investigations take him to the island of "Herta", in search of the mysterious owner of the prints. The presence of Russian sailors raises Drake's suspicions, but the tightly knit island community does not yield its secrets easily. The persistent Drake, while still a bit off track, does eventually find a secret or two, raising local tempers and yielding some bittersweet results. Francesca Annis, guest stars as a fetching Scottish lassie, her second appearance in the series.

Such Men Are Dangerous (2): Drake takes the place of a convict who has been recruited along with several other criminals into a shadowy group called "The Order". A country estate serves as a training ground for murder and mayhem. The story starts out with some promise, but crashes pretty badly at the end. A "lowlight" is the comical car chase across some muddy terrain, sped up to appear more "exciting".

A Man To Be Trusted (3): This complicated tale finds John Drake in the Caribbean, looking into the deaths of two British agents, both killed after being brutally tortured. He has the assistance of a local law officer, but he is still not sure whom he can trust. Greed, lust and voodoo all play a part in this tale that gets a bit too close to Drake's heart.

The Affair at Castelevara (3): A roll of movie film that records an atrocity that took place at Castelevara, holds the key to freeing a man condemned to death. A local subversive group works with both Drake and the Americans, to try and free the prisoner, who could be more valuable dead than alive.

Volume 6: (Disc 2)

Don't Nail Him Yet (2): Denis Rawson is a bureaucrat living above his means, and is suspected of passing classified information. After a "chance" meeting with Drake brings the two together, the poor young man can't seem to get him out of his life. The game is to uncover the spy ring without letting critical information slip through. A bit slow and tedious, but finishes with an uncharacteristic bang.

The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove (2): Taking a break from the usual tense drama, this tale rooted in an alternate reality, plays with the audience. After a traffic accident, Drake finds himself in an unfamiliar world, not sure what is real, struggling to put the pieces together. There are clues, so if you can see the ending coming from a long way off, you won't be surprised at all. Nice to see the late Desmond Llewelyn, "Q" from the Bond films here.

Have a Glass of Wine (4): Another story involving following a courier to the source. This time it is to the wine country of France, and the results are not pleasant. First Drake is out pedaled on a bicycle, then outsmarted, and left to face a murder charge. Drake must escape from the law, identify the real killer, and then uncover the secret spy network. This is no easy task. With his back against the wall, John gets pretty violent here, taking on the police as well as dealing with the opposition.

You're Not In Any Trouble, Are You? (3): When an agent mysteriously drops out from his hotel window, John Drake is sent to Rome to investigate. He finds a troubled young woman, and clues that lead him to a "killing syndicate", a group that kills for money. Drake puts a contract out on himself, and then waits for the killer to arrive. This episode approaches the edge, and the finale pushes it over.

Danger Man Set 3 is a mixed bag. A couple of outstanding episodes, but also a few clunkers. Drake is on familiar ground, but the writing is not consistently top notch. Once again, not enough positives to justify a ringing endorsement of this set. Give A&E credit for addressing a previous complaint, by upgrading to four episodes per disc. Fans of Danger Man, may find my other reviews of interest.

Heroic, realistic
Wonderful plots. John Drake is a genuine hero in a not-always-clear and not-always-fair world. He does his best to be true to his values. I especially like "A Man to Be Trusted" -- the plot about a third-world election is very ingenious and would apply today.

Fun to watch on DVD where you can back up and slow-mo the stunts. Look at the scene where Drake turns over the dinner table in "Have a Glass of Wine" -- the actor playing the villain subtlely helps McGoohan flip the table!

Many of the actors became stars and are familiar to us in British drama and comedy. But wonderful acting in even the smallest roles. I especially remember Drake's expatriot widowed landlady in "A Man to Be Trusted"

Heroic and realistic, too

Superb Spy Show
A wonderful show for anyone interested in vintage spy series. The B&W filming lends an interesting quality to the episodes and seems to give the viewer a better feel for the Cold War. Some plots are straight forward, but others are as convoluted as an episode of Mission: Impossible, which came some years later.

I haven't seen these episodes in years and was delighted to find them on DVD. In this set, each DVD contains 4 episodes. They're well worth the price. ... Read more

Description

After 17 years, married life has become predictable and stale for Richard and Barbara Harmon. After splitting up, they discover divorced life is even worse! Stars Emmy ® winner Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

AVOID FULL FRAME BUTCHER JOB
yet again...a studio "dumbs down" a release by not giving us the full image. Teach them a lesson by boycotting these "butchered" releases...Conrad Hall (the cinematographer) deserves better.

Divorce as business
That si nothing but a comedy, but a very good one. No real depth about life but a very clear vision of divorce as nothing but business for both sexes. A man can be nearly destroyed by a divorce, but he can be regenerated by the remarrying of his ex-wife. So everything is organized by everyone so that ex-wives remarry and ex-husbands remarry too. It means no real love but only some business agreements here and there along the way. The twist comes through some hypnosis that completely meddles with the cards of the game and everything can start from the very same point the whole film had started from. Divorcing is some kind of artistic game in the middle-class suburbs.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting but not impartial
When I first discovered that Dean Cain was cast to play Scott Peterson, I got goosebumps all over because of the uncanny resemblance of the two men. While the movie is good and interesting, it is far from being impartial. It focuses too much on Scott Peterson and every little thing that pertained to him (his actions, behavior, etc.).

I believe that all people have the right to a fair trial and to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. This movie has Scott Peterson walking around with "GUILTY" written all over him. Hypothetically speaking, what if the Laci Peterson murder was something that was similar to the Dr. Sam Sheppard case? Don't get me wrong here - I have strong feelings about the Peterson case and will freely admit that I think Scott had a major role in Laci's death, however I do believe that the justice system needs to be utilized in the appropriate manner.

The movie is mostly about Scott Peterson more than it is about Laci. Nevertheless, it is an interesting movie to watch. ... Read more

Description

The mad Dr. Herbert West, the tormented Dr. Dan Cain, and the beheaded Dr. Carl Hill return in this terrifying sequel to "Re-Animator", the most deliriously outrageous horror movie of the decade. It's been eight months since the Miskatonic Massacre stained the halls with blood - and Dr. West and Dr. Cain's experiments have taken a bizarre turn. Now they have gone beyond re-animating the dead...into the realm of creating new life. The legs of a hooker and the womb of a virgin are joined to the heart of Dr. Cain's dead girlfriend - and the bride is unleashed upon her mate in a climax of sensual horror. Special Features include: Audio commentaries. Deleted scenes. Never-before-seen behind the scenes footage. Detailed coverage of the make-up effects. Never before seen photographs. Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, David Gale ... Read more

Reviews (28)

paging dr. west
this movie is really gorey and really funny at times. Combs has never been better and he gets inside his character well but theres a lot of things that I really felt that this movie was gonna suck and some of that was true. now with a cut off head with bat's wings and the finale which was really dumb, i'd say Yuzna smashed the cult hit off its throne but he didnt. later in beyond re-animator he does. in this one its cool to watch Abbott being pushed around by Combs and the spark they have is cool. others beware some of the lameness

"The only blasphemy is to wallow in insignificance."
Director/producer Brian Yunza revives his characters from 1985's Re-Animator with this tongue in cheek splatter fest homage to The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). But where The Bride of Frankenstein actually succeeded its' predecessor (in the opinion of many), The Bride of Re-Animator falls a little short.

