Description

Episodes: "And When the Sky Was Opened" (Ep. 11, December 11, 1959) - Col. Clegg Forbes (Rod Taylor) and two fellow astronauts have returned from their first space flight. They soon discover that no one remembers them--as if they never existed. "In His Image" (Ep. 103, January 3, 1963, 50 min.) - Alan Talbot doesn't understand why his hometown seems so unfamiliar; why is he driven to kill and what are those strange noises in his head? He's about to get some answers when he comes face to face with his double. "The Last Night of a Jockey" (Ep. 125, October 25, 1963) - Mickey Rooney is Grady, a former jockey, banned from horse racing and down on his luck. When he gets one wish, he grows to over eight-feet tall--which, he'll find out, can be too big. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "Jess-Belle" (Ep. 109, February 14, 1963, 50 min.) - Billy-Ben Turner (James Best) finds himself enchanted by the beautiful Jess-Belle (Anne Francis), who soon learns the danger of buying a love spell from a witch. "Sounds and Silences" (Ep. 147, April 3, 1964) - This rarely seen Ep. features Roswell Flemington (John McGiver), a boisterous man who loves noise. But when his wife leaves him, the volume in his life goes haywire. "Caesar and Me" (Ep. 148, April 10, 1964) - Broke and jobless, ventriloquist Jonathan West (Jackie Cooper) is no match for his evil dummy, Little Caesar, who grabs the chance to set him up for a fall. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "What You Need" (Ep. 12, December 25, 1959) - A two-bit thug thinks he's found the key to a better life in an old sidewalk salesman who has the uncanny ability to tell people what they need the most. "What's in the Box" (Ep. 144, March 13, 1964) - Joe Britt (William Demarest) sees his secret revealed and its horrible consequences on his just-repaired TV set. He frantically tries to alter his fate by confronting his wife (Joan Blondell). "The Mirror" (Ep. 71, October 20, 1961) - After a poor, but ambitious Central American farm worker (Peter Falk) overthrows his country's tyrannical leader, he believes he sees assassins everywhere. A look in the mirror reveals his most dangerous enemy. "The Old Man in the Cave" (Ep. 127, November 8, 1963) - A mysterious guardian helps a tiny community survive after the Bomb destroys much of the earth. But spurred on by the bullying outsider Major French (James Coburn), the townspeople become an angry mob bent on learning the secret of "The Old Man in the Cave." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Unpleasant people meeting unpleasant ends in the Zone
The common thread for the four episodes offered in Volume 17 of "The Twilight Zone" DVD series would be disagreeable people meeting get their just deserts. In "What You Need," adapted by Rod Serling from the short story by Lewis Padgett (a.k.a. Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore), has cheap thug Fred Renard (Steve Cox) encounter a sidewalk salesman named Pedott (Ernest Truex), who has the unusual gift of knowing exactly what people needed before they need it. When Pedott gives Renard a pair of scissors that end up saving his life, the petty little criminal sees an opportunity to take advantage of Pedott's gift. "What's in the Box," written by Martin M. Goldsmith, offers William Demarest and Joan Blondell as Joe and Phyllis Britt, a most unhappily married couple. After Joe insults a mysterious TV Repairman (Sterling Holloway), he discovers his set now picks up Channel 10, which shows him having an affair and murdering his wife. These are not very happy people and they do not meet happy fates in the Twilight Zone.

Peter Falk plays Castro-clone Ramos Clemente in Serling's "The Mirror." When he takes control of his Central American nation, Clemente is told by the deposed dictator that there is a magic mirror in his office which reveals the face of your assassin. Soon, Clemente is seeing assassins everywhere. Apart from the obvious references to Castro, there is really nothing to recommend this episode. "The Old Man in the Cave," adapted by Serling from Henry Slesar's short story "The Old Man," is set 10 years after a nuclear war when a community has survived because Mr. Goldsmith (John Anderson) has been relaying instructions from the title character. But when a gang of soldiers commanded by Major French (James Coburn) shows up and takes over the town, distributing food and drink that "the Old Man" denied them because he claimed there were contaminated, the townspeople become determined to learn the truth, to their eternal regret. So far Volume 17 is the weakest collection in "The Twilight Zone" series.

The Real Castro
I read one review from someone who thought it did not show dictator Castro very good. I saw this video and I think it showed him like he must be. I think the rest also show how people should think before they do anything to hurt others they don't understand and not act like a mob in a riot in the cave episode.

