Reviews (39)

NOT the original version of the show - music edited
If you are one of those idiots who says "oh shut up and stop complaining, it's just the music, waaa waaa", take your DVDs and BURN them. You know nothing about what it means for the music to be an important part of the show and are just a complete moron (I can't express in words the anger that goes through me reading someone go "it's just the music"; it's NOT just the music!!!, it's the SHOW that is screwed up!!!)
Quantum Leap is one of those shows where the music is crucial aspect of show; the music is not just some background noise; it sets the mood. The show is completely ruined and is not worth a cent without the original soundtrack. Awful job on the part of Universal.

excellent series
No matter what this series is excellent. Anyone griping about the music must remember its better to have the series on dvd rather than not available at all. Hopefully season 4 will come out soon as its my favorite!

Hey, Universal, call me when you come to your senses.
Having read that Universal once again mucked up the music, I won't be buying Season 3 of Quantum Leap.There are some shows in which the music doesn't really matter - Laverne & Shirley's first season, for example, mentions on the box that the music is different, but the songs in Laverne & Shirley are merely incidental, background sounds.In QL, the music was a major part of the show, helping to set the time period, helping to set the mood.

I have read some of the reviews from people who claim that the change in music makes no difference (generally such comments are written in a boorish, bumptious, hectoring tone, a fact which I find rather interesting and quite telling).No?Close your eyes and imagine the Lord of the Rings movies with elevator music instead of the soaring splendor of its real score.Ponder "American Graffiti" with the sort of synthesized slop that has replaced the original music in QL. Then try to tell me that music doesn't matter.

The choice is not these travesties or nothing for most QL fans; it's a choice of a poorer-quality taped-from-TV video with the real music, taking up more shelf space than a DVD set; or a better-quality picture with no commercials that has had much of the atmosphere stripped from it. I'll take my tapes, thank you very much.If Universal comes to its senses and releases QL in unmangled form, even if it costs more, I'll buy it. Until then, count me out.

Classics never get old!
I have been waiting for this season for a long time now. The series reached its peak with episodes like "The Leap Home" and "The Boogie Man". Scott and Dean do their best work when the story really gives them the chance and the episodes of the third season really give them the best chances of the entire five-year run! It is pure pleasure to watch them perform. It is a shame that they only got five years! They could have gone on for many more!!!
(BTW, if anyone is confused by the other reviewers complaints about the change in the music, don't worry about it. What you heard on TV is what you get. They didn't change the music for the DVD release - which is exactly what I thought they were complaining about!) So buy this DVD set! You won't regret it!

Forget It
Music replacement abound, once again.A truly great show is being given the shaft by Universal, who only percieves it's formidable fan base as an open wallet.Boycott.Don't listen to the soulless collectors who only want to line their DVD shelves.QL without the original music arrangements is a travesty. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Baa! Baa! Baa! MORE! MORE! MORE!
One of the proudest claims I can make about my life is being a former Marine, like Maj. Gregory "Gramps" Boyington; albiet an unknown to one of the most famous. ("The Duke" John Wayne wanted to be a Marine & didn't make it!) The only thing that gives me more pride is knowing these heroes respected guys like my sainted Dad, who flew gas & trash over "the Hump" in C-47's (the gray cargo plane in the series) from India into China over the Himalayas in support of their combat against the Japs.
I was at NAS Lakehurst in 1978 when this great show aired on commercial T.V. and, even though most of us knew the show was highly Hollywoodized, we would still take over the barracks rec room everytime it aired, and would yell & cheer like Limey football fans thru every combat scene in each episode.
With all the second rate crapola flooding the market these days, it's GREAT to see DVD's of a show worth the expense hit the shelves, and I really hope the entire series will be issuedsooner or later (PREFERREDLY SOONER!!!!!!)

Next?
AWESOME, I GOT IT, I LIKED IT, NOW WHEN IS THE NEXT "VOLUME" COMING OUT.LET'S STOP BEING SECRETIVE AMAZON

Volume One, Not Season One
When I opened the shipping box, I was surprised to see that I was only getting half of Season One.I need to train myself to make sure that the Title reads "Season One" instead of "Volume One."After the initial shock, I started to enjoy the episodes I remember when the show was called "Baa Baa Black Sheep."I like how they kept the scenes of what was to come before the opening...a 70's TV drama thing.