Returning are now doctors Herbert West (Jeffery Combs), Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott), and even Doctor Carl Hill (David Gale) makes an appearance, despite the fact he has no body (see the first movie). The film tries to build on the original showing doctors West and Cain, nine months after the hospital massacre in the first movie, working in Peru on the bloody frontlines of a civil war, still experimenting with the luminous, green life-giving juice. The notion is that in this backwater part of the world, they can work unfettered, not bothered by legal constraints. Things get a little hairy, and the boys decide to return stateside, working at the hospital with the first unpleasantness took place (I guess the hospital administrators have short memories).

Taking up residence in a house that was once a mortuary, located next to a cemetery, the doctors continue their work with creating life, using various body parts from the hospital morgue. Dan is reluctant, but Herbert proposes they create a woman, using various body parts, centered around the heart of Dan's deceased girlfriend, Meg, who bit the big one in the first movie.

Weird experiments and bloody body parts fill the screen, as a police lieutenant with a personal stake continues the investigation of what originally happened even though the case has been officially closed. Even the head of Dr. Hill makes a kept alive with the living giving juice.

Do Herbert and Dan succeed in bring Meg back to life from spare parts? From the title of the movie, you'd think so, but their creation is less than perfect...the movie may not be up to par with the original, but there is a really great scene where Herbert Combs goes into a nice rant about picking up where God left off, taking the refuse that is humanity and creating new life. Seeing that scene alone was worth watching this movie.

I did enjoy this film, but felt little of what made the first so enjoyable. If they were going to make a sequel, it was only natural to take the course that the filmmakers did, but I wish they would have infused more of a story into the film, and not gone whole hearted campy on us. The first movie did have its' humor, but it was well balanced with the rest of the story. I know sequels are rarely as good as the movie that spawned them, but I did have high hopes here. There's plenty of gore and blood, if you enjoy that kind of thing, but the movie is light on story. I felt much of it was patched together, tying elements together with the weakest of threads. The story may not hold up well, but it was fun to watch, especially the effects of Screaming Mad George and K.N.B. EFX Group.

My real disappointment is with Artisan, the company that released this disc. There are absolutely no special features, and all we are provided with is a full screen format. This movie was released on DVD before by Pioneer Video, loaded with special features, including two separate versions (one being a minute longer than the other), deleted scenes, bloopers, photo galleries, production information, commentary, and more. Also, the original release had both full screen and wide screen letterbox format, while we only get full screen here. You may be able to find that release, but you will most likely have to pay a premium, at least for a nice copy. This film was followed by a third movie, Beyond Re-Animator (2003).

Cookieman108

Excellent sequel!
Set after 9 months since Herbert West ( Jeffery Combs) have conducted his gruesome experiments and caused a massacre at the Mistaktonic university, he is back to do a different kind of experiment of making living parts into one body to create life. He does have Dan ( Bruce Abbot) to still help him, Dr. Carl Hill ( David Gale) is also back to get revenge on Herbert West.
Highly exciting sequel loaded with gore, a wicked sense of humor, good direction by the original's producer Brian Yuzna and Combs is great as West again.
If you love the original, your going to love this too!

Failed re-animation
"I will not be shackled by the failures of your God." Thus says mad genius Dr. Herbert West, who is back along with partner Dan Cain - only this time, they're creating life.

The story involves West (Jeffrey Combs) and Cain (Bruce Abbott) returning from war in Peru. After much research, West has finally discovered the secret to creating human life, and using Cain's lust for a mate as motivation, he proceeds to attempt to make Dan a bride from dead tissue. Naturally, there's also a few re-animated freaks who survived the first film, along with a suspicious detective (Claude Earl Jones) and West's nemesis, Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale), who's still a no-body. Get it? A-ha-ha-ha...

First of all, let me say I was a serious fan of the original "Re-Animator", thus I had no problem with buying a sequel that has a very bad reputation. Well, I can only say "Bride" lives up to its reputation. It has nothing whatsoever to do with any of H.P. Lovecraft's works, however it does borrow a few elements from his tale "Herbert West -- Re-Animator" which weren't used in the first film.

The acting is fine, the effects are fine, the music is fine. The direction is okay, although it can't match Stuart Gordon's. There are a few funny moments in the film, but overall it has a very, very unpleasant feeling about it - which the first film did not have.

Overall, this is only for serious "Re-Animator"/horror fans. Rent the first one instead. "Bride of Re-Animator" is nothing more than a failed re-animation.

DVD: This DVD is pitiful. No special features, Dolby Digital 2.0 sound, and picture quality that could've come off of an old VHS tape. It will do find if you're just a casual viewer, but if you're a fan of the film, then make sure you buy the excellent Pioneer edition.

More luminous serum into dead people and body parts.
This is the sequel to Re-Animator (1985) made five years later. Jeffrey Combs returns as the mad doctor, Herbert West. With his colleague Dr. Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) they are now in Peru, set eight months later after the massacre they created at Miskatonic Medical School. They go back to Miskatonic Hospital where Dr. West is once again testing his luminous serum on dead people and dismembered body parts. Dave Gale returns as the without-a-body Dr. Hill. DVD contains no extras or bonusus. Just "Play" and "Scenes". Followed by BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003). ... Read more

Reviews (38)

The King of Cool Returns! (In A Kilt!)
I have a few hard-and-fast movie viewing rules, and one that's NEVER let me down is this: Any movie with Samuel L. Jackson is worth seeing. Formula 51 is no exception.

Mr. Jackson (The coolest cat in movies today) plays Elmo McElroy, a Pharmacological genius who has been trapped in a state of indentured servitude for 30 years, toiling away making designer drugs for sleazebag drug-kingpin The Lizard (Played by the extra-crispy Meat Loaf). He's created a perfectly legal drug, (Made from ordinary household objects) which he calls POS-51, supposedly 51 times more potent than Heroin and Cocaine. After breaking loose from The Lizard, Elmo makes his way to Liverpool to sell the formula on his own, and finally start living the good life. Unfortunately, The Lizard has sent assassin Dawn/Dakota (The adorable Emily Mortimer) after him; First to kill him, later to keep him safe until he can coerce him into giving up the formula. THEN kill him....

The film plays like a hybrid of Quentin Tarentino, Monty Python, and Hong Kong action flicks, with a distinctly British flavor injected into it by actors Ricky Tomlinson, Robert Carlysle, and Rhys Ifans, all of whom are excellent. Director Ronny Yu is comfortable mixing genres, as shown by the fast-paced action scenes and the laugh-out-loud comedy. I'll never forget the scene in the lab with the skinheads.....Jackson, is, of course, excellent. I haven't had this much fun at the movies in a LONG time; Can't wait for the DVD!