A bad one
This is one of the worst. "What's in the box" is terrible. You can laugh at the end. "The Mirror" is terrible, it's their impression on Castro, "What you Need" is good. And "The Old Man in the cave" is good. This one has two bad ones and two good ones. Which ones do you like better? Take your pick..... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Fan Favorite!
This is a great DVD for any hardcore Blondie fan. There's no extra material though in the case and no extras on the disks. Plenty of great concert segments included as well the unreleased, "Maria." This title gets three stars from me though because the studio was too cheap to make it closed captioned for the deaf and hard of hearing. Given that this was largely interviews with the band, it would have been nice if I could have actually followed what everyone was saying. This aired on VH1 in closed captioned, but I've no idea what they were thinking when they put the DVD together...

Cold as Ice Cream But Still As Sweet
Deborah Harry, probably the most under-rated performer of our time, (and the best-looking 55-year-old woman around) finally gets her story told in this extremely enjoyable Behind The Music episode. If you've already watched and/or recorded this from VH1 and think you don't need to see the video......think again! There is lots of additional footage here that was not included in the TV special, like almost the entire video of "I Can See Clearly", more of the early black-and-white concert footage, the video for "Maria" and lots more. An excellent treat for the Blondite!

Blondie
This DVD is a must have for any Blondie fan. I just purchased this DVD and love it. The additional footage is great. Also, the movie is very good and explains the entire Blondie story. The footage of Debbie and the band are great!

Blondie still comes off as cool when the glitz is aside.
Whatched this video and enjoyed every minute. A true testement to their long careers. The story draws out every relevant connection with CBGB's and music today.

good
if you like Blondie, i strongly recommend that you get this video ... 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 (15)

"four hungry musicians leave their mark ~ Motley Crue"
Have you every wondered what went on behind the scenes with America's favorite "Bad Boys" band Motley Crue? Well wonder no more Hip-O Records has taken care of that question with "Behind The Music" a VH1 Music First. Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Vince Neil tell all when this raw holds not barred DVD unfolds from start to finish. They've been called rock 'n' rolls most dangerous band and in some cases the baddest plus raunchiest ~ well maybe so, but don't judge them too harshly ~ just sit back open your favorite beverage and soak up this once-in-a-lifetime look at the hottest musicians from the '80s ever to step up before the footlights. A rare glimpse into the past with Crue fans enjoying this media that was called a "circus" ~ plus the inclusive music video for "ENSLAVED", this is a keeper to be viewed over and over again.

Total Time: 65 minutes ~ Hip-O Records 440-067-647-9 ~ (4/08/2003)

Don't Blame the Crue!
It appears that Amazon.com has linked the description of the highly anticipated Video Hits Collection with this Behind the Music Edition. This is the DVD version of the Motley Crue: VH1 Behind The Music (with additional footage). It includes one music video - Motley Crue's single "Enslaved". As mentioned above this DVD title has additional footage, scene access, a music video, discography, and interactive menu. The running time of this DVD is 65 Minutes. The video transcription to DVD is very good. Remember however, that you're dealing with some older video footage of varying quality here. The video quality of the music video is comperable to that of a hand held camcorder. It looks like bootleg concert footage, but hey it's art! It's supposed to look that way! The interview segments with Nikki, Tommy, Vince, Mick and other music industry people, on the other hand are very sharp, crisp and focused - especially the Sixx interview footage. This is my favorite "Behind the Music" episode - and it's even better without the commercials and narative redundancy (if you've seen the show you know what I mean). If you love the Crue, I highly recommend it. If you are just learning about the Crue, this should be "required reading material"!

AMAZING!
Between "The Dirt" and this episode of VH1's "Behind the Music", it's amazing that the boys from Motley Crue have survived to tell their story. Well, in the case of Nikki, he almost didn't survive, as you'll see him tell the story of dying and coming back to life. It's one thing to have read about that in "The Dirt", but to see him and hear him telling the story on this DVD is spell bounding. Nikki is defnitely a fantastic story teller and he is in rare form on this DVD, camping it up for the camera and enjoying every minute of it.

Motley Crue is by far the best of the "Behind the Music" formula: band struggles, band makes it big, band has drug/alcohol problems, band overcomes. The Crue had bigger drug problems, bigger things to overcome and they looked the best doing it all.

Buy this DVD, you won't regret it!

THE MUTTS NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This dvd from Vh1 is killer! it tackles every angle of the crue and touches on things with them that most bands would never admit to. a very good watch!