Disappointment for such a great series
I eagerly awaited for this series to come out on DVD and now that I have it I was disappointed in the way they produced it. FIrst I don't care for the two sided discs but the main disappointment was the fact that they didn't include all of Season one's shows, just 10 shows plus the pilot. Since this show only ran two years and considering how much they charged (which is reasonable for a Season One if it is complete!!!) It seems to me that they should have included the complete season One. I sure hope they put out the rest of Season One and for Season Two put all of the showes out at once!! This is a great show, Robert Conrad is so sexy in that tight flight suit, sort of distracts me from theFU-4s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only Half of the First Season
I was disappointed on opening the box to find only 12 of the 24 first season episodes.Not a great deal but still worth getting. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Waltons' nearly 10-year run on network television grew out of the popular, 1971 made-for-TV movie The Homecoming, which was derived from a Depression-era, rustic setting ("Walton's Mountain"), and characters based on Earl Hamner Jr.'s autobiographical novel Spencer's Mountain--itself the source for a very nice 1963 feature film starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara.That's a lot of entertainment sprouting from Hamner's prose. But something about his seminal story of family values, rugged independence, and big dreams amidst a hardscrabble existence captured the hearts of American audiences, many of whom personally recalled severe economic adversity in the 1930s.

The Waltons: The Complete First Season collects those initial episodes from the series building on the strengths of the Homecoming pilot, which introduced the extended Walton clan led by a strong-willed mill owner, John (Andrew Duggan), and his equally resolute wife, Olivia (Patricia Neal). The Waltons recast those key roles (as well as a few others) with Ralph Waite and Michael Learned (yup, a female), but Richard Thomas carried over as oldest child John-Boy Walton, an aspiring writer whose cusp-of-manhood view informs the series. Will Geer (Seconds) replaced Edgar Bergen as Grandpa Walton, Ellen Corby remained as Grandma, and John and Olivia's large brood (seven kids in all) were filled out by largely unknown, young actors. The episodes, still delightful and touching, strong on production values and unusually tight and polished for primetime drama, tended to focus on creator Hamner's pet themes of self-sacrifice and heroic effort when the going got tough.

Year 1 highlights include "The Carnival," in which the impoverished Waltons, who can't pay for tickets to see a circus performance, end up sheltering stranded carney folk. "The Typewriter" is a classic about John-Boy "borrowing" a museum's antique typewriter, only to have his sister Mary Ellen (Judy Norton) sell it as junk. "The Sinner" concerns the arrival of a fundamentalist minister on Walton's Mountain, finding comfort in the words of religious iconoclast John Walton after the clergyman makes a fool of himself with moonshine. That's Hamner himself providing touches of narration. During the long run of the multiple-award-winning The Waltons, there were many changes in casting and storylines. But this boxed set reveals a fine series in its pristine state.

Year 2 still finds the original cast complete and the show humming along nicely on nostalgia for an earlier America, specifically the Depression-era 1930s, a time of sacrifice and family unity as The Waltons portrays it. The characters we came to know so well in season 1 continue to live in a spirit of cooperation and generosity, and with hope that a younger generation of Waltons will prosper and dream new dreams for everyone. The 24 episodes included in this boxed set feature a number of very strong stories, including a handful of classics, all immersed in the series' typically old-Hollywood production values. (Several season 2 shows were directed by Waltons star Ralph Waite.) Among the best is the premiere, "The Journey," in which the ever-noble, college-bound John-Boy (Richard Thomas) passes on a school dance and an important date to take an aging neighbor, Maggie Mackenzie (Linda Watkins), on a special, final journey. "The Separation" finds Grandpa (Will Geer) and Grandma (Ellen Corby) Walton feuding--even living apart--after the former crafts a secret plan to raise money to pay the family's electricity bill. (Their reconciliation is one of the series' most enjoyable and tender moments.) The memorable "The Thanksgiving Story" is a nail-biter in which John-Boy, facing a hopeful future as he awaits college and a visit from his girlfriend, endures a head injury in the family mill and must undergo surgery. Finally, "The Honeymoon" sees John (Waite) and Olivia (Michael Learned) finally taking their honeymoon after 19 years of marriage and seven kids. Throughout all the major storylines is a constant buzz of subplots concerning John-Boy's younger siblings--their joys and disappointments, first loves, accomplishments and relationships with one another. The Waltons never slows down, but it is capable of revealing the most delicate of feelings within shared or private moments. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Description