Formulaic 51
A movie that never lives up to its potential, FORMULA 51 seems more like an exercise in filmaking or B-Movie than a major release. People might be looking for a PULP FICTION or a SNATCH here, but it is not quite on the same level. It's more on the level of Mark Wahlberg's 1998 cult action film THE BIG HIT and to no surprise, both films are by directors from the Hong Kong film industry (Ronny Yu and Kirk Wong respectively). What saves the film is the casting of international stars with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Meatloaf, and Robert Carlyle with their outrageous characters. They are in a story about an American (Jackson) who has invented the ultimate drug in hopes to sell the formula to make a final score. He travels to Liverpool, England to meet with mobsters in hopes it will become the next fashion drug at 'party raves'. The dialogue is fast and crisp, the action and gunplay are graphic and bloody, and there is the right amount of comedy mixed in with the violence with some plot twists and turns to keep the film moving. There are some plot holes and predictable plot devices and if the film went beyond the right amount of 92 minutes, the audience would have had enough of all the gratuitousness. Overall, entertaining, but only for the fact of the cast and slight comedic moments.

Formula 51
A qiute good offbeat film that unfortunately misses the mark.
For a start a large number of Americans will not get the irony of the film. Looking at the film in retrospect now, you have to be English to understand some of the humour . Also to our transatlantic cousins, there are other cities in The UK after London!
The superb Samuel L Jackson is playing a toned down caricuture of Samuel L Jackson for us tamer brits; ha ha.
However I do enjoy this film and seeing Jackson trading insults with assorted British tv actors who ( lets be honest )are not going to set Hollywood alight. With the exeption of Robert Carlyle plays a great comical/cynical sidekick who always delivers in his peformances.
It is also refreshing having a British action film, not wussy period dramas or crappy romantic comedies starring the antichrist Hugh Grant!

Formula Movie
Join two cool, hip stars like Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle, add a bland and oh-so-edgy direction, a couple of jokes and visual effects. Then, put a stylish, intrusive soundtrack, lots of f-words, and naturally some sex and drugs. Oh, and a guy who uses a kilt, just to make it a bit more witty. That should make for the absence of an interesting plot, who cares anyway? This is a "Snatch" wannabe (and even that movie wasn`t terrific by any means) that doesn`t quite work. Disposable.

Not a waste of time at least
This movie was good to start out, muddled in the middle, and a small recovery at the end. Samuel Jackson does well, Robert Carlyle is awesome, and Emily Mortimer is great. Where this movie fails is in the complete lack of backup characters. Meatloaf is terrible, but not nearly as bad as others that go unmentioned here. The file has some great visual scenes, a good musical score, and decent dialogue. The movie succeeds at balancing humor and action. One just wishes a little more effort was put forth by all participants. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Pokémon, the little high-tech toys, and the Nintendo game involving them, emerged as a pop-culture phenomenon in 1998: the TV show aired six times a week, a theatrical feature was released in 1999, and Pokémon Web sites popped up all over the Internet. These episodes of the TV series center on Ash Ketchum, an adolescent boy who aspires to become a champion Pokémon trainer. He sets out for his first tournament, accompanied by his sometimes friend, a girl named Misty, and his special pet Pokémon, Pikachu. Along the way, he defeats another boy, Samurai, in a duel and makes a valuable new friend when he challenges Brock, the local champion, while learning lessons about friendship, perseverance, and honorable play. On Moon Mountain, he discovers a fallen meteor with magical powers over the excessively cute Clefaries.Jessie and James, the Team Rocket, attempt to steal the Moon Stone, but are defeated by Ash, Misty, and Brock in a slapstick battle.Adults may have trouble keeping track of the different Pokémon without the help of a child, but the "Full-Length Pokérap" at the end of the disc lists them, an obvious attempt to stimulate the urge to collect all 150 (plus one rare collector's Pokémon coveted by fans). --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Getting better
As we remember from the last DVD, Ash and Misty are venturing through Viridian Forest.

Following the game, they should reach Pewter Town now, right.
Nah, not yet. Looks like we have to slow down a bit, or the show'll be over in 30 episodes.

So, they're still in Viridian Forest. Ash meets a pokemon trainer named Samurai (uh..), who want a fight after losing to Gary earlier. The fight turns out to be a bore-fest where Ash's and Samurai's Metapods harden a few dozen times. It ends with a bucnh of Beedrills kidnapping Metapod. Woo, finally rid of him. Now to get rid of Pikachu, and catch some good pokemon. Nah, Ash embarks on a rescue mission, but is attack by J&J who want Pikachu. They end up getting attacked by more Beedrills, while Metapod defend Ash. The experience evolves him into Butterfree, a pokemon even worse than Pikachu. Blah.
Well, Ash and Misty continue their journey, and reach Pewter City, where Ash decides to enter the Pokemon League. To enter, he has to travel between cities and towns, challenging the local pokemon master in a battle and win. This'll give him a badge to brag about. Get 8 badges, and you can enter the league. Ash challenges the local master, Brock, but is easily beaten. An old man named Flint, who turns out to be Brocks father, helps Ash super-charge Pikachu making him win. Almost. Ash gets the chanse to cheat, but turns it down. Brock hands him the badge anyway, and joins him on the journey. On the way to the next town, Cerulean, Ash and co journey through Mount Moon, where they meet a scientist named Seymour, and stop Jessie and James from stealing the mysterious Moon Stone from the Clefairies, a very rare species of pokemon. The stone is supposed to evolve pokemon into otherwise unattainable forms, making it very useful for Team Rocket. Ash and co don't succeed, however, and J&J get away with the stone. The Clefairies stop them with a bit help from Brock's Onix, use the Moon Stone to evlve, and beat up the Rocket agents. Turns out the stone was a bit more powerful than they thought.

So, what do we have here? 3 very good episodes, each deling with a different pokemon species. The first one cover the Weedle/Kakuna/Beedrill family, then we have Brock's pokemon, Geodude and Onix. And finally, Clefairy and Clefable.
Can't really say much else, cept that these are among the best episodes at this point in the series, and I recommend this DVD to all fans.

The plot begins to unravel
As the second DVD in the Pokemon TV series, this is where the story begins to start. Ash first learns about how trainers need to collect badges in order to enter the Pokemon League. The only way to gain these object are to win Pokemon battles against Gym Leaders. It has three, 20-minute episodes:

Challenge of the Samurai - Ash, Misty and Pikachu make it out of Viridian Forest, when Ash is challenged to a Pokemon match by a fellow trainer. But when a swarm of Beedrill interrupts the match, Ash's Metapod is carried away. Will Ash be able to save Metapod?

