Amazon.com

The definitive British sitcom is almost certainly Are You BeingServed?, which depicts the squabbles, misadventures, and flirtationsof the staff of Grace Brothers department store. The show was originallyconceived as a vehicle for an irreverent junior salesman named Mr. Lucas(Trevor Bannister), but it soon became clear that mocking a socialhierarchy isn't half as funny as taking it all too seriously. The showreally revolves around Mrs. Slocombe (Mollie Sugden), whose wildlychanging hair color and mercurial moods terrorize the rest of the staff,and cheerful but sly Mr. Humphries (the effervescent John Inman), one ofthe first gay characters on television treated with dignity--or at leastno more indignity than anyone else (the show makes some noise about notbeing sure if Mr. Humphries is gay or not, but no one in the audience willhave any question). But the rest of the cast is superb as well: FrankThornton as the elegant but leering floorwalker Capt. Peacock, WendyRichard as the sexy, impish Miss Brahms, Arthur Brough as cantankerous Mr.Grainger (who, sadly, died after the fifth season; other characters took hisposition on the sales staff, but never quite matched up), and NicholasSmith as the self-serving but incompetent manager Mr. Rumbold form a comicensemble that has rarely been equaled.

These characters, written withaffection and played with superb comic dash, endlessly jockey for statusand salary while simultaneously creating an alternative family (the corestructure for any sitcom on either side of the Atlantic). Are You BeingServed? deserves its devoted fan base, who will revel in thiscomprehensive 14-DVD box set (which includes specials about Inman, Sugden,and Richard, as well as other extras). --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (463)

If there was ever an offer you couldn't refuse, it's this!
Francis Ford Coppola and Paramount Home Entertainment held a press conference and street fair in Brooklyn, and yours truly was there! The exciting news, of course, was announcing the release of THE GODFATHER DVD COLLECTION on October 9, 2001! If the preview of the set is any indication, then I must say this will be the crown jewel in any DVD collection!

The three films will only be released together in this set. The Godfather and The Godfather Part III will each be on one disc, and The Godfather Part II will take two discs. The first of the good news? Francis Coppola has recorded full-lenth audio commentaries for all three films!

But wait, there's a fifth disc that will blow your socks off! Check this out -- the bonus disc contains 3+ hours worth of special features, including: > "The Godfather Family: A Look Inside" documentary > "Francis Coppola's Notebook", an inside look at taking the book to screen! > "On Location" with production designer Dean Tavoularis! > "The Godfather Behind The Scenes" 1971 featurette! > "The Cinematography of The Godfather"! > "The Music of The Godfather" -- two featurettes! > "Coppola and Puzo on Screenwriting"! > Storyboards from GF2 and GF3! > "The Corleone Family Tree" character and cast bios! > Academy Award® acceptance speeches! > Photo galleries with captions! > Theatrical trailers! > Filmmaker bios! > Corleone Family timeline, with real-life events mixed in! > Never-seen alternate opening of GF3! > And "all" of the extra footage found in the televised Godfather Saga!

The picture quality looked fantastic -- Coppola's American Zoetrope did a wonderful job restoring the films! From what I could tell, the sound quality was perfect, and the on-screen menus looked great. And the DVD packaging looks very nice.

All three films are in widescreen format with English 5.1 surround sound, French mono, and English subtitles.

Perhaps the only "bad" news I heard was that there were no plans at this point to release the chronological version on DVD. Francis said that the films were meant to be seen with the flashbacks, and I tend to agree. The biggest plus of having The Godfather Trilogy or Epic on tape, or watching The Godfather Saga on TV, was all the extra footage included. Well, the bonus disc in The Godfather DVD Collection contains "all" of the extra footage, and even something we've never seen anywhere before: an alternate opening for The Godfather Part III. Francis didn't give a firm "no" though; he cited technical reasons for not being able to include all the extra footage on DVD: the different scenes are in various levels of production ("they weren't mixed and scored"), making it difficult to add them seemlessly with today's technology. Maybe, but they seemed to be okay in the boxed sets and on TV to me.

Do yourself a favor and order the biggest DVD release of all time!

The Godfather Series: Movies You CANNOT Refuse.
What can one say about The Godfather series? All three films were masterpieces. Classics. Part One told the tale of Vito Corleone played by Marlon Brando--the Mafia Don of a family in the 40's and 50's, which eventually is head by his son, Michael (Al Pacino) in the sequel. Part Two also tells the story of Vito as a young man in Sicily played by Robert DeNiro. In the final installment set about twenty years after the original, Michael's dreams of becoming legit are countered by his trigger-happy nephew (Andy Garcia), along with new and opposing foes that make it impossible to go straight and leave his crime backround behind. To quote Pacino: "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in," and countless other lines will be quoted for years to come. The performances are absolutely perfect, the screenplay and direction are superb by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. What more can I say? You must watch all three to appreciate just how great these movies are. At three hours apiece they would be great fun for a rainy day. Pop them in at 8 in the morning and by 6 you'll be a member of the family. Part One is my favorite. Check out GoodFellas, another one of the best films of all time.

A Classic
Ah, the music, the scenery, the horse's head...

Belonging to a family headed by two German matriarchs who married two Italian guys, watching The Godfather every year or so was a family tradition. I felt like I knew the Corleones and loved them, never mind they knocked off a few people who deserved it now and then. This mixed feeling is what makes the series so fascinating.

The story is really about four men - Marlon Brando/Robert de Niro as Don Vito Corleone, the ultimate old-school mob boss, and his three sons - James Caan a force of nature as hotheaded Sonny, who lives to regret going to his sister's rescue one fateful day; John Cazale heartbreaking as Fredo, who's existence depends on his mother's continued good health after he makes the worst mistake of his life, and, most of all, Al Pacino; bonechilling as Michael, who outlives them all but lives to wish he hadn't.

The first movie has most of the cliches - the Italian wedding, the "sleeping with the fishes" line, the amazing baptism/massacre scene, and Brando's whole performance. The second ostensibly deals with the respective rises of Vito and Michael to power and Michael's gripping cat-and-mouse game with wily old Hyman Roth, but I'll bet what everyone never forgets about this one is what happens to poor Fredo. If Michael hasn't lost his soul by the end of Part I, he's lost it by the end of Part II. Part III was inevitable, I suppose, but there's really nothing else to say. A good movie, yes, but the other two are so great that it's almost an anticlimax.

Coppola's legacy enclosed with others
While the original film ranked #2 on the AFI's list of 100 Greatest Movies (#1 being Citizen Kane), many film buffs, afficionados, and audiences believed that the first Godfather film deserves that #1 spot. How many people do you know who know some of those famous quotes like, "I'm gonna' make him an offer he can't refuse," or "Never take sides against the family again, ever..." A few maybe? Or perhaps you grew up in an Italian family like mine and your father can translate the Italian for you while you watch? Now how many people can quote Citizen Kane beyond, "Rooooosebuuuud...."

Despite the excellence of the first film, it is my opinion that Godfather part 2 delves deeper into the family, more into the two-toned life that Michael Corleone orchestrates between the family business and his family. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the relationship he cultivates between himself and Hyman Roth (wonderful performance by Lee Strasberg), cementing the old adage that you keep your friends close and your enemies closer. On the surface they are friends, behind closed doors they are co-conspirators, between each other they are close friends and confidants. Beneath it all, in the depths of each man's heart, they are mortal enemies, Corleone ultimately the victor. The whole movie is a mounting tension between the two, reaching heights as when Hyman fumes over the death of a great man, Mo Green, whom Corleone had killed in the first film. In the end, Hyman becomes just another victim, mowed down by a Corleone footman.

The court proceedings are shot in a way that transmits the claustrophobia and morose tedium of the justice system back in the days of McCarthyism (the eras align somewhat, both post-war 1950's). The court is crowded, people line the walls, journalists write furiously in the heat of the courtroom, in the background, people walk in and out of the proceedings like is was a Wal-Mart. People speak into microphones, their voices drone in the hollow, sparse room.

