Description

The object of many pre-pubescent lads' desires, Mrs. Emma Peel - as brought to light by Dame Diana Rigg - dazzled television screens on both sides of the Atlantic from 1965 - 1967. Now, for the first time anywhere, all 51 of the enduringly classic adventures featuring the dynamic duo of Steed and Peel are gathered together in one massive collection. The Complete Emma Peel Mega-Set is a one-stop haven for DVD collectors, with all episodes remastered and bolder than ever, with the digital clarity only DVD can deliver! It also includes galleries of extremely rare, high-quality production stills culled from the archives of The Avengers. Contains all 51 Avengers episodes ever made featuring Dianna Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A rigg-lover's dream come true
The immensely popular ABC series called "The Avengers" has long since achieved legendary status since it appeared back in January 1961. Since then there have been 161 episodes, which break into four major sections. We have the early episodes (1-26) with Patrick Macnee as John Steed and Ian Hendry as Dr. Keel. Then the "Cathy Gail" series (27-78) with Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale, the man-tossing, leather-covered intellectual who broke new ground for female characters on television. Even more popular was the black and white series (79-104) with Diana Rigg and Emma Peel (read "M[en] appeal "), which led not unexpectedly to the color series with Rigg (105-129). Then the final section with Linda Thorson as Tara King (129-- in which she co-starred with Rigg-161).
As of this writing, the early episodes in the Gale series and all of the King series are not yet available. However, A&E has just released all of the Rigg entries, both the black and whites and the color, in a wonderful boxed set called "The Avengers: the Complete Emma Peel Mega-Set." And Mega, I suppose, is as good as any adjective to describe the enjoyment value of the contents therein. We have here all the Rigg episodes, including the transition entry in which Tara takes over for Emma, on 16 DVDs, each holding 3 episodes with an occasional 4th as a "bonus."
Those who have never seen them before will want, of course, to watch them in order. Others will want to jump to their favorite episodes, which is pretty easy on DVD. You will notice that the black and whites were less studio-bound and the sets in general more realistic. With the first color episode, the series took a strong science fiction bent; and the sets, as the producers admitted, were more a view of England as the Americans would like to think it is.
You will also have a lot of fun spotting stars-to-be. There is Donald Sutherland, Brian Blessed and Charlotte Rampling in "The Superlative Seven," Peter Bowles in "Dial a Deadly Number" and "Escape in Time," Geoffrey Palmer in "A Surfeit of H2O," and Christopher Lee in "Never, Never Say Die." It was a policy that no actor could appear more than once a season, so Bowles and Lee, for example, would have to wait for the King series to play other characters. In fact, the only characters as such to reappear in the color Rigg series from the black and whites is the bumbling Brodny (Warren Mitchell) who can be found in "Two's a Crowd" and "The See-Through Man" and the evil assistant (Frederick Jaeger) to the Cybernaut-master.

And for more fun, see how many actors from "Are You Being Served?" you can spot? There are three in all.
The most frequent repeat actor seems to be comedian Roy Kinnear, who also has the honor of being in the very last King episode in the role of Bagpipes Happychap. And then we have rotund Patrick Newell who was murdered in the very first Rigg entry, drugged in a color one, and wound up as Mother in the King series.
But all in all, it is the interplay between Macnee and Rigg that really made this program work. Unlike Cathy Gale, who seemed actively to dislike Steed when she was not merely tolerating him, Mrs. Peel had a genuine fondness for him and was not averse to stirring his tea (anticlockwise, as he preferred it). And as for the question of Peel and Steed being lovers, recall that they are fictional characters and have no life off the screen.
The dialogue was light hearted, and you seldom if ever saw blood after a mere trickle in their third episode. You also never saw a policeman, an element that for some reason the producers thought would be a jarring note. (You figure out why; I cannot.)

The best episodes? There is no question that "The House That Jack Built" leads the pack. This is the one in which Emma finds herself in a house designed to drive her mad and Steed appears only at the start and end. The worst? Possibly "Silent Dust." The silliest? That has to be "Epic." The most serious? "Murdersville." So what if the package costs a small fortune? You could purchase them separately, of course; but think of what you would be missing.