Showdown in Pewter City - Ash challenges Brock, the Pewter City Gym leader, hoping to win his first badge. When Pikachu's powers alone can't do it, can a mysterious stranger help Pikachu be strong enough to defeat Brock's Pokemon?

Clefairy and the Moon Stone - On their way to Cerulean City, Ash, Misty and Brock head towards Mt. Moon for a shortcut. When the group arrives at the Mountain, they rescue a Pokemon researcher, Seymour. The researcher tells them of the Moon Stone, a legendary object that everyone seems to want. What could this Moon Stone be?

Great video and audio quality, and also has the entire Pokerap at the end. Followed by "The Sisters of Cerulean City".

Cool series, disappointing anime...
INTRODUCTION:
In the early-mid nineties in Japan, the Pokemon video game series was created. This series became an instant success overnight, and it's no surprise that Nintendo wanted to try their luck with the series in America. In late 1998, Nintendo ported the video games to America, as well as the animated series based on it (in America, the animated series actually arrived BEFORE the games, believe it or not!) Read on for my review of this, a DVD containing the first three episodes of the Pokemon series.

BASIC PLOT:
The basic plot of the Pokemon animated series is simple. Ash, a new Pokemon trainer, wants to become the best Pokemon collector/battler in the world. The series follows him as he finds new Pokemon, new allies, and enemies alike. On his journey he is joined by Misty, who tags along since Ash destroyed her bike, and Brock, who wants to be a Pokemon breeder. As the three travel, they frequently battle members of Team Rocket - an organization that wants to capture rare and valuable Pokemon. Most episodes of the series follow the same basic plot.

SERIES OPINIONS:
Although an amazing series of Game Boy RPGs inspired this game, the series is subpar. Every episode is pretty much the same. The crew is traveling, Team Rocket appears and says their same lines in every episode, the good guys and bad guys battle, and the good guys always cause an explosion that sends Team Rocket flying away. Also, the characters are paper thin. Most of them appear in one episode and never again. Even the main characters are pretty one-dimensional. Also, the dub gives the series too much of an "Americanized" feel. To make things worse, in America, the TV series featured Pokemon that weren't yet in any American Pokemon game, which led to hundreds of in-game rumors. The TV series also makes up several locations that aren't in the games - another big mistake. Take my advice - steer clear of this series - just play the Game Boy games instead.

DVD:
THE DVD HAS NO JAPANESE LANGUAGE TRACK!? When you do anime DVDs, it is an unwritten rule that you include both a sub and a dub, and this DVD violates that unwritten rule. Likewise, the extras are severely lacking - the Pokerap is just plain stupid. And let's not forget that DVDs cost more than VHS tapes. Take my advice - just tape these episodes off your local channel that shows the series if you want to see them that bad.

OVERALL:
Overall this was a good idea for an animated series, but it just falls flat when compared to all the other animes out there. If you want good animes that have characters that aren't paper thin, check out Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, or Gundam Wing. If you want Pokemon, just stick with the games.

Not a very good video
This video is cute, but not what I would call a "good video" A good video has alot of action and stuff, but this does not have alot of action. It is boring.

Enjoyable series but too expensive
Pokémon is the story about Ash Ketchum and his friends, Misty Williams and Brock Harrison. Ash's goal is to become a Pokémon Master. Misty's goal is to be "the best at everything" but, more specifically, a Water Pokémon Master. Brock's goal is to be the world's best Pokémon breeder. Pokémon are the animals that inhabit their world. They come in many different species (mouse, cat, dog, etc.) and types (electric, grass, water, fire, etc.). Each Pokémon trainer trains his or her Pokémon to battle other Pokémon and win badges to compete in Pokémon Leagues. Ash, Misty, and Brock must deal with Jessie, James, and Meowth of the evil Team Rocket, who want to steal Ash's first Pokémon, Pikachu, and usually other Pokémon as well. This Japanese animation series is an advertisement for the Pokémon video games, and the episodes' plots are usually simple, but this is actually an enjoyable series. Common themes are friendship, not giving up, parting ways with a dear friend, and other good morals. Parents and guardians that are concerned about the violence need not worry. Yes, the kids have their pets fight each other, but they also must learn to take care of and love their pets. Girls will find a strong female role model in Misty. Overall, this is a fun, simple, warm-hearted, rather repetitive series. However, despite how much I like the anime, the DVDs are not worth your money. Each episode is probably less than twenty minutes long, and there are only three episodes on each DVD. You would be paying the price of this DVD for around one hour of Pokémon. That's ridiculous. They don't even include the Japanese vocal tracks with English subtitles or the fun music videos from the TV airings. You can rent these same English-dubbed episodes on VHS. If you really want this series on DVD, my advice to you is to buy the movies and the special, "Mewtwo Returns", and wait for box sets of the series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

During the 16th century, a warrior-monk vanquished a powerful demon bypinning it to a rock with an enchanted spear; 500 years later, high school studentUshio Aotsuki, a descendant of the samurai, discovers the demon is stillimprisoned in the cellar of the family temple. Although the leonine Tora insistshe'll devour Ushio, and Ushio threatens to destroy Tora with the Beast Spear, thetwo become grudging friends, defeating a series of bizarre demons and evilspirits. Their lives are complicated by Ushio's friendships with the tomboyishAsako and the more feminine Mayuko. Ushio and Tora (1992) suggests anodd mixture of Tenchi Muyo and Ranma 1/2. Despite their constantquarreling, Ushio and Tora are extremely likable characters, and this cheaplyanimated and often violent comedy-adventure has an appealing originality thatleaves the viewer wishing there were more episodes. (Rated 15 and older:violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, profanity) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Awesome Anime Comedy
This series does not dissappoint in any way! Its absolutely hilarious! The monsters are all very well drawn and thought out too... Ushio & Tora also manages to blend the regular drawings with the Super-Deformed (any anime fans -- you know what I'm talking about) in a way comperable with Dragon-Half... all in all, Ushio & Tora won't dissapoint! (Note : There is a dubbed version of the first tape available -- and its actually well dubbed! So if that's all you can find, don't let that stop you!)

Ushio & Tora #5-- Weasle-Monsters and Water Spirits
Of all the U&T videos I have to admit that I liked this one best. If you're not turned off by extreme wierdness and very gory anime, this one is for you! The first flic (parts one and two) concern a humongous water-demon which (through various fights) gets vanquished by Ushio & Tora, and there are truly touching moments, particularly towards the end of the second part. Nice. The second two flics concern a trio of kamaitachi (traditional Japanese weasle-monsters), one of which has gone mad with grief and loss and is killing loads of humans in an extremely gory manner. His brother and sister beg Ushio's assistance in ending the matter via assasination of their brother (most reluctantly), and things go from there. Once again, emotional interplay is strong in this video. I would rate the four episodes very highly, but would not recommend them for viewing by the younger anime audience-- the last two are REALLY bloody (people being cut in half, blood everywhere, etc.). A nice ecological message is contained in the last two, though. Everything gets followed up by a truly odd bunch of short flics, done in the "super-deformed" mode, and I suppose they're OK. Watch the first four videos first.