And then Michael Corleone has his own brother killed. Many would say this is when Michael gives himself over fully to the title "Godfather." This is actually one of the central themes of the first film, when exactly does Michael become Godfather? The first film has a wonderful moment where, in the family office (the predominant colors are brown and orange), Brando gets out of his chair, moves over to the side of the office, Michael gets up from the couch on the other side, moves to the desk, and sits in his fathers chair. This is when Michael becomes Godfather in my opinion, but Coppola is good enough to give us more moments that question exactly, "When?"

Coppola's film legacy lies within this box set, as does Pacino's, Brando's, Caan's, and Duvall's. DeNiro managed to go off and do other things, his legacy lies somewhere else, but to the aforementioned actors, they have never done another film or role as well as what they did in the Godfather films. You don't realize it until you pop in the bonus disc, but composer's Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola also put their legacy into this film with the music. Who can forget Rota's seven-note theme that opens and closes the film? Carmine Coppola adds a more Italiano flavor to the music in the flashback scenes featuring DeNiro as a young Vito Andolini (a.k.a. Don Corleone in the first film).

There's so much to go over, the least of which is film #3. But the contents of the other three discs justifies the cost, which could actually be higher. But really, this collection is an offer you can't refuse, or do I have to put a gun to your head??

Godfather collection~ a def. 5 stars
personally, I thought Godfather II was the best out of the three films. I loved the fact that the movie kept fading from Michael's reign as Godfather to Vito Corleone's in 1920s New York and his olive oil (wink wink) business. great storytelling on Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Copolla's respective parts in II.
Godfather was a classic, no mistake in that..what's weird is that the movie makes the audience love the mafia...never have I seen the mafia world portrayed from the inside out so unbelievably.
part III was a bit disappointing...really made us want more of Michael Corleone and the rest of the family. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1965, Star Trek set out to boldly go where no series had gone before, beginning a three-year mission that led to a franchise that would last decades.Here at last is the first season of the original series all in one box, 29 episodes in their original broadcast order.That means starting with "The Man Trap," and soon followed by "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the second pilot filmed and the first one starring William Shatner as Captain Kirk.The many highlight episodes include "Balance of Terror" and "Errand of Mercy" (introducing, respectively, the Romulans and the Klingons), the two-part "The Menagerie" (which recycled footage from the original pilot, "The Cage," which featured Christopher Pike as the captain of the Enterprise and is not included in this set), "Space Seed" (introducing Ricardo Montalban's Khan character), and "The City of the Edge of Forever" (written by sci-fi giant Harlan Ellison and considered by many the best-ever episode of the series).

The first-season DVD set is supplemented by 80 minutes of featurettes incorporating 2003-04 interviews with Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, other cast members, and producers, and some 1988 footage of Gene Roddenberry.The longest (24 minutes) featurette, "The Birth of a Timeless Legacy," examines the two pilot episodes and the development of the crew.Slightly shorter are "To Boldly Go... Season One," which highlights key episodes, and "Sci-Fi Visionaries," which discusses the series' great science fiction writers (most famously in "The City of the Edge of Forever").Shatner shows off his love of horses in "Life Beyond Trek," and, more interestingly, Nimoy debunks various rumors in "Reflections of Spock."As they've done for many of the feature-film special editions, Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda provide a pop-up text commentary on four of the episodes filled with history, trivia, and dry wit.It's the first commentary of any kind for a Star Trek TV show, but an audio commentary is still overdue.The technical specs are mostly the same as other Trek TV series--Dolby 5.1, English subtitles--but with the welcome addition of the episode trailers.The plastic case is an attempt to replicate some of the fun packaging of the series' European DVD releases, but it's a bit clunky, and the paper sleeve around the disc case seems awkward and crude.Still, the set is a vast improvement both in terms of shelf space and bonus features compared to the old two-episode discs, which were released before full-season boxed sets became the model for television DVDs. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (21)

TIME TRAVEL NOT REQUIRED TO SEE THIS COMING
I must say, that time travel was not required for me to anticipate this release of the original STAR TREK on DVD boxed set format... In the past I collected all 79 episodes individually on VHS format and enjoyed them all.. I love the show, its movies and "THE NEXT GENERATION" . I knew however that someday the ORIGINAL show would come to DVD as a boxed set.

MY PATIENCE HAS PAID OFF... I did not make the mistake of buying the 2per episode disks for several reasons.. 1. I knew that thsi show would join the others as season sets. 2. The packaging of the 2per disks was, to say the least HORRID.. 3.Cost economy... yes, I am not a cheap skate but i prefer more for less.. and last.. 4. SPACE- the limited frontier.. on my shelves for many disks when my TNG collections only takes up about 12" or so..

WELL, as for the show itself.. the FIRST and SECOND seasons are very well written storys, bad effects aside.. THE THIRD season was not quite up to snuff, but i still LOVE MY TREK...

GO OUT AND BUY BUY BUY... This set will sure to please..
AND NOT TO FORGET THE BEST PART---Special Features...
I fully enjoy learning all about movies, and TV shows i grew up to love..

THX FOR READING

The true final frontier
Even with five spinoffs,ten movies and nearly 38 years of history,The original Star Trek is the one that started it all and continue to inspire millions of fans.
The plot was simple, in the future a starship goes out on a five year mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and civilizations.Led by the heroic Captain James T. Kirk (willian Shatner) along with his Vulcan first officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy).The other crew members include Dr.Leonard McCoy (the late DeForest Kelley),Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott(James Doohan), Helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takai),Communications officer Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), and Yoaman Janice Rand (Grace Lee whitney who would only last half the first season).
Despite the cheap looking special effects and set pieces,ST was a mixture of action,humor,drama and morality tales.A far cry from other science fiction shows airing at the time such as Lost In Space.Classic first season episodes includes The Naked Time,The Enemy Within, The Menagerie ,The Conscience of the King, Balance of Terror(the Romulan's debut), Space Seed(KHAN!!!), Arena,This Side of Paradise,The Devil in the Dark, and the greatest Trek episode of all time, The City on the Edge of Forever.
The new season DVD set includes extras not included in the first wave sets which consisted of two episodes on forty discs.

Finally!
I've been waiting for this for MANY years! I know fans who bought the earlier DVD's (2 episodes on one DVD) are upset but in fairness those came out before this whole trend of 'Series Box Sets' started. And yes I'm sure that there will be future compilations (Special Ultra Limited Edition, etc) but I've always just wanted one thing: to have the entire series at my disposal to pop in a favorite episode whenever I wanted and HERE IT IS. I'm so psyched!

I love this series!
Star Trek is my favorite T.V. series of all time. I'm so glad that they're finally releasing it in box sets. I avoided buying the previous releases because at $20 for each 2 episode disc, I would have felt more guilt than joy everytime I bought one. I feel bad for the people that purchased those. That was really a greedy money grubbing move that Paramount made. SOB's, It always really pissed me off. This box set is also too expensive, but they know we'll buy them. It's like health care. You have to have it, so they take advantage of you and charge as much as they possibly can, making sure that they can make themselves richer and richer at the expense of us, the common man.

Yeah yeah, I "know" I should have waited...
but knowing Paramount, they could of sat on the release the boxed sets for who knows how long. It could have been atleast until 2006 (40th Anniversary) until they decided to release them as boxed sets since they could have easily continued to gouge buyers into buying the 2 episode per disc set -- why shouldn't they? they control the market?...and they probably will still do it. After everyone has bought the boxed sets they will release them all again remastered in High Definition. Maybe, with the infamous blooper reel as a bonus (unless they oh, so generously decide to release it in the upcoming season 2 and 3 boxed sets -- but I doubt it. Frankly, life's too short and I didn't want to wait for the boxed sets. I've enjoyed them since their release 5 years ago.

In any case, I won't be re-buying the new sets. The "bonuses" seem a little thin and desparate....probably will be some interviews of some of the supporting staff that were loosely involved (many of the important guys have passed on any way)in the original series making some minor comment on obscure incidents playing on the nostalgiac thirst of the hard-core fan.

In fact I can see Paramount re-re-releasing the series again (the 40th anniversary set?) with FULL LENGTH commentaries for every episode (e.g. Sally Kellerman, Willim Koenig, Dianne Muldar, William Ware Theiss etc.) by some of the actors actors and guests stars -- ONLY after everyone has bought the boxed sets.