It’s the third and final season for reluctant superhero Ralph Hinkley (William Katt), his lawyer girlfriend Pam Davidson (Connie Sellecca) and by-the-book FBI agent Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp), but the high-flying fun is far from over! In this season, Ralph is reunited with the ‘green guys’ from space, stumbles into danger at his high school reunion, fumbles his way to his and Pam’s wedding, and tangles with doomed rockers, ruthless ranchers, strange gamers, killer magicians, the KGB, Central American revolutionaries, a genetic Nazi monster and more. Believe it or not, he’s still walking on air as THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO! This collection includes all 13 third season episodes of the action-comedy hit created by Stephen J. Cannell (THE COMMISH, 21 JUMP STREET, HUNTER) and features such guests stars as David Paymer, Bob Saget, Rick Dees, Tawny Little, June Lockhart, André The Giant and more. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Hardy Boys Mysteries and The Nancy Drew Mysteries began in 1977 as separate series alternating in the same time slot on ABC. Early the following year, the casts combined, and in the fall of 1978 the Nancy Drew thread was dropped and The Hardy Boys Mysteries continued on alone. This Season One boxed set captures the twin-series idea at its most ambitious, with adolescent brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, created by author Franklin W. Dixon, sleuthing for clues one week and Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew investigating crimes the next.

Actually, as fans of the books know, Dixon and Keene were both pen names used by Edward Stratemeyer when he created those characters in 1927. Just as the young detectives have been updated in print every so often to accommodate successive generations of readers, so too did the TV show present Joe (Shaun Cassidy, brother of David Cassidy of The Partridge Family), Frank (Parker Stevenson), and Nancy (Pamela Sue Martin) as thoroughly 1970s kids. The boys are outfitted with motorcycles, Joe enjoys a retro-pop singing career, and Nancy has a certain freedom of movement only the hippest of dads in a permissive age would allow. Hardy Boys finds the always-amicable siblings following in the footsteps of their father, Fenton (Edmund Gilbert), a private detective, as they untangle capers that take them from haunted houses to Hawaii. The Hardy episodes make for brisk, family viewing, much better than the bubblegum reputation that built up, undeservedly, around the series. Slightly less interesting are the Nancy Drew programs (despite a more entertaining supporting cast), but only because the heroine is less focused and distractingly man-crazy, and the storylines are less exotic. An emphasis on the supernatural and science-fiction themes lends a Scooby-Doo vibe to several programs in both series, though the best stories are the ones with straightforward, meat-and-potatoes detective work. Among the directors on either series are Jack Arnold (The Creature from the Black Lagoon), Winrich Kolbe (Star Trek: The Next Generation, and actors Vince Edwards and Stuart Margolin. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

We need more like this today
Unfortunately I have not read the book but the movie gives the viewer a visual on how us as african americans can come together and make a difference. If your looking for great acting, and action your looking in the wrong place because it has a deeper meaning than what is shown on the screen, it's almost like a teaching tool. This movie definately recieves five stars from me, and we really need more movies like this to influence each other to work together as a whole.

The best Anti-Establishment Films Ive ever seen!!!
If you are into fighting against the establishment, then this is the film for you. No wonder the government pulled it, and squashed all publicity of the movie. It is about a black social worker from Chicago that joins the FBI as the "first negro agent." He learned everything he could and used the knowledge obtained to turn a Chicago street gang into the largest internal threat the U.S. Government has seen since the civil war. Ironically, the government discounted the possibilities that the force was black.

correction
Just got finished watching this DVD, and it definitely IS letterboxed, the review below notwithstanding. Not too many extras, though a great interview with author/ screenwriter Sam Greenlee, and a nice transfer. Definitely worth watching.