Madness Tora style
I got the subbed video version of this years ago; and it was one of the quirky strange little series that I've kept and enjoyed for years.

Ushio frees the powerful demon he names Tora to save his friends; and so becomes responsible for a monster who enjoys eating people, causing mayhem, and whose simple presence draws out ancient demons and evil from hidden places across Japan. Ushio keeps alive and ahead using attitude, temper and the ancient magical spear that once trapped Tora.

Visually, the combination of bright colours and harsh angled lines works. The Japanese subbed version was a lot of fun: I haven't seen a dubbed version.

The characters have a bit of depth, and do grow and change through the story. Nor are the monsters stereotypical. Some are immense and seemingly mindless, some are insane with grief and despair or the need for revenge, others are simply desperate. My personal favourites: the family of giant flying heads!

Ushio and Tora is a little odd, a little funny, and painfully sad in places. All of the characters are alienated in different ways, and looking to make sense of being alive and sharing that life with each other. Tora wants to both connect with and EAT the other characters - so some of the situations can rapidly spin out of control!

The episodes consist of short story arcs introducing different monsters. The issues get darker and more complex with each story arc, with human deaths, and more difficulty in finding the 'moral high ground'. The monsters are not necessarily evil: some were even once benign. But none of them fit the modern world.

All up: I like this series every time I re-watch it.

Bonus One: There is no huge cliffhanger at the end.

Bonus Two: The videos included some fun little shorts using the cute, squashed characters the Japanese love. I don't know if these will be added to the DVD. Also a lovely short where Tora adopts a kitten. If they are on the DVD, they're worth a look.

Cute kitty Tora-chan!
The beast and the priest are at it again! Of all the shows I've watched, this has to be the best. However that sometimes it's just plain funny and cute, it does have a theme other than it's a good idea to kill bakemono if they start to infest your shinto shrine: friendship. Although Ushio and Tora start off as enemies, and wouldn't admit it outloud, they have a sort of special relationship... not sexual, mind you. I suppose it's because they have something in common, or that they have similar histories (which was explained in the manga, but oh well ^_^;;), but for some reason this youkai-killing duo is better than any other one out there. And Tora is cyuuuuuute, the fluffy man-eating kitty ^_^. I hope they release a plushie of him someday.

Calvin and Hobbes, eat your hearts out.
I bought the dubbed version of this tape only because I thought it might suck as a subtitled. Surprise, surprise, this was one of the best dubbed tapes I've watched. Then I checked out a subbed and that one was pretty good too. Even though the animation designs for the humans suck, the monsters are pretty well thought out and look believable. If this series ever comes out as a DVD set I'm jumping straight on it.... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Saint Set 6: Highs and Lows...
Roger Moore returns as Simon Templar, alias "The Saint" in the sixth boxed DVD set of his exploits. Templar, the suave "Robin Hood of Modern Crime" is featured in seven more adventures from the 60's TV series. Here are summaries and/or comments for the episodes in this set. Episode ratings are on a scale from one to five (best).

Volume 11: (Disc 1)

The Time To Die - Episode 105: Rating (2)
The Saint, a man with his share of enemies, finds his life threatened by an unidentified source. With the help of a female reporter, Simon attempts to get to the bottom of things. Mediocre writing produces an uneven story that fails to sustain suspense.

The Master Plan - Episode 106: Rating (5)
Cord Thrandel is a nightclub owner, and big time dealer in narcotics. Tony Lane, a courier for Thrandel, wants out of the drug racket, and has dropped out of circulation. Simon Templar, and Lane's sister Jean, while searching for Tony run afoul of Thrandel and his gang. Burt Kwouk guests as an Asian drug king in this tension filled tale that captures the flavor of a traditional Saint adventure.

The House On Dragon's Rock - Episode 107: Rating (2)
Set in Whales, this plays like bad science fiction. Strange happenings in the countryside has the locals spooked. Simon is called by a friend to help, and begins investigating a mad scientist type, at work in an isolated laboratory. This fantasy is hard to swallow, and the production and special effects are rather poor. This story was filmed in a previous season and aired latter, hence it has the old theme music. Also, the writer of the episode is wrongfully credited on the box.

Volume 12: (Disc 2)

The Scales Of Justice - Episode 108: Rating (5)
Five executives at the same company have unexpectedly died within a few months time. The fifth, a friend of the Saint, drops dead while trying to enlist Simon's aid. Determined to find the truth, and bring the guilty to justice the Saint investigates with a vengeance. The tension mounts, as the surviving directors are threatened with a sudden and unexpected death. Guest star Jean Marsh is a step ahead of the Saint, in this realistic and suspenseful tale that features an ingenious murder weapon. Watch for Moore's energetic double in this episode.

The Fiction Makers (Parts 1 and 2) - Episodes 109 and 110: Rating (3)
This two-part adventure, packaged as a full-length feature, has a light comedic tone that fails to produce any real feeling of suspense or danger, until perhaps the very end. This is the "Disney" version of the Saint. Simon Templar is mistaken for a famous author, and is kidnapped by a band of crooks who want his help in carrying out their criminal scheme. There is probably no other Saint story in the entire series that is played strictly for laughs, the way this is. Roger Moore and costar Sylvia Syms, jump thorough a ridiculous set of hoops, and ham it up, in this cartoonish adventure. While entertaining on some level, a story like this tarnishes the image of the character,

The People Importers - Episode 111: Rating (4)
An unscrupulous band is running illegal aliens into England. When things go wrong, one of aliens turns up dead, ruining the Saint's fishing outing. Templar is then on the case searching for the killers, and trying to save the lives of some of the remaining illegal immigrants. A tense adventure, with the Saint matching up against a ruthless gang of criminals.

The Saint Set 6 contains some excellent episodes, and also some poor ones. On balance the positives outweigh the negatives. If you're a collector you will probably want this set, otherwise you may wish to consider The Saint Set 3 or 5 first. As usual, look for Roger Moore's double in most second unit (location) shots.

One note about the episode numbers. Though there are a few different listings for the program, the listing used is one that most closely matches the "broadcast order" sequence that A&E is issuing them in. Episodes were not always released in the order they were produced or filmed. Fans of the Saint, are invited to view my other reviews of the series and a separate review of "The Fiction Makers".

Fiction Makers
I was actually thrilled that the version of The Fiction Makers on this set was the compiled feature version. I love this feature version and think the score and the title sequence help make it among the very best of Moore's Saint adventures. A nice change of pace and i hope they do the same when they issue Vendetta For The Saint.

missed opportunity
Another decent set from A&E, but despite the packaging offering "seven complete, uncut...color episodes", the two-part story THE FICTION MAKERS is presented here as the compliled film version - what a pity... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Cynthia Khan excels in superb historical kung fu adventure
DEADEND OF BESIEGERS is a 1992 kung fu film starring Yu Rong Guang (the "Iron Monkey" himself) and Cynthia Khan (IN THE LINE OF DUTY 3, 4 & 5), two fine fighting stars who are in peak form here. Yu stars as a Japanese martial artist visiting China to learn Chinese kung fu. Cynthia plays a village girl and expert in Dog Fist style, who, with the other villagers, mistakes Yu for one of the Japanese pirates who have raided their village. Only when Cynthia's adolescent sister intervenes on behalf of Yu, who saved her life, does Cynthia gradually accept the idea of his innocence. Eventually, he joins Cynthia and the other villagers in fending off a renewed attack by the pirates.