However had Paramount been more fair about how they released the DVD's,and the way they treat loyal fans, I probably would have, for the sake of "completeness" continued to support their products (TNG, DS9, Voyager, and likely Enterprise etc.) but I'm not -- mainly because they don't deserve my business and they won't. In fact I generally BOYCOTT Paramount DVDs.

As Scotty once said: "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame me"...and I'm not about to be fooled again.

See you later paramount suckers! ... Read more

Amazon.com

As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and the second season of The Golden Girls picks up where the first ended. The same classic quartet--Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia--is back, along with their snappy retorts, shoulder pads, and cheesecake. Well, there was one change. In the season premiere, "End of the Curse," Blanche (Rue McClanahan) goes through menopause.

Highlights of the 26 episodes include "Ladies of the Evening," featuring a cameo from Burt Reynolds, just a few years prior to his own network sitcom, Evening Shade. As Blanche exclaims, "Mr. Burt Reynolds is one of our finest living actors...I mean, you put Sir Laurence Olivier in Cannonball Run--see what he can do." Then there's "Isn't It Romantic?" with Lois Nettleton (In the Heat of the Night) as Dorothy's lesbian friend, Jean, who falls for an unsuspecting Rose (Betty White). As was often the case, a sensitive subject is handled with taste and humor and resulted in an Emmy nomination for Nettleton's performance.

Further highlights include a white-wigged Nancy Walker (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda) as Sophia's long-lost sister, Angela, in "The Sisters" and "Long Day's Journey Into Marinara," and a pompadoured George Clooney (ER) in "To Catch a Neighbor." The final episode of The Golden Girls second season, "Empty Nest," features David Leisure and Oscar winner-Rita Moreno (West Side Story) and sets the scene for creator Susan Harris's 1988 spin-off, Empty Nest (although only Leisure would segue to the new show, while Soap's Richard Mulligan would take over for Moreno). --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (29)

It just keeps getting better!!!
Just when you think it can't get funnier;The Golden Girls season two is terrific and will keep you tuned in for hours on end.From "The Vacation" to "A Piece of Cake", the show has amazing writing that brings out the acting ability of its actresses and actors (STAN).

Love it, but leaves me wondering why...
they took out the skipping ability in this set. In season one the viewer was able to "skip" past each opening song and "skip" to different scenes within the episode. This is gone from the Season 2 set. I really miss it and am really disappointed that they took it out. Can't think of the reasoning behind it. That is the only reason I can't give it 5 stars. This is my all time favorite show.

GG Season 2
I pre-ordered this DVD (having the first one already of course) and I must say that every episode was great.There is no doubt in my mind that the second season is better than the first with the characters much more developed and the lines funnier than ever before.The stories were more solid and watchable with more quality episodes than the first season.Because this is one of my favorite shows, I hate to not give it 5 stars, but there is a compelling reason for not doing so.This time, I believe that Buena Vista took a step backward.You cannot skip scenes or go back to a scene, or skip the intro to each episode.If you try, it will take you to the next one, or the very beginning of the episode.I enjoyed being able to do that in the previous season and am baffled as to why they chose toleave that option out this time.Also, the trivia challenge does not always work right and would have been best left out.Behind-the-scene footage would have been better I think, or an interview or two from the cast members.I expected alot more from a DVD than what I got this time around.The episodes, however, are great and I would highly recommend it to anyone on that note alone if you can overcome the technical issue.

A Great Season; beautiful dvd transfer
Let's face it, the Golden Girls are a classic.Like Lucy, you still laugh after hundreds of viewings.

Season 2 (another emmy winner) is one of the best with some of the most classic episodes.Throw the whole thing on for a lost weekend or a sick day - you'll feel much better.

DVD transfer looks great - so clean after the old edited Lifetime copies.Only issue - bonus quiz is awkward to navigate.Can't wait for season 3.

Take Note Buena Vista (Disney)
There's adequate description of the show already, but as has alsobeen stated, what about some decent extras?Maybe interviews with Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan.Even an interview with creator Susan Harris would surely prove enlightening and entertaing.Come on Disney- the show and we deserve a bit better! ... Read more

Description

"You're one of us now," Nikita is told. But has she truly abandoned her compassionate nature and become an unquestioning member of the soulless covert organization called Section One? Or has she mastered the group's knack for deceit and cover-up so efficiently that she can beat Section at its own game? The sleek, chic and powerful adventures of the agent codenamed Josephine continue in Season Three of the intrigue-filled five-year series that stars Peta Wilson in the title role. Season three is marked by the unveiling of Michael's secret life, Nikita and Michael?s romantic relationship and the further suspicion about the true nature of Section One. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Compared to other shows...
I really wish people would stop comparing LFN to other tv shows, especially Alias.I love Alias, am a huge fan of the show, but while I have only seen the first 2 seasons of LFN so far (since I just bought them on DVD in March when the 2nd season was released) I would have to say that the 2 shows just aren't comparable...They are both spy shows but that is basically where the similarities end.Alias is a great show (a little slow and boring through this past season since it was acting as filler until they could get around to the good stuff) but I would HATE it if they tried to make it more like LFN, and in turn, I would hate LFN if they had gone on and turned it into something like Alias (or 24 or MI-5 etc).

LFN takes you through the life of someone that had nothing to do with that lifestyle, and basically throws that person into it without a choice, oh well, she did have a choice, Live and do it with their rules, or Die... Not much of a choice which is what was great about it (and the original movie as well). The great part of the tv show was that they took the main basis of the movie and then were able to not only expand on it some, but have a whole 5 seasons to do whatever they wanted with it. They focus on Nikita with "jobs" being just that... They never really seem to have a whole lot to do with the main plot or at least not for long.They whole point is about HER and how she evolves as she needs to, to stay alive ...Alias focuses more on Rambaldi and the Prophecy and evil/good power with all characters and they like to throw in eye candy clothes with cool moves, and great music to help draw people in (no problem in that as long as you don't take it for more than that).

But this is about LFN, so let's cut back to that.I first jumped into the LFN fan pool, drooling over the 2 seasons and knowing (or at least hoping for) the 3rd to be released this summer... I had no idea in the beginning just How Many seasons there were and then found out there were 5 (you lucky b@st*rds that got to see all 5 on tv).I am going crazy waiting for the next month to go by, and I know I will totally drive myself insane waiting for the next 2 seasons over the next 2 years...

I never got to see the series when it originally aired on tv since I was homeless at the time (and I am a punk rocker).Seeing the French movie version(on cable in February) then the series (in March) has made me feel a little odd and wonder if that could actually happen and possibly happen to some of the people I know... Hmmm, the conspiracy theories that could evolve.

One of the few tv shows for insiders
This show is definitely a unique one. That's probably why the show didn't have a lot of success throughout Europe, and probably why it did not attract the huge audience like the incredibly stupid show Buffy or Charmed, and why it took so long for it to be released on DVD.

Not a superficial show like others (Smallville, Alias or what you call it, O.C.). A very convincing storyline with very credible actors who really fit the role in the show. How can somebody even try to compare Jennifer Garner to Peta Wilson?? Though Wilson obviously has not appeared on the big screen so far (whatever the reasons are), she did a fantastic job in here role as Nikita. Needless to mention the amazing performance of Roy Dupuis as Michael.

And more importantly, what's rare on TV these days, the show is about a serious relationship between adults, not teenagers. Though the story is very creative and exciting, the love between Nikita and Michael overshadows all other elements of the show.

Overwhelming score music by Sean Callery.

LFN, a show that has already become a classic.

LFN forever

THE BEST SERIES EVER
La Femme Nikita was the FIRST television show to ever have a strong, intelligent female as the lead.The actors are all of the highest caliber and the plots/story lines are so engaging, you'll be hooked after just one episode.If this series had been on a major network at the time it originally aired, it would have been on MUCH longer.Alias doesn't hold a candle to this show (as a matter of fact, they steal a lot of their stories from LFN).Jennifer Garner only wishes she was as believable as Peta Wilson is in this type of role.Roy Dupuis (Michael) is also an amazing actor and is HUGE in Canada.This was a show that believed it's audience to be intelligent, but can be enjoyed by everyone.It has the right mix of romance, action, intrigue, and technical gadgets so there is something for everyone.