TAKE NOTE MY PEOPLE
AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE BOOK FROM SEVERAL FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, I RUSHED OUT TO BY IT, THANK GOODNESS I GOT THE LAST COPY IN THE STORE. I READ THE BOOK IN ONE DAY AND COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. WE MUST LOOK AT THE REAL WORLD AND TAKE NOTE OF HOW WE ARE LIVING. IN OUR LIFETIME WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE IMOPORTANT THINGS THAT WILL MAKE US RICH IN KOWLEDGE AND NOT IN MATERIAL THINGS, THAT ARE SHORT LIVED. ONCE YOU ATTAIN KNOWLEDGE NO ONE CAN TAKE IT AWAY. UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE BEING USED AND MANIPULATED. FOR SO LONG OUR EDUCATION HAS BEEN SUPRESSED, BECAUSE WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO GO TO QUALITY SCHOOLS AND LEARN ABOUT OUR HERITAGE. TO SURVIVE IN THIS DAY AND AGE WE MUST BE EDUCATED AND TRULY UNDERSTAND THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN AND OFFER POSITIVE ROLE MODELS FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. GREAT BOOK I RECOMMEND IT TO ALL!!!! CAN'T WAIT TO PURCHASE THE DVD.

Almost perfect
The film itself gets 5 stars from me, but this DVD only 4. It is seriously lacking a commentary track, any subtitles, and is presented in full frame instead of letterbox.

But beggers can't be choosers, and I've been begging someone, ANYONE, to get a good quality print of this long-suppressed film onto DVD. And this DVD is made from the master negative that has been in a vault for over 30 years!

After watching only pirated VHS copies and badly worn Canadian releases for so long, this film looks and sounds fresh and crisp.

For those uninitiated to this film, or the book it is based upon, here's a quick summary...

A White U.S. Senator, looking to improve his standing among Black voters, sponsors a drive for the CIA to recruit Black agents. However, everyone is graded on a curve, so all are condemned to flunk...save for soft-spoken Dan Freeman. After going through grueling training in self-defence, guerilla warfare and underground operations, he is recruited to be a "reproduction chief" (he runs a photocopier in the sub-basement), and serves the CIA as a token Black employee (the term "spook" used here is both a racial slur, and a slang term for a spy).

After 5 years, he leaves the CIA to work in his native Chicago for a social services agency...by day. By night, he's using his CIA training to teach a street gang to be the vanguard in an upcoming race war...

Understandably, this film raised a lot of fears among Whites when released, and despite box office success, it vanished from distribution after only three weeks. The film-makers insist it was pressure on the film's distributors by the FBI and their COINTELPRO program against Black Nationalist groups.

Long available only on bootleg video copies and screened only on college campuses, it became an underground classic. And now, it's legitimately available on DVD.

The DVD includes the rarely seen coming attractions trailer and TV spot, as well as interviews with the book's author, Sam Greenlee (in his 70's and still as vocal as he ever was!) and film-maker Robert Townsend, who says that this film literally changed his life.

Believe the hype! This film was made against the odds (The producer struggled just to make payroll, and the outdoor scenes in Chicago were shot without permits!), and despite the years, has not lost any of it's punch!

In short: Buy it now! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"In your satin tights / Fighting for your rights / And the old Red, White, and Blue!... / Wonder Woman!" Could anyone who grew up in the '70s ever forget that super-catchy theme song? Originally packaged as the female version of the Batman TV show (producer Stanley Ralph Ross penned 32 of the caped crusader's episodes), Wonder Woman ended up redefining the campy, comic book genre. The primetime show immediately became a social and cultural phenomenon, attracting a wide audience that continued to tune in to America's favorite socially progressive superheroine.