It's a well-told, refreshingly original story, backed up by frequent, expertly staged fighting, all shot amidst picturesque locales and settings in Mainland China. The actors are all excellent, especially the girl who plays the younger sister, a character who spends all her free time caring for and feeding the Japanese outcast, even going so far as to teach him enough of her language to get by.

The DVD includes three language tracks: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. The Japanese-speaking characters speak Japanese on both the Cantonese and Mandarin tracks. This reviewer prefers the Cantonese track because the Cantonese voice actors are livelier and more expressive, particularly the actress who voices the young girl. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Remake From The Deep
This is not the original starring Doug McClure, but the remake staring David Carradine and Emma Samms. While not the original, the story is pretty much the same (complete with some footage from the original added in).

A small town is the setting as a fish plant is targeted for dumping chemicals in the local waters. The fish have gotten bigger as a result but something else has gone wrong as well. The chemicals being dumped are needed by a new resident in the waters, a fish man created by the military.

David Carradine is the head of the plant and is trying to stop his employees from dumping. To make matters worse, one of the animal rights activists has a thing for his daughter. Then people start to be killed in the water. A shark is blamed but it does not explain why only male bodies have been found. None of the females have been recovered. Then most of the animal rights people, and Carradine's daughter, are killed or taken one night.

No one seems to know what is going on except for reporter Emma Samms. But then a survivor shows up and the town finds out that there is something fishy going on. Samms is really a doctor who helped create the creatures. She is trying to stop them and exposes the military involvement. But one survivor points to the possibility of others. The military does not care, they will just blow everything up.

Good ending, nice twist and I liked the way the creatures don't occur just from dumping, but were lab created (a slight improvement over the original). Still, it is a nice remake but I found it hard to take David Carradine seriously (I kept seeing flashes of Revenge of the Nerds). Definitely one to see if you like Roger Corman or a good creature flick.

fish men want our women!
Beware all ye expecting the 1980 version of this movie starring Doug McClure! This is a 1996 remake for cable (Showtime), its' real title being Roger Corman Presents 'Humanoids From the Deep'.

This drecky mess stars Emma Samms and David Caradine, along with a number of less noticeable actors who currently reside in the 'where are they now' file. The plot involves a big business/government cover up (gee, how very original), toxic chemicals in the ecosystem, and a small, coastal town under siege by hungry, mutated fish men.

Apparently the government contracted a private company to splice the genetic material of fish with that of convicted felons in an effort to create a race of amphibian soldiers. Sounds like a reasonable idea, right? Anyway, the government isn't happy with the results, so they terminate the project, but some of the fish men escape.

Cut to a small, coastal fishing village. Canco, the major fish catching and canning company in the area, is responsible for dumping a biohazardous growth hormone into the waters to embiggen the fish. Actually, it's one particularly dislikable guy named Bill who is responsible. David Caradine, who plays Wade Parker, also works for the company (seems like he and the evil Bill run the company), finds out what's going on and demands that the dumping stop. Bill agrees, but only to placate Wade as there's good money to be made in those big fish.

Enter a nameless eco-group, whose leader, Matt, is played by Justin Walker. This group knows chemicals are being dumped into the waters, and are protesting Canco. Later they videotape Bill and his cronies at work, pollutin' the waters. No real attempt was made by Bill or his evil lackeys to cover up what they were doing, as they did it in broad daylight, with huge, yellow drums with biohazardous markings clearly visible, so it's no big surprise they got caught on tape. Also, it seems this growth hormone is attracting the mutated fish men, as they need the chemical to survive.

After the death of a little boy, completely ripped off from a much better movie, the fish men start to make their presence known. Their attacks become more brazen, and we soon find out that they are kidnapping, not killing, local females for mating purposes. Yuck....Damn those amorous fish men, stealin' our wimmen!

Man this movie had a lot of problems...worst being the inept direction. The actors, most being fairly capable, seemed totally mismanaged. An extremely poor script and plot certainly didn't help matters any. The thing that really annoyed me was how so many technical aspects were glossed over, like the DNA splicing, effects of toxic chemicals on the environment, the military involvement, etc. No real thought was given to any of these aspects, instead skimming the surface of theses many themes to aid (hinder) the plot along. Mutations, DNA splicing, and conspiracies being the crux of the movie, it's painfully obvious that the writer threw this stuff in the story, without having any real knowledge to support it. And the sets...the interiors were so obviously fake, making parts of the movie seem like a high school production. The characters' motivations are all over the place, causing the actors to appear indifferent to events that should mean more to them than they do. A specific example is when Wade's teenage daughter is taken by the fish men, and presumed dead. Wade doesn't seem all that broken up about it. At some points he does seemed upset, but given that your offspring may have been eaten by a mutated fish man, I'd figured you'd be pretty horrified and suitably despondent, but not so here.

On a positive note, the creatures did look kinda cool, but it was obvious that the suits (no CGI here) allowed for very little mobility, hindering the action in their limited screen time. The suits were fairly detailed, but I think if they were simplified, allowing more mobility, they would have been much more effective. The gore was needless, and the blood looked painfully fake.

In the cheap thrills department, there are a couple of brief nudity shots, if that's your thing, but they were unnecessary, and only served to further exemplified the total lameness of the movie. "Hey, we know this movie stinks, but here's some breasts!" Emma Samms, never got au natural, retaining some of her dignity, but not much.

There are some extras, including a director's commentary (!?) which I was interested in hearing, but was unable to sit through this movie again so soon. Also, there are some trailers for other movies, including one for a movie called Watchers 3. In watching this, I was amazed at how blatantly this feature ripped off the movie Predator. I don't mind producers copping ideas off better movies, but at least try to make it seem not so glaringly obvious. Geez...

Have you seen the original version lately?
Perhaps memories fade, because I just viewed both versions of "Humanoids From The Deep" and found the original to be unwatchable. There is a reason Barbara Peters has not become a successful director, and it's because her film is uneven and flat. If it is the amateurish quality that makes people yearn for the original in order to laugh at it rather than be engrossed in the narrative, then those people should watch the original. For those with the expectation of getting caught up in a scary story, the remake is the only film to watch. It follows a similar story but has better caliber actors and some genuinely funny moments like Clint Howard observing that Justin Walker is the only one who survived a monster attack and asking "Did you know these monsters?" See only the remake.