Best Season of La Femme Nikita
In my opinion, this is the best of all 5 seasons. All the characters have been fully developed. In Season 1 and part of Season 2, it seemed a bit like they weren't in these characters as well as later. Plus, it starts off with an incredibly emotional start. Major insight into the character of Michael, finally some of the intense emotion we all knew he had under the layers he hides under. What more can I say?

One of the Best Series EVER
I faitfully watch Nikita when I was in high school and when I went to college, I schedule my studies around Nikita. I made sure regardless what I was doing, I made it home to watch it. Peta and her supporting cast are awesome and I don't know why the series got cancel but I do know that I can't wait for this season to come and the rest of the seasons. I caught a case of the a$$ last year when WB change the release date on season 2, hope it doesn't happen with this one. But for those that like Alais, you'll love Nikita. I have a friend hook on it because she loves Alais and didn't think she would like it but changed her mind after the 1st season. So give it a try ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the first gems of the cable TV age, Faerie Tale Theatre brings 26 classic tales to life. Produced over a five-year span (1982-87) for Showtime, FTT brought together creative dramatics and whimsical writing with some of the top talents of the day. Executive producer/host Shelley Duvall (who was coming off her breakout role in The Shining) shepherds this mix of theatrical simplicity and grand storytelling for these oft-told tales ("Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Hansel and Gretel," "Sleeping Beauty," and the like) for kids and their parents. Since they are not elaborately produced, FTT may be a hard sell for some smaller members of the family at first, but most should be hooked, even older kids who may pooh-pooh fairy tales. There's always a slight twist that makes these productions fresh.

The cast is amazing, especially when you think how lightly cable television was thought of in the '80s: Jeff Bridges, Bud Cort, Liza Minnelli, James Coburn, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Reeve, Klaus Kinski, Billy Crystal, Matthew Broderick, Gregory Hines, Eric Idle, Robin Williams, and Mick Jagger are some of the talented--and varied--actors appearing. Crystal's take on the smart "Little Pig" (with Jeff Goldblum as the wolf) and Williams's "Frog Prince" are two comic gems. Malcolm McDowell, right in the middle of his career high-point of playing baddies, brings flair to the Big Bad Wolf, while his then-real-life wife Mary Steenburgen beautifully counterpoints as Red Riding Hood. The casting of Vincent Price and Vanessa Redgrave in "Snow White" is inspired. Also impressive are the directors Duvall pooled: Tim Burton ("Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp"), Francis Ford Coppola ("Rip Van Winkle") Peter Medak (three episodes), Nicholas Meyer ("Pied Piper"), and Roger Vadim ("Beauty and the Beast"). You can go on for days about these wonderful tales, most totaling around the 45-minute mark, but it's better just to get the set and start wherever you'd like; you will get to the end sooner than you think. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The Sweet Invention of a Child's Dream
I have been watching Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre since I was very young, and now am delighted that all her wonderful plays (although I have to admit the Three Little Pigs is definetely her best) is finally on DVD in a full collection.These classic stories are pleasant to watch for any age, and my mom has never hesitated to show them to her second graders, but she also took pleasure in them herself.I recommend this set for any lover of fairy tales, or dreamer of dreams, I promise you won't be dissapointed.

It's funny how I can still get excited over these!
My friends never know what I'm talking about when I tell them about these movies.I bought them on VHS, but as we all know VHS goes bad eventually.When a friend of mine told me they were selling them on DVD, it literally made my day; so much so that I ordered them just a bit ago.I used to watch these so much when I was little (I'm 26 now) that the tapes we recorded off of Showtime went bad.I'll love having them on DVD and can have my kids watch them as well -- well, when I have kids, anyway.:)

The most spectacular set in the world
In all the years of my life i have never experianced such enchantment this set is a remarkable piece of history

This is so exciting!!!
I am so excited that this is finally on dvd because I keep telling my boyfriend about these stories and he has never heard of them.When I was a little girl (now 21), every saturday my mom would take me to the video store and the clerk would only let me take out 5 at a time and I would just keep renting them over and over again.I was gonna buy them on tape a couple months ago but they were overpriced and I was waiting for them to come out in a special dvd series!!!It's so exciting to finally have them and when I told my boyfriend he was happy to finally be able to understand what I was talking about.

I've waited years for this!
My boyfriend (who works in Telivision) had never heard of this series.I was telling him about it the other nite and expressed how much I would love to find the set on DVD!!!I finally have and now he can expierence these clasic tales with a twist we all love!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It now seems clear that season 5 of Stargate SG-1 will be remembered as the one in which something went awry with Daniel Jackson. Lots of behind-the-scenes rumors fueled the idea of cast tension, but whatever the problem, his sudden departure from the show was obviously through a quickly contrived scenario. In retrospect, there must have been a problem for some while before the weird penultimate episode ("Meridian"). Michael Shanks looks frequently bored in his rare moments of individual screen time as he infiltrates a Goa'uld meeting and even when making friends with a creature everyone else wants dead. In fact, there's only one point when everyone really seems to be having fun, and that's in the spoof 100th episode "Wormhole X-treme!"

Most shows go through a run-around, skin-of-their-teeth period awaiting renewal, and it certainly seems to have affected storylines this year. For example, a next generation of younger SG teams is introduced. Replacements? The most unfortunate aspect of things, however, was that not a single episode managed to stand alone on its own merits. Every single story was dependent on a part of the greater interwoven warring-species threads. Some of the one-off tales were terrific in and of themselves, but it was as if the writers fell into the trap of having to refer to as much backstory as possible, perhaps to ensure loose ends could be easily wrapped up? Ultimately none of this mattered since the show went on for quite a while. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (23)

One of my personal favorite seasons
I know this isn't everyone's opinion, but for me, each season gets better and better. Writers and actors get to know the characters and a story more when they've made over 100 episodes with them. (Episode 100 is included in this set, an episode where the writers just decide to mess around and have a good time)

Season 5 introduces some very key characters and situations:
--Colonol Frank Simmons
--Explanation of the ascended being ("Ascention" and "Meridian")
--The jaffa rebellion ("The Warrior")
--Further Russian entanglements including the fate of the Earth DHD ("48 Hours")
--The introduction of Anubis ("Last Stand," "Revelations")
--The fate of the Tollan ("Between Two Fires")
--The temperary departure of Michael Shanks ("Meridian")
--The method of Asguard reproduction ("Revelations")
--Jonas Quinn ("Meridian")

All of these situations play key in the epic saga of the Stargate universe, providing for plot variations and new ideas in later seasons. The new ideas are still there. The humor is still there. Over 100 episodes in, Stargate is still going strong in this collection.

I am looking forward to adding this 5th boxed set to my other four boxed sets.

I enjoyed Season 6 even better. Season 7 is still blowing my mind. Let's have those as boxed sets soon as well.

Good sci-fi, moderate Stargate SG-1
While there were several gems, I find most of this season lacking the flair and style seen in previous seasons. The cast seems rather tired in this season, almost defeated. They go through the paces, but seem to be grudgingly doing so. Episodes such as "48 Hours" and "Failsafe" only served to humiliate the cast and writers who, up to this season, seemed to pride themselves on original storylines.

Daniel's departure is handled adequately for his character in terms of how he is retired, but the story feels quite too sudden and contrived. His storyline is almost entirely forgotten by the next episode, especially in terms of the civilization he saved.

The remaining story lines depend too heavily on previous stories from as far back as season one. It was rumored that this would be the last season of the show, and the writers wanted to tie up the loose ends of the series. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the show wasn't canceled, leaving the cast with few allies or enemies. Because of this, the season finale feels weak and ultimately ends up being the worst yet.

Collectors should purchase this item to complete their set. Newcomers to the show may feel best skipping this season.

Rewatch the first 3 seasons instead
I've watched all seven seasons of stargate, and season 5 was abysmal. Michael Shanks(Daniel) and Christopher Judge(Teal'c) were completely underused, which is tragic because these two men are such good actors. Forcing Carter and Jack into a relationship just feels awkward - both from the 'it's against regulations' aspect, and the 'no chemistry' aspect. Yes, there were a few good episodes - menace, threshold, 2001, between two fires. but you had to wade through some boring shows to get there. The fact that so many old characters keep getting killed off is annoying. (spoiler) killing daniel off in the end felt rushed, ruined season 6, and didn't allow everyone to mourn him as fully as they should have (jack was just too stoic. his previous reactions to Daniel's 'death' in Fire and Water or Serpent's Lair show how he should have reacted.)
Your best bet is to buy one of the first 3 seasons(two's my favorite) and watch it again. At least the storylines are good, everyone's in character, and daniel and teal'c have more than 1 line per episode.