Steed Sets A Moral Trend - Emma Shows Appeal
This DVD set consists of the best episodes The Avengers had to offer - the entirety of the Emma Peel years, which (to most Americans, anyway) was virtually the whole of the series, itself.

For the uninitiated: John Steed and Emma Peel were the coolest, suavest, hippest, sexiest pair of crimefighting secret agents ever to grace T.V. He was old-school British upper-crust orthodoxy and money, she was the chic young-blood, hip-flip, proto-feminist karate expert in boots, leather pants and miniskirts. Together, Steed ("top professional") and Mrs. Peel ("talented amateur") weekly "avenged crimes against the people and the state," which ranged from evil plots by average Cold War Russian spies to ambitious megalomaniacs to everyday organized killers-for-profit. Their foes included makers of murdering robots, terrorists manufacturing atom bombs in department stores, clandestine military invaders and/or saboteurs from foreign shores, and even a mind-controlling plant from outer space. The show was part spoof, part parody, part sci-fi, and a lot of straightforward supersleuthing action/adventure. It was clever and colorful, smart and fashionable, funny, witty, and even thrilling.

There are very few bad episodes in this entire bunch, and even the worst of them is elevated by the phenomenal chemistry between the two stars, Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg, whose witty repartee and general unflappability were always the most genuine magic of the whole series. The bond between the two's characters is formed of the noblest qualities: courage, patriotism, moral fortitude, mutual respect and devotion, and the willingness to risk their own lives for each other and the safety of the world at large, if need be.

Sadly, the recent badly-made movie severely damaged the desire of a new generation to see what all the grand fun of the original series was all about; but believe me, it's well worth rediscovering, and every bit as good today as it was when it debuted, almost forty years ago.

Treat yourself. Meet "The Avengers," and discover how fast they come to feel like old friends.

Time for middle-aged women to chime in...
I first watched the Avengers when I was in grade school in the mid-sixties, and I fell in love with both the show and Steed and Mrs. Peel. I felt compelled to respond to the Viewer from Ohio, and anyone uninitiated into the Avengers Fan Club. First, the Avengers never proclaimed to be "realistic." Its tongue-in-cheek send-up of the burgeoning secret agent genre made it far more enjoyable than any of the other offerings of the time. What makes these episodes (and I admit to being partial only to the Mrs. Peel years) is the marvelous, seductive yet unstated sexual energy and outstanding chemistry between Steed/Macnee and Rigg/Peel. Their double-entendre delivery is worth the price of this spectacular set. The character of Mrs. Peel offered the young American girl the first real feminist hero on television---smart, strong, brave, yet with no doubt about her femininity and sexual identity. As for Patrick Macnee: I'm sorry, Viewer from Ohio: he presented a charming and very attractive character, and the relationship between the 2 leads fueled the fantasies of many peri-pubescent girls (I'll let the boys speak for themselves). And, I've met Mr. Macnee: he's a very nice man indeed.
For fans of the series, this set is a must. For newcomers, I still believe it is the most enjoyable series I've ever seen and I recommend it to everyone, but know what the show is about before spending a couple of bills on 16 DVDs! But if you DO know, then this is a set worth owning. I'd rather watch this (and do!) than almost anything on TV in THIS century!

I'm in love with Diana Rigg
Sorry, but I just had to get that out of the way. Dame Di spent her teen years in my home town of Leeds in the UK. Swoon.

Emma Peel was an incredibly important female role model at a time when blond bimboes were pouting, being dumb and twisting their ankles while being led by the heroes as they fled from the bad guys.

Emma Peel, warrior woman, took on the bad guys, and usually won. Xena: Warrior Princess, played so masterfully by Lucy Lawless - also 5'10", owes a great deal to Mrs. Peel, who was immortalized by the insanely talented, classically-trained actress, Diana Rigg.

I actually loved the black and white episodes - apart from the stories themselves being intriguing, they have an Art House quality about them.

Likewise, the color episodes, which are of superior quality, are just as magical in their own way. The Avengers, even down to the score by Laurie Johnson and unmistakable indidental music, was just flawless, with Macnee and Rigg beng every bit as magical and compelling a screen couple as Bogie and Bacall.