Worth the price of admission...
Bassist Nikki Sixx begins by stating bluntly: "We wanted to !@#$ ALL the women and we wanted to snort ALL the drugs." And with that being said, VH1 kicks off its 65-minute raucous Behind the Music profile at the tempestuous lives of four heavy metal rebels that shook the foundation of the L.A. club scene and beyond. Love 'em or hate 'em, Motley Crue is presented here before you in all of their shameful and unsavory glory: from Vince's manslaughter case to Tommy's infamous porno video to Nikki's untimely death and subsequent rebirth. No stone is left unturned, though for true Crue fans some of the anecdotes may seem familiar, having been mentionned on previous documentary compilations such as their Greatest Hits Video release of the 90's. Adding some extra tidbits of footage, such as rare studio out-takes or additional rock star cameos, would have been cool and perhaps may have shed more light on an already dismal picture. But for an amusing albeit sardonic retrospective look back at the hey-days of 80's rock n' roll, this one's worth the price of admission...press play and take a ride on the wildside! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE ONLY CRIME IS THAT THIS MESS WAS MADE!
Poor Robert Preston. We understand that everyone needs to earn a living, but to earn it in such a fetid fashion is unforgivable. We shouldn't blame the poor music man ... the plot is inane, the writing pedestrian and the direction is stiffer than a Viagra test room. (You know something is very wrong when even the folks who wrote the packaging copy refer to the flick's co-star Lynn Redgrave as "Vanessa Redgrave." Poor Lynn is engaged to poor Robert. She "commits suicide" on the very the night she makes her Broadway debut ... in a show he wrote. Preston is out to prove it was murder, and gathers all the possibilites in an empty theater ... sort of "The Last of Sheila" meets "And Then There Were None." The careers of co-stars William Daniels, Patrick Macnee and Jeff Goldlbum managed to survive this horror. This film doesn't. Close the curtain. Now!

Intriguing murder mystery
One of the best made-for-TV movies I've seen. A Broadway playwright tries to catch his wife's murderer by staging a play that is designed to reveal the murderer's identity. A marvelous film with many twists and turns written by Richard Levinson and William Links, who also made the equally fabulous "Guilty Conscience" and "Murder by Natural Causes." The DVD has good picture and sound quality. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great movie!
Before watching "Guilty Conscience", one must first come to terms with the DVD's technical problems. The picture is bad, it looks like a 16th generation VHS tape, not a DVD. The sound is horrid, one must crank the volume way up. It's a TV movie from 1985, so there are Princess Di haircuts, huge shoulder pads, and a rhythm to the admittedly smart dialogue that viewers used to today's television might find strange.
Okay, enough of the bad. The good news is that I liked this movie much more than I ever thought I would. Anthony Hopkins gives a wonderful and inspired performance as Arthur Jameson, a wife-beating, two timing, crooked lawyer who plots to [do away with] his black mailing wife. He is great, and it is always a joy to watch him, especially when he's so YOUNG! His character even says "Quid pro quo", which alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Sir Tony is a delight, and he looks gorgeous.
Since this is the only way I know of to see this good flick, I would recommend it.

AVOID THIS DVD!
Avoid this DVD! As another reviewer said, it's remarkable bad. I wish I'd read his comments before I bought mine. I recommend buying instead a used VHS tape from a rental store. Its quality will be far better than this DVD.

The DVD is a poor transcription of a second- or third-generation videotape. It has the tape's tracking problems. The colors are very weak. It is blurry to the degree that you want to say it has *no* resolution. The audio is terrible. Besides being blurry, we had to adjust our volume control to full volume to be able to hear much of it.

Great Movie (Guilty Conscience), Bad DVD Release
I've purchased several other budget DVDs of "Guilty Conscience" (from other companys such as Direct Video), and this double feature release has the best picture quality of all of these so far. But this isn't saying much, because the video/audio quality still leaves a lot to be desired. Worst of all, this double feature DVD has several technical problems that are very annoying. (At first I thought that I had a defective copy, so I bought another one and experienced the same problems.) What are the problems? First, after the first 20 minutes or so of "Guilty Conscience", the video "jumps" and you completely skip a scene where the Blythe Danner character is supposedly shot by her husband. For some reason, you cannot key in a reverse chapter jump or scan. Also, throughout the rest of the movie, there are occasional spots where the picture just freezes (on its own) for a few seconds. Very, very bad technical flaws in this DVD.