Hello Emma!
Emma Samms is great in this picture. Robert Carradine also stars in this story of mutated "fish men" that attack a small village. The picture has some great scares and a real good sense of humor. Highly recommended.

A Remake Which Should Never Have Been Made
Purely by accident, I ended up with this movie. I was after the original.
Anyway, the movie shamelessly pulls scenes from the original 1980's version. The original was scary, this one is . . . stupid. It follows the same storyline, but without the grainly graphics and bad lighting, it just doesn't cut it.
Take my advice, buy the original, NOT the remake. (...) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Billy Halop leads the pack with little tough guys.
It began with DEAD END (1937), the boys came from the broadway play and landed their first starring role togther. After Dead End (1937), Warner Bros. made six more films with them in 1938 and 1939. In 1938, Billy Halop brought along Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell and Bernard Punsly in Little Tough Guy (1938). This spun off into another film series with a total of nine films for Universal from 1938-1943. They also made film serials for the new Universal: JUNIOR G-MEN (1940), SEA RAIDERS (1941) and JUNIOR G-MEN of the AIR (1942). In 1940, Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan bacame The East Side Kids for Monogram Pictures Corp. for 22 films from 1940-1945. Huntz Hall and Gabriel Dell would later join the new gang. Then in 1946, The East Side Kids bacame The Bowery Boys and made 48 more films from 1946-1958. Now back to Billy Halop and Bernard Punsly. They continued with The Dead End Kids with The Little Tough Guys film series until they both said goodbye in MUG TOWN (1943). Billy Halop continued a film and television career, but getting parts was hard. In between acting jobs, Halop was a chef, electric dryer saleman and in his final years was a male nurse. He played "Bert Munson" in he CBS tv series, "All in the Family" in 1972 and aired through 1977. In 1976, Billy Halop had a heart attack and passed away ending a 50-year career in show biz that started with radio in the 1920's. Bernard Punsly last film ever was MUG TOWN (1943). He became a gynocologist M.D. in Torrence ,California and recently passed away on January 20, 2004 as the last surviving Dead End Kid. Huntz Hall died January 30, 1999. Marjorie Main who was in DEAD END (1937) plays a role as Halop's mother in this film. She went on to do THE EGG AND I (1947) as "Ma Kettle" (which spawned into a new film series "Ma & Pa Kettle"). This film, Little Tough Guy is also David Gorcey's (Leo's younger brother) film debut. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good Set. Fun for the whole Family.
There are eight episodes on this DVD, of seeming various length. They're certainly entertaining, in black & white, which is part of the charm. McGoohan himself is very appealing and fun to watch. The sets are a bit cheesy, and recycled. The hotel in one episode, is, with minor alterations, the hospital in the next and the German apartment complex in the next. The plots don't really make much sense if you think about them for more than five seconds. The third world episodes all seem to be set in Banana Republic #43. But the visuals are fun, from footage, some stock, some not, of London and Paris, and make-up and fashion styles of the sixties, complete with the occasional semi-fashionable thug. And of course, there's the obligatory set of fisticuffs almost every episode. But the atmosphere is nicely paranoid, and, somehow, John Drake, the hero, emerges as slightly less adolescent than his main screen rival. There are some "upsetting" or "ambiguous" endings, though Drake seems more invigorated than drained by the paranoia. And there's funny dialogue like when an adorable Latin American Minister of Culture, a babe in uniform, says "I have read all of your great writers, your Shakespeare, your Dickens, your Upton Sinclair." I wouldn't exactly call this show intelligent, but it is very entertaining, and, by today's standards, remarkably wholesome. And, yes, the episode 'Colony Three' is certainly a precursor to the Prisoner. But Danger Man stands on its own merits.

Danger Man Set 2: The plots need some work...
Patrick McGoohan is back as British secret agent John Drake in further episodes of Danger Man. Here are summaries and/or comments for the episodes in this set. Episode ratings are on a scale from one to five (best).

Volume 3: (Disc 1)

The Professionals (3): An agent in Prague has suddenly vanished. John Drake arrives in Prague, posing as a member of the embassy staff, his mission is to locate the missing man. Very quickly he is taken in, and compromised by a crafty operative, and his lovely accomplice. Drawn into their trap, Drake learns the fate of the missing man, and then takes steps to save him before it is too late.

A Date With Doris (2): Drake is in an unspecified Latin American location to extract an agent in jeopardy, and then rendezvous with the submarine "Doris". His cover is as a reporter sent to interview a prominent General. Things just do not go smoothly for Drake, and he always seems off balance. He barely concludes this messy affair, and is only successful because of luck, and some very fortuitous assistance. He is also guilty of a major error, when he foolishly allows himself to be followed to his "safe house". Count yourself lucky this time, John.

The Mirror's New (3): This one keeps you guessing. Edmund Bearce, a member of the British Embassy staff, chooses murder as a way to cancel a personal debt. Preparing to dispose of the body, he has an accident, and is knocked unconscious. Upon waking, he has a dead body on his hands, and a lost day to account for. Bearce reappears, but can't explain what happened. A suspicious Drake investigates and uncovers a secret life, and much more.

Colony Three (5): Easily the most thought provoking episode on the disc. The plot is similar to an episode of "The Prisoner" or "The Avengers", skirting the edges of credibility. Drake takes the place of a communist sympathizer, just prior to his defection to the Soviets. After arriving in Soviet territory, Drake and two other defectors take a long train ride to a secret location. They arrive at a place named "Hamden", also known as the "village" (sound familiar?). The phony English town is actually a training ground where Soviet agents learn to assimilate into British culture. Drake penetrates security, gathers as much information as he can, and then it is time to leave. This one has a bit of everything, torture, gadgets, death and a tragic end.

Volume 4: (Disc 2)

It's Up To the Lady (2): Sometimes Drake is just not on his game, and this is one of those times. A British diplomat intending to defect vanishes. A rendezvous with his wife (Sylvia Syms), will take place in Greece, near the Albanian border. Drake is on the scene, to try and get the wayward diplomat to return to Britain. Underestimating the local opposition, he is nearly drowned, loses his charges, and carelessly gets himself shot. Topping it all off, he learns once again what it is like to be a pawn in the game.

What Ever Happened to George Foster? (3): Bernard Lee ("M" from the Bond films) guest stars, as Lord Ammandford, a wealthy industrialist who seeks to destabilize the government of a fictitious South American country. In addition, the Lord is a man interested in keeping a mysterious past a secret from a probing John Drake. This is more of a straight detective story.

The Galloping Major (2): Sent to Africa, at the request of the President (Henry Marshall) of an unnamed country, Drake finds himself the pawn in a political power struggle. Makes interesting viewing in light of historical events, but not a great story.

The Colonel's Daughter (4): In India, classified information is being leaked to the enemy. Drake is looking into the activities of a butterfly collecting Colonel, and his daughter, living in a house in the country. Soon, Drake is up a tree, in the middle of the jungle, maintaining surveillance. Later, he uncharacteristically emerges victorious in a three on one brawl, on his way to uncovering those involved in the secret pipeline. Drake finds that the Colonel's daughter is definitely Daddy's girl.