Looking back on it now, it is easy to see the attraction of this unique show that oozed '70s culture, but was set in the 1940s. While trying to stop a Nazi plane from reaching the U.S., Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) is shot down, landing on mythical Paradise Island.The uncharted island is the hidden home to the lost tribe of eternally young Amazon women. The Amazons take in the Major and nurse him back to health. During his recovery he attracts the sympathy and interest of Princess Diana (Lynda Carter, former Miss USA 1973) who is intrigued by the man from the mainland and his tales of the evil Nazis.She decides she must follow the Major back to the U.S. and join the forces of good against the tyranny of evil.So begins the saga of the beautiful Amazon Wonder Woman, armed with super strength, bulletproof bracelets, and the unbreakable, "truth-telling," golden lasso. What sets season 1 apart from the two subsequent seasons is that the pilot and each of the 13 episodes take place during World War II, corresponding to the original comic stories.In this season we see Wonder Woman battle spies, uncover Fausta the Nazi Wonder Woman, stop thieves trying to steal the secret substance of Amazonian power (Feminum), wrestle a Nazi-trained circus gorilla, and rescue an interplanetary visitor held captive by the Third Reich--all of which are priceless.

With World War II coming to an end, what will Amazonian Diana Prince do for Wonder Woman's second season?Sporting the biggest continuity jump in TV history, Wonder Woman's new network (now on CBS from ABC) decided to catapult the show 35 years into the future into "modern day" Los Angeles, 1977.Not surprisingly, the 35 years haven't aged the immortal one bit. In fact, she seems to have gotten stronger, her super powers have increased, and her mind is sharper and focused on fighting the evils of the modern world: nuclear weapons, terrorists, aliens, and the mind controlling influences of rock music. Season 2 kicks off with the awesome hour-and-a-half season premiere, "The Return of Wonder Woman."Returning once again from Paradise Island, Diana Prince teams up this time with former colleague Major Steve Trevor's son (still played by Lyle Waggoner) to protect humankind and to keep Paradise Island hidden from the free world.In the 21 episodes that follow, Wonder Woman will take on a nuclear facility planning to build near Paradise Island, a mad scientist plotting against the super heroine with telekinesis, mind-stealing aliens from outer space, an evil toymaker's demented androids, and a rock star (Martin Mull?!) who is using hypnosis to control the minds of his fans. In this new millennium, Wonder Woman may seem a bit cheesy to some, but to others this show and Lynda Carter represent the pinnacle of '70s television culture.Wonder Woman: The Complete Second Season is a completely satisfying guilty pleasure for those who want to indulge. --Rob Bracco ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Wonderful Series
I admit it.Even as a kid, I always like Wonder Woman the best.And for the silliest reason.I love her ability to change from Diana Prince to Wonder Woman by spinning.I always thought that was so cool.Naturally, this was one of the few shows I was going to buy if it ever came out on DVD.

So my list of shows I'm allowed to buy has grown, but this show remains a great one to have on DVD.This set is for the first two of the three seasons.As of today, that's all that's been released.

Season one finds Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter) leaving Paradise Island to help America fight the Nazis in World War II.The set includes all 13 of the WWII episodes, including the extended pilot.I'll admit to never having been a super fan of this season.To this day, it seems cheesy to me.I think one problem is that they give Wonder Woman too many "love will solve everything" lines.

Season two finds our heroine on a new network and in a new decade.Wonder Woman is called to the world of men once again to fight the evils of the "modern" 70's.Teaming up with the son of the original Steve Trevor (still played by Lyle Waggoner), she joins the Inter Agency Defense Command and finds plenty of danger to keep her busy.I much prefer the modern episodes because they allow Diana and Wonder Woman to develop a personality.I find her a fun character to watch.And she takes on the bad guys head on, more concerned with catching them then transforming them.

These DVD sets are great for fans.Both sets are two sided discs to keep the price down.With three episodes per side, you get a sharp picture and clear sound.Presented like they were on TV 30 years ago, there's nothing here that will blow you away, but there doesn't have to be.Season 1 has a commentary on the pilot and then a "how the series came to be" documentary.Season 2 has a documentary as well.

So the series is slightly (ok, greatly) dated.It's still fun for the nostalgia crowd.And Lynda Carter will always be Wonder Woman to me.I'm thrilled to have these, and can't wait to get my hands on season 3.Long live Wonder Woman! ... Read more

Description

Philip Hayes Dian's play is about an uprooted black family from the South, living in Chicago at the start of the civil rights movement. Stars Mary ALice, Richard Ward, Maidie Norman, Scatman Crothers. ... Read more