However, you're either going to have take it or leave this DVD, because this is the only way you can get this wonderful movie on DVD. Hopefully, a major company that cares about the products they release will reissue this movie on DVD, but since this movie is, I believe, out in the public domain, it's not very likely this will happen.

Anyway, buy this DVD at your own risk if you like this movie.

Good film wasted on a lousy DVD transfer
One of the best made-for-TV mysteries from the writing teamWilliams & Link, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor ponderingthe murder of his wife, is UTTERLY trashed in this atrocious DVD release. The use of a poorly-recorded source combined with a pitiful transferring effort resulting in artifacts galore, make this one of the worst DVDs I've seen.

A major technical disappointment.
I suppose it's a good vehicle for Hopkins, but the DVD version suffers terribly from technical problems. The audio track is weak and the video looks like a twice copied VHS tape. I couldn't get past the poor technical quality to really enjoy the film. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This Is A Great Movie
I wrote a review for the V.H.S. edition of this film, a few years ago, but it is gone now, because it is no longer available on V.H.S., and Amazon has completely removed it from their database. I saw this movie when it came out 21 years ago (1983). I've always liked it a lot. The scientist that created the android, gets very attached to it, throughout this movie, because he and his wife were never able to have children of their own, so the human looking android, is like a "Son" figure for the scientist. I like that aspect of this film. The ending is sad, but Michael (the android), did the right thing. The government would have used him for the wrong reasons. Watch this movie, and I think that you will like it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beyond Obsession - Not for the moral
This film is listed as NR (NOT RATED) but should be given an R. There's 1 nude scene & 2 explicit sexual scenes. The gist of the story is: Tom Berenger is the handsome American engineer chasing after the blonde Nina who has an obsession with her father/step-father. We never really find out what Marcelo Mastrionni (sp?) is to her. And the Italian is so thick, you miss alot of what's being said. But when Matthew (Berenger) comes into Nina's life, she finally finds some peace & happiness. But it is short-lived. When her ex-diplomat father is released from prison in Marakesh, he finds her & their obsession with one another begins all over again leaving Matthew out of the picture. I actually threw this film in the garbage can after viewing it only once. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great movie!
Before watching "Guilty Conscience", one must first come to terms with the DVD's technical problems. The picture is bad, it looks like a 16th generation VHS tape, not a DVD. The sound is horrid, one must crank the volume way up. It's a TV movie from 1985, so there are Princess Di haircuts, huge shoulder pads, and a rhythm to the admittedly smart dialogue that viewers used to today's television might find strange.
Okay, enough of the bad. The good news is that I liked this movie much more than I ever thought I would. Anthony Hopkins gives a wonderful and inspired performance as Arthur Jameson, a wife-beating, two timing, crooked lawyer who plots to [do away with] his black mailing wife. He is great, and it is always a joy to watch him, especially when he's so YOUNG! His character even says "Quid pro quo", which alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Sir Tony is a delight, and he looks gorgeous.
Since this is the only way I know of to see this good flick, I would recommend it.

AVOID THIS DVD!
Avoid this DVD! As another reviewer said, it's remarkable bad. I wish I'd read his comments before I bought mine. I recommend buying instead a used VHS tape from a rental store. Its quality will be far better than this DVD.

The DVD is a poor transcription of a second- or third-generation videotape. It has the tape's tracking problems. The colors are very weak. It is blurry to the degree that you want to say it has *no* resolution. The audio is terrible. Besides being blurry, we had to adjust our volume control to full volume to be able to hear much of it.

Great Movie (Guilty Conscience), Bad DVD Release
I've purchased several other budget DVDs of "Guilty Conscience" (from other companys such as Direct Video), and this double feature release has the best picture quality of all of these so far. But this isn't saying much, because the video/audio quality still leaves a lot to be desired. Worst of all, this double feature DVD has several technical problems that are very annoying. (At first I thought that I had a defective copy, so I bought another one and experienced the same problems.) What are the problems? First, after the first 20 minutes or so of "Guilty Conscience", the video "jumps" and you completely skip a scene where the Blythe Danner character is supposedly shot by her husband. For some reason, you cannot key in a reverse chapter jump or scan. Also, throughout the rest of the movie, there are occasional spots where the picture just freezes (on its own) for a few seconds. Very, very bad technical flaws in this DVD.