Absolutely wonderful to have these as a single package. If I recall, the name Emma Peel came from the time when they were trying to develop a female character who would have Man Appeal or M-Appeal... hence Emma Peel.

Whatever the reality, in Diana Rigg's Emma Peel, they succeeded mightily. Possibly the most perfect woman who ever walked the Earth.

Did I say 'possibly'? Tsk tsk.

Incredible
I am a HUGE fan of this series, specifically the Emma Peel years, I find all of the Avengers good but when Diana Rigg did the show it became a classic. In this set is the complete set. Worth EVERY penny and any Avengers fan shouldnt live without this amazing set. The picture quality is simply stunning the dvds themselves are packed quite nicely also. I won't try to be all witty like some cheesballs do.....but simply, Buy this it is WELL worth it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted with Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Replacing the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill (Kurt Russell) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader) are, respectively, Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the primary unit SG-1. With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" pharaonic Goa'uld--the ancient Egyptian gods from the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. Amid a plethora of derivative look-alikes, Stargate SG-1 has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi.

Among the second season's 22 episodes, "The Serpent's Lair" concludes the cliffhanger from the end of the first season in a rollercoaster of wit, plot twists, and cutting-edge special effects as the SG-1 team resign themselves to a suicide mission. In the two-parter "The Tok'ra," Sam's estranged father is dying of cancer, but her obligations sway her toward saving a member of the Goa'uld renegade Tok'ra who is also dying. In "Show and Tell," the central story arc takes a dramatic turn when a child arrives to warn that some survivors of a Goa'uld attack are determined to eliminate anyone who might host their enemy--which means Earth as a whole. There's great fun to be had in "1969," with a time-travel plot that loops many aspects of the show's story lines together, and the cliffhanger finale, "Out of Mind," has Jack experience an Aliens-style awakening 79 years into his future. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Finally...
SG-1 is crazy good, and Season 2 was arguably the best season so far. As with many TV adaptations, the sophomore year is when a series tends to truly expand its horizons from the original, and this is certainly true with Stargate SG-1. Season Two lays the groundwork for many of the key storylines of the series, so it is a must for any viewer. I've been awaiting this since the first box set, especially with the Region 2 DVD's being up to Season Four.

I cannot stress to anyone enough who has not watched the TV series that it is superb. If you would have asked me over a year ago about SG-1, I would have dismissed it easily as a cheesy Made-In-Canada (don't fret, I'm Canadian) Sci-Fi series. True, a lot of that would have been from my bias from the movie, and that it starred Patty and Selma's hero MacGyver ;-), but after only seeing a few shows, I became quickly hooked. I was blown away by the unbelievable chemistry of the cast, the great story writing, and the quality of the special effects. We truly need more advocates for the series, as good TV is often hard to find. I'm about to preorder my copy now...

A must have for all Stargate fans
Although it has taken a long time for them to be released, these DVD's have definitely been worth the wait. Stargate SG-1 is one of the best sci-fi shows that has been around in years, taking an original and interesting premise (originally introduced in the Stargate movie, although expanded and changed a little) and weaving it into a detailed and complex storyline that continues to entertain.
The second season sees Stargate SG-1 really come into it's own, finding it's feet after a mostly hit-and-miss first year. Among other things, we see the introduction of some new characters (both good and bad) this season, which adds a whole new dimension to the show and sets up some brilliant story arcs. The mythology behind the Stargate is explored a little deeper as well, allowing for some interesting discoveries and character development.
Featuring such memorable episodes as The Serpent's Lair, A Matter Of Time, Holiday, 1969 and The Fifth Race, this is a collection that I will be re-watching and enjoying for a long time to come.

great show
I'll save the same for every single season... richard dean anderson is the life of the show. Love it.

Best of the Series
I love every season of SG1, but season 2 was hands down the best. The thing that makes SG1 better than all other SciFi is continuity. The story lines are far reaching and many of the best story lines started in Season. In fact, I am looking at the episodes of season 2 and I believe every single on is contunued or refered to in future episodes. What an amazing series from just an OK movie.