Relapse
Sadly, the fifth season of Stargate: SG-1 broke the streak of progressively better seasons that had been going on ever since the first season. The year began with a cool premiere, "Enemies", but the next couple episodes sucked. For example, the episode "Beast of Burden", which deals with Daniel Jackson's (Michael Shanks) Unas friend, Chaka, was terrible. Personally, I also hated the episode "The First Ones" from last year which began the Chaka thread. I mean, I haven't seen episodes this bad since Season 1 (many of the Season 1 episodes, while good, are far inferior to the episodes of Seasons 2-4). Once you reach the third disc, beginning with the episode "Between Two Fires", the episodes become good again. However, the bad episodes weren't the only problems that this season faced. Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) seemed to regress a little bit because he seemed a lot less tolerent of Daniel than he had been in the last two years (he does, however, reveal his true feelings about Jackson in the episode "Meridian"). Teal'c (Christopher Judge) and Dr. Janet Frasier (Teryl Rothery) were underused, as were the Asgard, who seem to have put politics ahead of real problems.
However, when this season was good, it was REALLY good. There were some amazing story developments this year, beginning with the final demise of Apophis (Peter Williams), the Goa'uld System Lord who has been making life difficult for the SGC ever since the first season. Next, the Tollan, an extremely advanced race of humans who are allied with Earth, begin acting suspiciously, the SGC begins recruiting new officers, the motives of the Aschen from last season are revealed, the Tok'Ra are nearly destroyed, and the Jaffa rebellion begins to truly become a problem for the System Lords. And then, Daniel is brought to a System Lord summit where he has the chance to wipe out the Goa'uld threat forever, that is until he learns of the return of Anubis, an ancient System Lord who was banished for his horrific crimes. Also, we finally learn the origins of the Replicators. Finally, SG-1 must endure a change that they never thought would happen in the episode "Meridian", and then, Anubis and Osirus (Anna-Louise Plowman) reveal plans to attack the Asgard. But the most pivotal plot twist involves the new series-within-a-series, WORMHOLE X-TREME!!! Just kidding.
This is a very important season, so despite its poor opening, I still reccomend it. Just be ready to be underwhelmed by the first few episodes. But after you get past those, enjoy! Some good episodes include: "Enemies", "Threshold", "Between Two Fires", "2001", "Wormhole X-Treme", "Proving Ground", "Summit", "Last Stand", "The Warrior", "Menace", "Meridian", and "Revelations".

Makes me PROUD to be an Air Force vet!!!!
Y'know, this show is probably the most positive view of the Air Force that you will ever see in entertainment. Military personnel are treated as what they are in real life: real people with faults and weaknesses, but with a lot of professionalism, skill and determination to do the best job they can and do the right thing at the same time.

Ironic to find this in a sci-fi show of all places, but I have to thank the producers for the care they put into the characters! Not that there's really a Stargate, a Prometheus or even a Samantha Carter, who can solve any threat with five minutes to do calculations in her head, but at least these Air Force men and women aren't cynical hardcases out to rape and pillage the worlds across the stargate for the "military industrial machine". That's what you would get from MOST of Hollywood if they were doing this show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gundam Wing (1995-96), a 49-part series in the AlternateUniverse continuity, scored a hit in the U.S. when it aired on the Cartoon Network.In the year 195 A.C. (After Colony), much of humanity has emigrated to orbitingSpace Colonies; those who remained on Earth are governed by the oppressiveUnited Earth Sphere Alliance. But the real power is wielded by the sinisterRomefeller Foundation, whose directors plot to control Earth and the Coloniesthrough their puppet military entity OZ, led by Zechs Marquise and TreizeKhushrenada. Five teenage pilots in Gundam mecha suits strike atEarth, hoping to aid the rebel Colonists: sullen Heero Yuy, happy-go-luckyDuo Maxwell, former circus acrobat Trowa Barton, sensitive Quatre Raberba, andicy WuFei Chang. The convoluted story line pits the Romefeller Foundation, therebellious "Treize Faction" of OZ, the Gundam Pilots, and royal pacifistRelena Peacecraft against each other. But it's primarily a battle between theadherents of a samurai-style code of honor and the soulless adherents ofrealpolitik. When the Romefeller Foundation begins manufacturing Mobile Dolls(pilotless battle robots), the Gundam pilots, Zechs, and Treize object, notbecause they can make the Foundation all-powerful, but because they willdeprive human warriors of the singular emotions experienced through heroismin battle.

The uninitiated may have trouble following the plot: strangerevelations abound (e.g., Relena discovers Zechs is her long-lost brother) andcharacters disappear for a dozen or more episodes, only to return when adeus ex machina is needed. But Gundam fans aren't interested intightly woven story lines or credible character arcs, and Gundam Wingdelivers plenty of battles between the splendidly designed robots. It's aclassic confrontation between good guys with invincible weapons and soullessbad guys who can't hit the broad side of a robot. (Rated 13 and older: occasionalprofanity, robot vs. robot violence) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (59)

Awesome
First off let me say I gave this four stars ONLY becuase it is not my favorite Anime. (In my mind nothing can beat Rurouni Kenshin) Like many others in America I was first introduced to Gundam Wing late one night while watching Cartoon network. I saw an episode about half way through the series and thought it was great. When I saw this series come out in a box set I wanted to buy it, but had second thoughts. You see I have seen some of Mobile Suit Gundam 083 and some of the other ones, and I didn't like them at all. For some reason I could not stand that little twerp Amuro. Let me say this though, this series is nothing like the others. Awesome story line, excellent characters, and lots of action make this series a must in your collection.

Gundam Wing is the most captivating Gundam Series out there!
I have to say I have seen a little bit of every Gundam Show in existence. And Gundam Wing by far, in my opinion, surpasses them all. While the animation is obviously better than it's predecessors the plot and characters are also deeper. It's a darker world in GW and a lot of things are different in this series than in any of the others. The colonies in this series are NOT the enemies, but a confused bunch of people who have been abused time and time again. They make for very good under dogs. The main characters are very well developed - and actually have emotional breaking points! Also, the main character isn't happy go lucky - but a soldier. It's kinda disturbing that they are only 15, but it just makes them deeper characters. I recommend this show to ANYBODY.
Personally I liked the English version but if you want a treat the Japanese version is hilarious. The voice actors are better and the lines make so much sense. O and read Episode Zero before you watch this series -- SO many more things make sense it's amazing!

Wing is a great series, but bootlegs should not be here
I highly recommened Gundam Wing to anyone because it is an awesome series. There is something for everyone here, romance, mech action, comedy, etc. How often is it a series' character gets his own personal stalker? How many series actually have a man change personalities like flipping a slice of bread? Great stuff.

Beware though, I was just looking at the used copies for $30, and they are all bootlegs. Yes, you heard me, those discs are bootlegs from China. The OFFICIAL set is 10 discs, no less. If you want to get this series, support Bandai with their legal set, not those loser sellers and their bootlegs.

One of my favorite anime
This has to be one of the best anime of all time. In my opion it is my second favorite of all time. It is just under ronin warriors. Gundam wing is the best gundam anime out there. The reason that it is so good is because of the 5 main piolts. by the end of the serios u feel like u know the them. No other gundam show made me feel like that. I have not bought the dvds but i have seen every episiode. If u like anime and giant robots and deep story u will like gundam wing.