However, you're either going to have take it or leave this DVD, because this is the only way you can get this wonderful movie on DVD. Hopefully, a major company that cares about the products they release will reissue this movie on DVD, but since this movie is, I believe, out in the public domain, it's not very likely this will happen.

Anyway, buy this DVD at your own risk if you like this movie.

Good film wasted on a lousy DVD transfer
One of the best made-for-TV mysteries from the writing teamWilliams & Link, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor ponderingthe murder of his wife, is UTTERLY trashed in this atrocious DVD release. The use of a poorly-recorded source combined with a pitiful transferring effort resulting in artifacts galore, make this one of the worst DVDs I've seen.

A major technical disappointment.
I suppose it's a good vehicle for Hopkins, but the DVD version suffers terribly from technical problems. The audio track is weak and the video looks like a twice copied VHS tape. I couldn't get past the poor technical quality to really enjoy the film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Rehearsal for Murder fits the template of popular TV shows such as Murder, She Wrote and Diagnosis Murder. But that doesn't make it a worthy movie. The pedestrian plot involves five theater people who believe they are auditioning for a new play but have in fact been brought together to discern who among them is the murderer of Broadway star Monica Wells (Lynn Redgrave). After Monica's death is misinterpreted as suicide, her distraught fiancé, a not-so-Neil Simon playwright named Alex Dennison (Robert Preston), concocts the idea for a play within a play. He's invited these five to read for his newest opus. The catch? They all had dealings with Monica prior to her demise. It may hope to be a twisty Anne Perry, Miss Marple, or P.D. James thriller, but Rehearsal for Murder is in fact a trifle that takes itself too seriously and rambles in the final third. --Paula Nechak ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE ONLY CRIME IS THAT THIS MESS WAS MADE!
Poor Robert Preston. We understand that everyone needs to earn a living, but to earn it in such a fetid fashion is unforgivable. We shouldn't blame the poor music man ... the plot is inane, the writing pedestrian and the direction is stiffer than a Viagra test room. (You know something is very wrong when even the folks who wrote the packaging copy refer to the flick's co-star Lynn Redgrave as "Vanessa Redgrave." Poor Lynn is engaged to poor Robert. She "commits suicide" on the very the night she makes her Broadway debut ... in a show he wrote. Preston is out to prove it was murder, and gathers all the possibilites in an empty theater ... sort of "The Last of Sheila" meets "And Then There Were None." The careers of co-stars William Daniels, Patrick Macnee and Jeff Goldlbum managed to survive this horror. This film doesn't. Close the curtain. Now!

Intriguing murder mystery
One of the best made-for-TV movies I've seen. A Broadway playwright tries to catch his wife's murderer by staging a play that is designed to reveal the murderer's identity. A marvelous film with many twists and turns written by Richard Levinson and William Links, who also made the equally fabulous "Guilty Conscience" and "Murder by Natural Causes." The DVD has good picture and sound quality. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "Night of the Meek" (Ep. 47, December 23, 1960) - Christmas in the Twilight Zone. Art Carney is a forlorn department store Santa who takes to drinking--only to find himself experiencing the nicest Christmas ever! "The Invaders" (Ep. 51, January 27, 1961) - A flying saucer lands in the attic of an isolated house inhabited by an impoverished woman--who soon becomes panic-stricken as tiny spacemen begin to stalk her! "Nothing in the Dark" (Ep. 81, January 5, 1962) - An old woman has fought with death a thousand times and has always won. But now she finds herself afraid to let a wounded policeman (Robert Redford) in her door for fear he is Mr. Death. Is he? ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great movie!
Before watching "Guilty Conscience", one must first come to terms with the DVD's technical problems. The picture is bad, it looks like a 16th generation VHS tape, not a DVD. The sound is horrid, one must crank the volume way up. It's a TV movie from 1985, so there are Princess Di haircuts, huge shoulder pads, and a rhythm to the admittedly smart dialogue that viewers used to today's television might find strange.
Okay, enough of the bad. The good news is that I liked this movie much more than I ever thought I would. Anthony Hopkins gives a wonderful and inspired performance as Arthur Jameson, a wife-beating, two timing, crooked lawyer who plots to [do away with] his black mailing wife. He is great, and it is always a joy to watch him, especially when he's so YOUNG! His character even says "Quid pro quo", which alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Sir Tony is a delight, and he looks gorgeous.
Since this is the only way I know of to see this good flick, I would recommend it.