Writing is critical to a good story, and some of the plots of these international exploits just do not quite pass muster. Drake is simply not at his best, making some near fatal mistakes. Perhaps being an operative largely on his own in a foreign land, puts Drake at too much of a disadvantage. He doesn't quite have the fire we have seen before. A few good episodes, but not enough for a ringing endorsement of this set. Give A&E positive marks for addressing a previous complaint, by upgrading to four episodes per disc. Fans of Danger Man, may find my other reviews of interest.

Depressing reminder of when television was intelligent
Watching these 35-year-old shows is a disturbing revelation at how television today has gotten even MORE dumbed-down than when it was referred to as the "vast wasteland". ALL of these shows have interesting characters, exotic locales (from Africa to Greece, South America to behind the Iron Curtain), and PLOT. Compared to "Man From U.N.C.L.E", this is Nobel Prize material! Each 50-minute show has more PLOT than most 2-hour movies foisted on us these days.

As noted above, probably of greatest interest to McGoohan fans will be the episode "The Colony", as the origins of "The Village" are plain for all to see. However, my favorite has to be "What Happened to George Foster", where McGoohan's Drake takes on a millionaire Lord (played by Bernard Lee, no less!) and risks his career, not to mention his life, in a private vendetta that foreshadows #6's battles with the assorted #2's of "The Prisoner".

This is certainly not light-hearted "Avengers"-style material. McGoohan gets roughed up in just about every episode, and there aren't any charming eccentrics or snappy gadgets. But it is nearly incredible that such high quality LeCarre-like material was shown on a weekly basis. Truely, it was a Golden Age.

Excellent spy show!
I have to agree with the last reveiw not as good as the Prisoner, but this is the best spy show I think I've seen. Each episode keeps you guessing on what will happen next. There is enough action in each episode to keep one satisfied. Each story is believable unlike many spy shows. John Drake does not carry a gun and flirt with women. The best episodes in set two are The Mirror's New, Colony Three, and It's up to the Lady.

Gritty British Spy Drama
Not as cerebral as "The Prisoner", nor nearly as simplistic as James Bond, Man from U.N.C.L.E., or any of the dozens of spy shows that were popular in the late sixties, "Danger Man" (Secret Agent in the U.S.) is a fine example of how British drama is often more subtle and ambiguous than anything you're likely to see on American TV.

Modern viewers may scratch their heads, wondering why this show was so wildly popular. At its worst, the pacing is glacial, the narrative larded with long chunks of exposition. At its best, this is chilling, thought provoking drama with plenty of gray areas, reminiscent of the Le Carre adaptions (Tinker, Tailor, etc.) that were produced in the 70s and 80s. These shows are surprisingly cerebral for a TV series; while some episodes are too deliberately paced to work as thrillers, McGoohan is always worth watching, the black and white DVD transfers are gorgeous, and the endings are often startling.

If you're not a McGoohan fan, you'll probably find "The Prisoner" more accessible. If you've already discovered "The Prisoner", and enjoy John Le Carre-style gritty, realistic espionage stories, give this box a try. (The episodes in Volume 2 are generally more absorbing and darker than those included in the first DVD set.) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This Cute Sitcom Should Have Complete Season DVD Boxsets!
Petticoat Junction aired on TV about 2 years before I was born and I grew up watching the reruns in the 70's and I thought it was such a cute sitcom and I think it's really good that there is a DVD out with some of the episodes but why haven't complete season DVD boxsets been released yet? Green Acres which I think is a spin-off of Petticoat Junction just had it's first season released in a DVD boxset so isn't it about time they also released complete seasons of Petticoat Junction on DVD?

A must for all Petticoat Junction fans!
Episodes shown on this DVD are:
Bobby Jo and beatnik
Last chance
Please buy violets
Kate's recipe ... Read more

Description

The Stars are Born! A famous director is making a Pokemon movie, but who's going to be the star? Can Psyduck get top "bill"-ing? Then, it's off to Hollywood for the big premiere, but Meowth's been there before! See the long-awaited origin of Meowth, and find out why it can speak! Plus, Bruno is one of the Elite Four and an expert in ground Pokemon, but can even he stop a rampaging Onix? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Enjoyable series but too expensive
Pokémon is the story about Ash Ketchum and his friends, Misty Williams and Brock Harrison. Ash's goal is to become a Pokémon Master. Misty's goal is to be "the best at everything" but, more specifically, a Water Pokémon Master. Brock's goal is to be the world's best Pokémon breeder. Pokémon are the animals that inhabit their world. They come in many different species (mouse, cat, dog, etc.) and types (electric, grass, water, fire, etc.). Each Pokémon trainer trains his or her Pokémon to battle other Pokémon and win badges to compete in Pokémon Leagues. Ash, Misty, and Brock must deal with Jessie, James, and Meowth of the evil Team Rocket, who want to steal Ash's first Pokémon, Pikachu, and usually other Pokémon as well. This Japanese animation series is an advertisement for the Pokémon video games, and the episodes' plots are usually simple, but this is actually an enjoyable series. Common themes are friendship, not giving up, parting ways with a dear friend, and other good morals. Parents and guardians that are concerned about the violence need not worry. Yes, the kids have their pets fight each other, but they also must learn to take care of and love their pets. Girls will find a strong female role model in Misty. Overall, this is a fun, simple, warm-hearted, rather repetitive series. However, despite how much I like the anime, the DVDs are not worth your money. Each episode is probably less than twenty minutes long, and there are only three episodes on each DVD. You would be paying the price of this DVD for around one hour of Pokémon. That's ridiculous. They don't even include the Japanese vocal tracks with English subtitles or the fun music videos from the TV airings. You can rent these same English-dubbed episodes on VHS. If you really want this series on DVD, my advice to you is to buy the movies and the special, "Mewtwo Returns", and wait for box sets of the series.

Pokemon go Hollywood
In this episode, Ash and his friends go to Hollywood to see the premier Pokemon movie. Also this reveals the origin of Meowth. This episode is fun to watch, and if you are a pokemon fan you must see it. Definitely, if you miss this episode on television. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

3.5 stars actually - worth watching!
A very interesting film (1982). I admit, it was odd to think of Beardy (Leung Kar-Yan) and
Chow Yun Fat working on screen together in co-starring roles, yet its an enticing
proposition nonetheless. I'm hardly a CYF completist, but I always enjoy a flick
with him up front and center. PSB is really Beardy's flick, but Chow's easy
charisma is never overshadowed - if anything, that 'grin and a toothpick' charmer is well forshadowed
here - and as we see him do a few martial moves, even an early Mu Bai of sorts is glimpsed (he not only fights but uses darts that shoot from his wrist!!!).

Yuen Woo Ping's touch is also evident here and so the choreography is decent and fairly
fast, though t