Gundam Wing is the best
I recently bought this item and I have never bought a anime box set and wathched it mor the second i rurouni kenshin or hellsing which pale in comparison to this show this isnt your average gundam show it is one of the best gundam shows ever made my hat is off to Hajime Yatatae and Yoshiyuki tomino creators of Gundam Wing if they ever make a gundam series like this again i will buy it. the story of heero yuy and and the othe gundam pilots sent to earth by operation meteor is the best it shows that even the strongest of forces can be defeated meaning oz and the aliance military being defeated by just five mobile suits which dawn excelent mobile suit designs by Kunio Okawara by the way Zechs's voice is the coolest and Duo brings life and comedy to the series the mobile dolls look great as well at least for the gundams to destroy. if you are a gundam fan eva fan or raxphon fan the this will top them in my opinion evas ending wasnt the best. the animation is great especialy twords the artimis revolution and space war at the end of the series i have this box set and i did cost me 200.00 dollars but it was worth every penny. this gundam sseries is the best of them all even over 08th ms team which is a awesome show but it dosnt compare to Gundam wing with an ending note if you want a gundam show with non stop action and will make you want to play a gundam game buy this box set if you have 200.00 dollars for anime. they should also make a gundam wing video game and not fighting but more like encounters in space or journey to jaburo buy this. this is an overall perfect product it brings together every thing you love about gundam. there has never been such an awesome gundam series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A smart and savvy (albeit highly stylized) look at the single lives of four thirtysomething Manhattan women, Sex and the City: The Complete Second Season builds on the foundation of its first season with plot arcs that are both hilarious and heartfelt, taking the show from breakout hit to true pop-culture phenomenon. Relationship epiphanies coexist happily alongside farcical plots and zingy one-liners, resulting in emotionally satisfying episodes that feature the sharp kind of character-defining dialogue that seems to have disappeared from the rest of TV long ago. When last we left the NYC gals, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) had just broken up with a commitment-phobic Mr. Big (Chris Noth), but fans of Noth's seductive-yet-distant rake didn't have to wait long until he was back in the picture, as he and Carrie tried to make another go of it. Their relationship evolution, from reunion to second breakup, provides the core of the second season. The fittingly titled and keenly observed episode "Evolution" found Carrie trying to leave a few feminine belongings at Mr. Big's apartment with little success, charting the challenges and limits of intimacy. And the season's finale, "Ex and the City," was a melancholy goodbye for Carrie and Big that took its cue from The Way We Were. It wasn't all angst, though: among other adventures, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) puzzles over whether one of her beaus was "gay-straight" or "straight-gay"; Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) tries to date a guy who insists on having sex only in places where they might get caught; and Samantha (the exquisite Kim Cattrall) copes with dates who range from, um, not big enough to far too big--with numerous stops in between. Through it all, the four actresses cohered into a solid ensemble that played on their complex relationships among themselves as well as with men; in two short years, Parker and company became one of the best TV casts in over a decade. And to top it all off, the second season offers 18 episodes, six more than the first. Sometimes size really can make a difference! --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (140)

An easy addiction!
What's fascinating is the wide appeal of SATC! I know straight and gay men and women of all ages who watched the HBO version, and I found myself hooked on the DVD's.

Parts of each character are realistic, but ultimately there's an element of satire and "over-the-top" that keeps the reader hooked. (...)

And in Season 2, Big comes across as a really decent guy. He accompanies Carrie to a wedding of a couple he doesn't know and to a dinner with her friends. And she comes across as high maintenance. She can't read between the lines to see how much he cares for her so she keeps pushing for more. (...).

I believe the episodes work best when they're light-hearted and playful, such as 20-somethings vs. 30-somethings.

(...)."

Sometimes I think SATC is a litmus test for personalities. Everyone who watches sees something different. Some like Samantha best, others like her least. And some viewers focus on the clothes.

What hooks viewers, I think , is the three-dimensional qualities of the four main characters, and even of Big. They have real flaws as well as great virtues. And they have enough money and career stability to spend all their energies on relationships. Sometimes it's exhausting just to watch the quest, but the writers make sure it's never dull.

Sex and the City-Second Season (a guilty pleasure)
The Sex and the City-Second Season is a great item for those who don't have cable TV (unlike me). I get HBO just to watch these shows. Most of the year I don't have HBO, but when June comes, I rush to get it. I have all of the second and third season on tape, but this is a great gift idea for friends. I will probably buy this for one of my family and friends for birthdays or holidays. The great thing about this show is that every woman can see a little bit of herself in every one of the characters. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is the character I most relate to because of her fashion sense and her personality (very similar to mine). Samantha (Kim Catrall) is the woman that most women vilify, but wish they were like. She is so bold, daring and downright outrageous. There is a little Samantha in everyone. Miranda is the workaholic of the bunch who seeks perfection in everyone in everything. She is bold like Samantha, but in a different way. Charlotte is the one who you find endearing. Her search for her Prince Charming with a Madison Avenue job and Park Avenue apartment is something to watch. She goes through so many frogs, it is hilarious to watch.

The second season includes Carrie & Big getting back together and breaking up again (can they ever make up their minds?!), Miranda having a real relationship (with Steve, a bartender), Samantha having a relationship (oh my stars!) with the perfect guy (except for one "little" thing), and Charlotte dating so many guys (your head will spin) and not keeping any of them. It is a whirlwind of laughs, a few tears, and more, more, more.

This show has all of the elements that keep you tuning in. This is a must buy for all the non-HBOers out there. Buy it!!!

4 ho's, 5 stars
On the surface, this is the story of 4 floozies who complain that no one wants to marry them. They spend their time jumping in and out of beds with the idea that this is the path to matrimony. Someone should have recommended that they read the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" Somehow, though each of these women are portrayed as smart and successful in the businessworld, they exhibit no inkling over the plain fact that steady, reliable men don't marry ho's. Bed them, yes, but marry them? No.

It then occurred to me after watching a number of these episodes that it is really the story of 4 gay queens looking for a gay partner. At least that is the way it is written. Seen through this prism, the show is actually more poignant. The show -- through its characters -- strives to champion promiscuity as a virtue. And isn't this really at the heart of the gay ideology? But what makes the show so good is that the writers never insert love into the equation. These 4 selfish people constantly indulge in sex, but it is plain that none really have their hearts in it. They bemoan the lack of men who would love them, but they themselves withold their own love. Stingy with offering out their heart, they trade affection for something they do not value, their own bodies.

My first experiance with the show was in 1/2 drops every 6 months or so on HBO. But the DVD format allows one to watch the episodes back-to-back. With my infrequent viewings I was impressed with the glamour and adventurousness of the stars. But with seeing the shows back-to-back, the loneliness, neediness, and desparation exhibited by the ladies pops to the surface. There is nothing glamorous about their lives. Commendably, sex isn't depicted as an answer, but more as a drug to take the edge off of their main concern, their inability to win the heart of a man. Intentional or not, it is this truth that makes the show as good as it is.

Oh, by the way, the show got cancelled because the 4 ladies just got too old for their make-up to hide. They probably stayed on 2 seasons too long, but at least they got out when they did. How long could anyone watch 4 old ho's whine on about how they missed the boat?

great show but. . .the dvd sucks
I LOVE sex and the city I am very sad about the ending of the series, but this DVD is horrible(not the actual show but everything else about it). First, of all the caseing is this flimsy plastic material, which breaks easily. Second, there is not play all function of the discs, so if you are trying to watch the dvd all the way through, you have to choose each episode and click play twice(it goes to a synposis first) Last of all there are no special features at all, how can there be no outtakes? if you like s&c the second season is one of my favorite but the dvd can be very fustrating sometimes

Really sucks you in, then rips your heart in two!
This is the season where you really get drawn into the romance between Carrie and Big. When it works, it's really fun to watch, but when it falls apart....you want to just slap Carrie upside the head for being such an idiot! She really did bring a lot of the problems she had with Big on herself. Couldn't just enjoy a good thing when she had it. Oh well! Eventually I'll have to buy the whole darn series on DVD, but I'm going to pace myself. ... Read more

Amazon.com

To resolve the season 2 cliffhanger, General Hammond rounds up every conceivable ally to rescue the SG-1 team from Hathor's clutches and gets a much-needed field trip in the process. "Into the Fire " is actually a weak opening for the new year, but does boast some impressive visuals as Hammond and Brat'ac pilot a shuttle through an open Stargate (euphemistically called "threading the needle"). In subsequent episodes, Daniel Jackson is intrigued by the planet Orban's scientific advances over only a few years. An exchange of knowledge is agreed and the precise "Learning Curve" of their children is revealed. Still recalling the original movie, O'Neill is concerned for the siblings because of the loss of his son. In "Demons" some serious lambasting of organized religion occurs in a storyline concerning a medieval Christian village that's being terrorized by a giant Goa'uld servant creature. This episode both brings to light and questions each of the principal characters' beliefs.