AVOID THIS DVD!
Avoid this DVD! As another reviewer said, it's remarkable bad. I wish I'd read his comments before I bought mine. I recommend buying instead a used VHS tape from a rental store. Its quality will be far better than this DVD.

The DVD is a poor transcription of a second- or third-generation videotape. It has the tape's tracking problems. The colors are very weak. It is blurry to the degree that you want to say it has *no* resolution. The audio is terrible. Besides being blurry, we had to adjust our volume control to full volume to be able to hear much of it.

Great Movie (Guilty Conscience), Bad DVD Release
I've purchased several other budget DVDs of "Guilty Conscience" (from other companys such as Direct Video), and this double feature release has the best picture quality of all of these so far. But this isn't saying much, because the video/audio quality still leaves a lot to be desired. Worst of all, this double feature DVD has several technical problems that are very annoying. (At first I thought that I had a defective copy, so I bought another one and experienced the same problems.) What are the problems? First, after the first 20 minutes or so of "Guilty Conscience", the video "jumps" and you completely skip a scene where the Blythe Danner character is supposedly shot by her husband. For some reason, you cannot key in a reverse chapter jump or scan. Also, throughout the rest of the movie, there are occasional spots where the picture just freezes (on its own) for a few seconds. Very, very bad technical flaws in this DVD.

However, you're either going to have take it or leave this DVD, because this is the only way you can get this wonderful movie on DVD. Hopefully, a major company that cares about the products they release will reissue this movie on DVD, but since this movie is, I believe, out in the public domain, it's not very likely this will happen.

Anyway, buy this DVD at your own risk if you like this movie.

Good film wasted on a lousy DVD transfer
One of the best made-for-TV mysteries from the writing teamWilliams & Link, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor ponderingthe murder of his wife, is UTTERLY trashed in this atrocious DVD release. The use of a poorly-recorded source combined with a pitiful transferring effort resulting in artifacts galore, make this one of the worst DVDs I've seen.

A major technical disappointment.
I suppose it's a good vehicle for Hopkins, but the DVD version suffers terribly from technical problems. The audio track is weak and the video looks like a twice copied VHS tape. I couldn't get past the poor technical quality to really enjoy the film. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great movie!
Before watching "Guilty Conscience", one must first come to terms with the DVD's technical problems. The picture is bad, it looks like a 16th generation VHS tape, not a DVD. The sound is horrid, one must crank the volume way up. It's a TV movie from 1985, so there are Princess Di haircuts, huge shoulder pads, and a rhythm to the admittedly smart dialogue that viewers used to today's television might find strange.
Okay, enough of the bad. The good news is that I liked this movie much more than I ever thought I would. Anthony Hopkins gives a wonderful and inspired performance as Arthur Jameson, a wife-beating, two timing, crooked lawyer who plots to [do away with] his black mailing wife. He is great, and it is always a joy to watch him, especially when he's so YOUNG! His character even says "Quid pro quo", which alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Sir Tony is a delight, and he looks gorgeous.
Since this is the only way I know of to see this good flick, I would recommend it.

AVOID THIS DVD!
Avoid this DVD! As another reviewer said, it's remarkable bad. I wish I'd read his comments before I bought mine. I recommend buying instead a used VHS tape from a rental store. Its quality will be far better than this DVD.

The DVD is a poor transcription of a second- or third-generation videotape. It has the tape's tracking problems. The colors are very weak. It is blurry to the degree that you want to say it has *no* resolution. The audio is terrible. Besides being blurry, we had to adjust our volume control to full volume to be able to hear much of it.

Great Movie (Guilty Conscience), Bad DVD Release
I've purchased several other budget DVDs of "Guilty Conscience" (from other companys such as Direct Video), and this double feature release has the best picture quality of all of these so far. But this isn't saying much, because the video/audio quality still leaves a lot to be desired. Worst of all, this double feature DVD has several technical problems that are very annoying. (At first I thought that I had a defective copy, so I bought another one and experienced the same problems.) What are the problems? First, after the first 20 minutes or so of "Guilty Conscience", the video "jumps" and you completely skip a scene where the Blythe Danner character is supposedly shot by her husband. For some reason, you cannot key in a reverse chapter jump or scan. Also, throughout the rest of the movie, there are occasional spots where the picture just freezes (on its own) for a few seconds. Very, very bad technical flaws in this DVD.

However, you're either going to have take it or leave this DVD, because this is the only way you can get this wonderful movie on DVD. Hopefully, a major company that cares about the products they release will reissue this movie on DVD, but since this movie is, I believe, out in the public domain, it's not very likely this will happen.