"Forever in a Day" begins an important storyline about Daniel's wife Sha're's stolen child who is a "Harcesis," an illegal breeding between Goa'uld hosts. Then an earlier thread is picked up in "Past and Present" on planet Vyus whose people all suffer amnesia. Their leader Ke'ra (played by Megan Leitch who's portrayed Mulder's missing sister in The X-Files) is a link to the earlier "Prisoners" episode and the dangerous "destroyer of worlds". In a two-part cliffhanger, Sam must attempt to rescue her father, face Satan himself on a prison moon, and resurrect "Jolinar's Memories" from the Goa'uld she was briefly possessed by, then "The Devil You Know" reveals an embarrassing secret that could allow the team to escape the clutches of Satanic Sokar. "Pretense" is one of those sci-fi series staples as a character is put on trial to prove their guilt on behalf of another. "Urgo" expands the general sardonic humor with a little pathos for the guest appearance by Dom DeLuise. Lots of slapstick ensues.

"A Hundred Days" is the three months O'Neill spends stranded on planet Edora by the fire rain of a passing asteroid belt. Then in "Shades of Grey" he appears to suffer a total personality switch when he steals technology from the Tollan and is insubordinate in the extreme. Both these are terrific concepts but are scarcely enough story to have stretched across more than one episode. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Very good, better than just about anything on TV
If a person wants some pretty good TV science fiction, the Stargate series has always been a good choice with the third season being no exception.
The alien worlds SG-1 visits each week do have a Canadian look to them that can't be helped, that's where it's filmed, but for action adventure I think you'll find it to be really pretty good.
There's a wide variety of stories for you to choose from, something will be good to anyone who likes scifi with some gunplay. I personally liked #1 Into the Fire, #2 Seth, #4 Point of View,#12 Foothold,#15 A Hundred Days, #17 New Ground. Most of the others had their good points too, how many series are that strong in quality?
The featurettes are done in a different style with this box set with Don Davis and/or Teryl Rothery in character on the SG-1 set speaking to the camera as if the viewer is someone invited to look over some computer file or do some research, when the segment is done they invite you to leave. The format is a little silly but the featurettes are interesting.

great series; not so great dvd pakage
I love this series, the concept, the plot, the characters and their interaction with one another; I LOVE this series... However, while I desire to add all seasons to my dvd collection it's BULKY pakaging and few extras features have yet to convince me. These (3 so far) dvd boxed sets are well deserving of their name. Instead of following suit such as Fox's X-files pakaging and Paramount's ST: DS9 which are compact and collect one whole season, MGM released the first season in five separate dvd's, each consisting of about four episodes and title vol. 1-5. When that didn't work out as well as the studio hoped and they recongnized that customers and fans alike preferred each season in its entirety rather than designing a new, better, compact pakaging method they wrapped the previously released vol. 1-5 in a BOX. They have also done the same with season 2 and 3. I hope that one day the see the errors of their ways and reoffer this great series in a better pakaging format so that I can then buy them.

Old Endings and New Beginnings
Many people believe that subsequent seasons of Stargate: SG1 get progressively better. So far, no arguement from me. Season 1 was good, 2 was better, and this has been the best so far. Col. Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), and his SG1 team of the now Maj. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), and Teal'c (Christopher Judge) continued their adventures through the Stargate to various old and new planets. The team, as well as the SGC in general, were tested in many more ways than ever thought possible. The team went to "Hell" in order to save Sam's dad, who is still a member of the Tok'Ra resistance, Daniel suffered a major loss, and O'Neill was blended, albeit briefly, with a Goa'uld.
One of the reasons that I personally liked this year was that many of last year's conflicts were resolved (Lenea, Destroyer of Worlds), which made room for new plotlines (the Replicators), as well as continuing old ones (the search for the Harsesis child). Also, this season revitalized a Season 1 plotline that had been falsely ended in Season 2.
This is also the season when SG1 truly realizes that they truly have allies in their fight against the Goa'uld; the Asgard helped form a treaty between Earth and the Goa'uld (though it is not likely to be followed by either party due to some of the clauses), the Tok'Ra continue to offer their assistance and wisdom, the Nox have begun to reestablish contact with the SGC, and the Tollan, who are also human, now have reason to truly dislike the parasitic alien race. Speaking of which, I really liked the episode "Pretense", because it gave large roles to the Tollan and Liah, who is of the Nox. I mean, if the Asgard had made an appearance in the episode, then it would have really been a party.
Other good episodes include "Into the Fire", "Fair Game", "Legacy", "Learning Curve", "Point of View", "Past and Present", "Jolinar's Memories", "The Devil You Know", "Foothold", "Urgo", "Shades of Grey", "New Ground", and "Nemesis". Judging by the increase in quality each season, I can't wait to see Season 4.

the king of sci-fi
Sg1 is just too amazing. The stories are great and they truly start to shine in season 3. We have had 2 seasons for some good character development so why not throw in some new gods and allies and make things happen!

This season is just great and sets up a lot of stuff that we will be going back to in further seasons. Such as the episode jolinars memories and of course urgo is a great episode and shows what most sci-fi shows preach. Foothold is a great episode as well and tends to bring the sgc some trouble later on in the series. It's truly tough to choose the best episode for any stargate series as pretty much all shows are great.

For the technical aspects

The show has improved on their transfers for the video and added a great bit more extras! The audio is still amazing with its 5.1 audio. Season 3 is an amazing season and well enough reading the review just watch the season and enjoy!

Superb season!
There were very few episodes in this season I didn't like. A solid season with great storylines and acting. This season has great rewatching value - almost every episode excites time and time again. While I find myself skipping episodes in other seasons, I don't see that happening much in this season. Back to back great episodes! ... Read more

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Errol Flynn is one of those names that define movie stardom. Chiseled good looks that stopped just short of being preposterous. A brash and jaunty manner that charmed men and women alike. Whiffs of bad-boy scandal offscreen that only enhanced his legend (not for nothing did "In like Flynn" become a national catchphrase!). And enough marquee-worthy titles that in memory's ear ring like classics.

Flynn's stardom wasn't on a par with the richly ambiguous artistry of Cary Grant, or the deep, enduring heroic legacy of John Wayne, or the indelible character work amassed by Flynn's Warner Bros. contemporaries Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson. Still, this most celebrated of Tasmanian devils was a one-of-a-kind, often raffishly entertaining icon of Hollywood in the '30s and '40s who played a big part in making the golden age glow. And for most of us, to say "swashbuckler" is to conjure up Flynn's wolfish grin above a rapier, director Mike Curtiz's wall-filling shadows of dueling men, and the symphonic, trumpet-filled music scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

Stardom came swiftly. After two small-part assignments at Warners, the studio awarded Flynn the title role in Captain Blood (1935)--in retrospect, a sort of rough draft for his most beloved movie,The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; not in this collection). The hero, an Irish-born physician wrongly convicted of treason during the reign of King James, is sentenced to a life of slavery in Jamaica. In short order he's charmed his new master's niece (the bright-eyed Olivia De Havilland, Maid Marian-to-be) and contrived an escape with his rebel comrades to become lusty, albeit passionately populist, buccaneers. The film's budget was clearly limited (there's a stark absence of horizons in the tropic and seagoing scenes), but director Curtiz's camerawork cunningly evokes the ever-present tilting and rolling of life aboard ship. Much-Oscar-nominated, the movie certified Flynn as the Douglas Fairbanks of the sound era--even in blond tresses and without what would become his signatory mustache.

If Captain Blood became the Flynn-Curtiz prototype for swashbucklers, The Sea Hawk was the last, luxury model off the line. Warners was always wired in to the zeitgeist, and this 1940 movie about English privateers saving Queen Elizabeth's island nation from the Spanish Armada does double duty as an in-Der-Fuehrer's-face allegory of the looming world war. No blank horizons here, and every wall sports a towering map of a world ripe for conquest. Slickness is all: Claude Rains and Henry Daniell are impeccably devious diplomats, and Sol Polito's black-and-white cinematography shifts into sultry sepiatone when the Sea Hawks sneak off to the tropics on a transatlantic espionage mission. (As for Flynn's mission, his swashbuckling would hereafter be confined to contemporary war pictures for the duration.)

He also saddled up for some lively Westerns. Dodge City (1939) is a knock-down, drag-out barn-burner in brassy Technicolor, with Flynn as a trail boss reluctantly turned town marshal. Curtiz directs yet again, with flair if not necessarily historical conviction, and the presence of Robin Hood costars Olivia De Havilland and Alan Hale (Little John) is virtually mandatory by this point. Ripe villainy is supplied by Bruce Cabot and--substituting, perhaps, for the un-frontier-worthy Basil Rathbone--the fox-faced Victor Jory.

They Died with Their Boots On (1942) is filled with spectacular Civil War and cavalry action, though its hagiographic treatment of George Armstrong Custer should set historically enlightened viewers on the warpath. Nonetheless, it features Flynn's most interesting performance in the collection. Whereas Curtiz was the ideal director for the star in boy's-own-adventure mode, Raoul Walsh elicited more nuanced work from him (see especially their wonderful Gentleman Jim, not included in this collection), and the scenes between Flynn and Olivia De Havilland achieve a tenderness that deepens with each reel. The magic-hour cinematography is by veteran John Ford cameraman Bert Glennon.

And that--apart from a new documentary feature, The Adventures of Errol Flynn--leaves The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939). Sad to say, that doesn't leave much. Bette Davis (taking the role Flora Robson played in The Sea Hawk) and Flynn (as the English knight the not-so-Virgin Queen loved but feared as a rival) have zero chemistry; she delivers a mannered performance only a Bette Davis impersonator could love, and Flynn demonstrates how stiff he could be (no pun intended) when clueless about his material. In fairness to both, the movie is a static adaptation of a very repetitious and declamatory Maxwell Anderson play. Its inclusion here is notable only as a vast technical improvement on the long-ago VHS release. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (15)

In Like Flynn...Again
Okay, here it is. Strait up. I adore Errol Flynn. Always have, always will. Can't remember which of his films I saw first on television years ago (though my little grey brain cells keep whispering "They Died With Their Boots On"), but whatever it was, it made me instantly a Flynn junkie and I have remained so ever since. It is hard to say which of the "Tasmanian Devil's" movies I like the best, though I'm inclined to believe it is a toss-up between "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" (this awesome film amazingly MISSING from this "signature" collection...and it's unfathomable absence the priciple reason I have rated this collection as only 4 stars instead of 5). How does one have an Errol Flynn "signature" collection with "Charge of the Light Brigade" so glaringly unincluded? Boggles the mind.One would hope Turner Classics would produce a "Volume II" to this, a follow-up that would feature "Light Brigade", "The Dawn Patrol", "Gentleman Jim","Adventures of Don Juan", and one of Joanne Woodward's favorites, "That Forsyte Woman" from MGM (or else "Uncertain Glory" or "Edge of Darkness").

It is good to see Flynn coming back "In" again (to play on the old "In like..." expression). He took a major hit some two decades ago with a most worthless book that became a bestseller ("The Secret Life of Errol Flynn" by Charles Higham )and smeared his name and reputation mean-spiritedly. This author, Higham, termed Flynn a traitor and Nazi spy and pedophile homosexual, supposedly using "credible" witness tesitimony and "classified documentation" to bolster his outrageous claims. He had Flynn doing all sorts of things to further the cause of the Reich and hooked him up with secret meetings all across Europe and in the Caribbean with his "Nazi intelligence controllers". Among his claims were that Errol used his influence to have secret aerial shots of Pearl Harbor filmed during the production of "Dive Bomber", which he funnelled to German Intelligence ("Abwehr"), and thence to the Japanese to help plan their attack.
He also had Flynn at a secret nazi confab in the Bahamas with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and other British traitors. These were only two "for instances" of this kind of thing. Then he had Flynn "spy controlled" by Dr. Julius Erben, a low-level Abwehr agent....with documents (supposedly) to "prove" it.

In short order, all Higham's claims came crashing down in the face of REAL research by REAL researchers digging up REAL facts.
All the times Higham had Flynn meeting with "Nazis" in Europe, he could not have done so, as all the Warner Brothers' shooting logs still exist and Flynn's whereabouts can be tracked meticulously. Higham hadn't counted on that when he began his smear campaign. In fact, on the very day when Highman had Errol "conspiring" in the Bahamas with the Windsors, the actor was, in fact, standing on a log across a stream in Chico. California, facing Alan Hale with a quarterstaff while William Keighly directed the meeting of Robin Hood and Little John for "The Adventures of...". And, as for "Dive Bomber", the Japanese ALREADY HAD their Pearl Harbor mockups built (courtesy of Honolulu spies)and were preparing for the raid WHILE "DIVE BOMBER" WAS IN PRODUCTION....AT SAN DIEGO...NOT PEARL HARBOR!!!!
Situations like this...CONNIVANCES....turned up everywhere in the Higham book. And the "documentation" he offered turned out to be edited out of context, and, in some cases, the blacked out names didn't relate to Flynn at all...Higham just CLAIMED they did. But originals obtained under the Freedom of Information Act proved the distortions here as well. And Dr. Erben? Well he WAS a German agent, but he only knew Flynn briefly, and ,interviewed before his death, he affirmed that Errol had NEVER been a German agent, that he...Erben...had used Flynn's celebrity to gain him access to people, but that Flynn himself never realized he was being used in this manner. It should also be noted that the Abwehr, under Adm. Wilhelm Canaris, worked secretly more AGAINST Hitler's Nazis than FOR them. aided in the assassination plots AGAINST Hitler, and, by war's end, had been disbanded and taken over by the SS and its leaders executed.In fact there is strong reason to believe Abwehr may have been half-connected to the British Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. So even if Flynn might have UNKNOWINGLY been "associated" with this ANTI-Nazi German intelligence organization, that might not have been such a bad thing after all!
As to the homosexual pedophile stuff, none other than Flynn's old arch-enemy BETTE DAVIS stepped forward to declare that a "crock". Said that sounded like Orry-Kelly malarkey, Orry-Kelly being a Warner's costumer in "the day". According to Davis, Kelly delighted in spreading nasty, vicious, hurtful rumors about people who "crossed him"...and Errol did that from time to time.
To have "Queen Bette" the Flynn-hater come to his defense was astounding enough, but then the OTHER shoe dropped. JOAN CRAWFORD, Bette Davis' OWN arch enemy, came out BACKING BETTE!!! Crawford, who'd once called Flynn "The most beautiful man who ever lived", said the gay stories sounded EXACTLY like something that would come out of Orry-Kelly; that if you'd ever worked at Warners you'd have picked up on it immediately.

An amazing happening. Bette Davis defending Errol Flynn and Joan Crawford backing her up. Shades of the Apocalypse.

Though now totally discredited among those who KNOW, many uninformed people still are under the impression this hog swill was true.It all needs to be set right. The DVD "Adventures of Errol Flynn" in this collection attacks the old tale, Tony Thomas in "Errol Flynn, The Spy Who Never Was", demolishes it handily, as does Flynn's stunt double Buster Wiles in "Errol & Me". The Walt Disney movie "The Rocketeer" unhappily plays with the smear job, featuring Timothy Dalton made up as Flynn (though called "Neville Sinclair") and casts him as the dastardly villain Charles Higham worked so to make him appear(and the "why" of it has never been learned).I am a fan of the "Rocketeer" movie but this aspect of it has always distressed me.

But it looks like Errol's turn is coming around again. This "Signature Collection" puts him center stage again and he deserves the limelight. "Elizabeth & Essex" lets him act, and "The Adventures of..." outlines his life. But "Captain Blood", "The Sea Hawk", "They Died With Their Boots On" and "Dodge City" show perfectly what it was he did...and how he did it...that let him charm America and the world.

A must for all Flynn Fans!
This is a great collector's set.
Absolutely fantastic!
The movies are the best and the documentary is extremely well done.
Seeing Olivia again was the best part. A class act at all times and still a beauty!
I strongly urge all of you fans of Errol Flynn to pick up this boxed set.

Good, but...
Warners gives you good value here: multiple titles at one low price, plus the TCM documentary that aired early in '05.

HOWEVER, it would have been nice if the color flicks ("Elizabeth and Essex" and "Dodge City") had been given