Anyway, buy this DVD at your own risk if you like this movie.

Good film wasted on a lousy DVD transfer
One of the best made-for-TV mysteries from the writing teamWilliams & Link, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor ponderingthe murder of his wife, is UTTERLY trashed in this atrocious DVD release. The use of a poorly-recorded source combined with a pitiful transferring effort resulting in artifacts galore, make this one of the worst DVDs I've seen.

A major technical disappointment.
I suppose it's a good vehicle for Hopkins, but the DVD version suffers terribly from technical problems. The audio track is weak and the video looks like a twice copied VHS tape. I couldn't get past the poor technical quality to really enjoy the film. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Mini-series king Richard reigns supreme here. . .
I first saw this production in 1975, when I was a senior in high school, about the same time I was writing a paper about the book it's based on. From the time I was a little girl, Richard Chamberlain had made my heart flutter as Dr. Kildare on TV. "Count" was after the filming of Richard Lester's "Three Musketeers", but before such classic mini-series as "Shogun" and "Thorn Birds", which are what this generation associates the Chamberlain name with most readily. This production did a wonderful job depicting Edmond's despair and loss of hope as the years pass and he realizes that his enemies mean for him to rot away in the solitary confinement of prison. Fortunately, while trying to dig out of there, he digs himself into the cell of Abbe Faria, who becomes his teacher, mentor, savior. . .and ultimately, benefactor. (Trevor Howard was marvelous here, by the way).

It takes 20 years, but Edmond finally escapes jail, finds the treasure, engages the best barber and tailor in Paris, and proceeds to make monkeys of his betrayers. Chamberlain was physically right for this part--very thin, as if he'd subsisted on soup and bread for two decades--and capable of moving as smoothly as a panther. Kate Nelligan was excellent as Mercedes--a woman whose heart was equal mixtures of bitterness, regret, and love for her son alone after losing the great love of her life at age 20. I liked Tony Curtis--he'd played so many good guys in movies like Spartacus, and also comedy such as in Some Like It Hot--that it was fun to see him be the villian here.

All in all, this production was an excellent SHORT adaptation of the book. Had it been made five years later, when mini-series became more popular in America, much more could have done more with the secondary characters and little subplots. It would be the French who beat Hollywood to the remake, however, with the 1998 mini-series starring Gerard Depardieu in the title role. I rented the Chamberlain version and watched it again last year after having seen the Depardieu version for the first time. It's as good as it was 25 years ago, and the prison scenes are far superior to the ones in the Depardieu production. Other than that, you can't really compare the two of them. The French had a longer version, bigger budget, etc. The Chamberlain version, however, holds its own among newer English or American versions of Dumas' works. If you love the book, then all the video and DVD versions are worth collecting. I'll be adding this one to my own collection soon:)

A Story With A Strong Moral Lesson
THE COUNT OF MONTE CHRISTO is a film adaptation of the classic story by Alexandre Dumas of three men who conspire to have their common enemy Edmund Dantes sent to prison and the vengeance wreaked by Dantes after his escape many years later. The movie is reasonably faithful to the book. The early part of the film depicts prison life graphically and the mood changes abruptly for the better with the start of the revenge sequence.

Richard Chaberlain gives a good performance and is believable as both the younger and older Edmund Dantes. A strong supporting cast includes Kate Nelligan, Louis Jourdan, Donald Pleasance and Tony Curtis. David Greene is known for his direction of GRAY LADY DOWN and THE STRANGE AFFAIR.

An excellent film, full of rich characterization
This is a top-notch production. Richard Chamberlain, the fine English actor seen in "Shogun" and "Thornbirds", is in top form as the wronged and vengeful Edmund Dantes. The story begins with Edmund content and happy, then betrayed by a rival suitor. He spends 14 years in prison, then escapes and uncovers buried treasure through the directions of a fellow inmate. He resurfaces in Paris as the mysterious count of Monte Cristo and exacts revenge on the people who imprisoned him. The story moves swiftly and is quite engaging. Richard Chamberlain is believable and compelling, both as the young Edmund, before prison, then as the older and cunning Count of Monte Cristo. The acting from the supporting cast is also almost uniformly excellent. The script is well-written, although it is a bit stunted at times. This movie is part of a set of 8 in a series called LITERARY MASTERPIECES. I have also seen 2 others in this series, LES MISERABLES and THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. These were top-notch productions as well. END

Richard Chamberlain .....IS.....THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO!
Richard Chamberlain gives a commanding performance as THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. The newer version, with Jim Caviezel is bland and less believable, largely because Caviezel cannot compete with Chamberlain's passion and style. Richard Chamberlain was created to play this role with his long, lean, graceful body and beautifully carved facial features. No one has the ability to wear the gorgeous costumes and capes with such grandeur! Richard Chamberlain can always be counted on to provide stately charm and class when needed. This film will leave no doubt in your mind......Richard Chamberlain ....IS......THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO!

Chamberlain, Count of Monte Cristo
I have always like Richard Chamberlain, but I think this is one of his best works. The story does not bog down and action keeps going. I love movies in this time period and would like to see more of them. The scenery and acting in this movie, not only by Richard Chamberlain, but of all the actors is phenominal. I highly recommend that if you have not seen this movie, take the time to see it. It will be well worth your time. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great movie!
Before watching "Guilty Conscience", one must first come to terms with the DVD's technical problems. The picture is bad, it looks like a 16th generation VHS tape, not a DVD. The sound is horrid, one must crank the volume way up. It's a TV movie from 1985, so there are Princess Di haircuts, huge shoulder pads, and a rhythm to the admittedly smart dialogue that viewers used to today's television might find strange.
Okay, enough of the bad. The good news is that I liked this movie much more than I ever thought I would. Anthony Hopkins gives a wonderful and inspired performance as Arthur Jameson, a wife-beating, two timing, crooked lawyer who plots to [do away with] his black mailing wife. He is great, and it is always a joy to watch him, especially when he's so YOUNG! His character even says "Quid pro quo", which alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Sir Tony is a delight, and he looks gorgeous.
Since this is the only way I know of to see this good flick, I would recommend it.

AVOID THIS DVD!
Avoid this DVD! As another reviewer said, it's remarkable bad. I wish I'd read his comments before I bought mine. I recommend buying instead a used VHS tape from a rental store. Its quality will be far better than this DVD.

The DVD is a poor transcription of a second- or third-generation videotape. It has the tape's tracking problems. The colors are very weak. It is blurry to the degree that you want to say it has *no* resolution. The audio is terrible. Besides being blurry, we had to adjust our volume control to full volume to be able to hear much of it.

Great Movie (Guilty Conscience), Bad DVD Release
I've purchased several other budget DVDs of "Guilty Conscience" (from other companys such as Direct Video), and this double feature release has the best picture quality of all of these so far. But this isn't saying much, because the video/audio quality still leaves a lot to be desired. Worst of all, this double feature DVD has several technical problems that are very annoying. (At first I thought that I had a defective copy, so I bought another one and experienced the same problems.) What are the problems? First, after the first 20 minutes or so of "Guilty Conscience", the video "jumps" and you completely skip a scene where the Blythe Danner character is supposedly shot by her husband. For some reason, you cannot key in a reverse chapter jump or scan. Also, throughout the rest of the movie, there are occasional spots where the picture just freezes (on its own) for a few seconds. Very, very bad technical flaws in this DVD.

However, you're either going to have take it or leave this DVD, because this is the only way you can get this wonderful movie on DVD. Hopefully, a major company that cares about the products they release will reissue this movie on DVD, but since this movie is, I believe, out in the public domain, it's not very likely this will happen.

Anyway, buy this DVD at your own risk if you like this movie.

Good film wasted on a lousy DVD transfer
One of the best made-for-TV mysteries from the writing teamWilliams & Link, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor ponderingthe murder of his wife, is UTTERLY trashed in this atrocious DVD release. The use of a poorly-recorded source combined with a pitiful transferring effort resulting in artifacts galore, make this one of the worst DVDs I've seen.

A major technical disappointment.
I suppose it's a good vehicle for Hopkins, but the DVD version suffers terribly from technical problems. The audio track is weak and the video looks like a twice copied VHS tape. I couldn't get past the poor technical quality to really enjoy the film. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Classic film from the creators of Columbo.
Check this classic TV film from the creators of Columbo. Levinson and Link showcase the reason they are considered the best TV mystery writers ever. They created a terrific teleplay that was critically acclaimed when it first aired. If you love mysteries you MUST catch this one. Great cast (Robert Preston, Lynn Redgrave, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick McNee, Madolyn Smith), great story (you will be fooled by the ending)...and true to classic Levinson and Link...you'll be entertained. ... Read more