The Series Takes Off
The first season of Stargate: SG-1 was very good. It had good stories, but it also had great potential to become something better. Season 2 has begun to realize said potential. Many of the episodes this season expanded on ideas and arcs from the first season, as well as introducing new ideas, characters, and locations. For example, we meet Thor (in his true form), as well as some of the other Asguard, a powerful alliance with the Tok'Ra is formed, the NID storyline is taken in new directions, and we learn about the builders of the Stargate system as well as the origins of the intergalactic U.N. from the first season episode, "The Torment of Tantalus". We also meet some new Goa'uld system lords, as well as see the destruction of an old enemy.
The actors (Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis, and Teryl Rohtery) all grew in their roles as Col. Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Capt. Sam Carter, Teal'c, Gen. George Hammond, and Dr. Janet Frasier. Not only did they prove their worth as their own characters, some of them got the chance to play others as well in the episode, "Holdiay". I'm sure that Judge liked that one because he got to play O'Neill, who is Teal'c's polar opposite.
The storylines were improved this year (not that they were bad last year), with some great examples being: "The Serpent's Lair", "In the Line of Duty", "Prisoners", "Thor's Chariot", "Secrets", "The Tok'Ra, Pts. 1 and 2", "Spirits", "Touchstone", "A Matter of Time", "The Fifth Race", "Serpent's Song", "Holiday", "1969", and "Out of Mind". There were a few groaners, such as "One False Step", but overall, this was an awesome season. ... Read more

Description

The Doris Day Collection features six new-to-DVD titles -- Young Man With a Horn, Lullaby of Broadway, Love Me or Leave Me, Billy Rose's "Jumbo", Please Don't Eat the Daisies, The Glass Bottom Boat -- along with two of Ms. Day's all-time favorite musicals, Calamity Jane and Pajama Game which have been repackaged for the Collection. All DVDs are packed with bonus features including vintage shorts and featurettes, cartoons, trailers and more.

Young Man with a Horn (1950)
With a second-hand trumpet and the loving guidance of a brilliant bluesman, a lonely boy grows into manhood as a superb musician whose talent carries him from honky-tonks to posh supper clubs. But his desperate search for the elusive high note, trapped in his mind but impossible to play, starts him on a boozy downward slide. Charged with dynamic performances by Kirk Douglas (the title role), Doris Day, Lauren Bacall and Hoagy Carmichael and pitch-perfect direction by Michael Curtiz, the film is a feast of hot, cool, moody jazz. Legendary Harry James dubbed Douglas' horn work.

Lullaby of Broadway (1951)
Day danced divinely and sang in this musical delight about a singer newly arrived in New York and destined for Great White Way fame in the capable company of co-stars Gene Nelson, S.Z. Sakall, Billy DeWolfe, Gladys George and Florence Bates. Highlights are the inclusion of the OscarR -winning title tune, Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things", "Somebody Loves Me" and six more songs.

Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
Laced with Doris Day's vibrant performances of songs from the era, this 1955 Academy AwardR winner (Best Motion Picture Story) is the tough-minded true tale of Ruth Etting's life with the man who boosted her career with strong-arm tactics yet smothered her in an obsessive grip she escaped at great peril. As Martin "The Gimp" Snyder, James Cagney earned one of the film's six OscarR nominations. Ms. Day's Etting was a career-best dramatic performance, bringing acclaim from critics and protest letters from fans unprepared for the departure from her traditionally sunny roles.DVD special features include: Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, Three vintage shorts, the first two with Ruth Etting (A Modern Cinderella, Roseland, A Salute to the Theatres)

Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)
Radiant Doris Day sings beloved Rodgers and Hart tunes and does her own horseback riding tricks in this razzle-dazzle musical based on Billy Rose's stage spectacular and featuring circus sequences directed by Busby Berkeley. The story revolves around a circus owner (Jimmy Durante, star of the 1935 Broadway original) with only two real attractions: his daughter (Day) and popular pachyderm Jumbo. Three-ring pandemonium breaks out when a handsome rival (Stephen Boyd) infiltrates the circus, and father, daughter and Dad's wisecracking fiancie (Martha Raye) are suddenly at risk of losing the greatest show on earth. o DVD Special Features include: Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, Musical short Yours Sincerely, Tom and Jerry cartoon Jerry and Jumbo, Original overture rejoined to the film for the first time in more than 40 years.

Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1962)
o Ms. Day brings her trademark radiance to this jovial comedy from the bestseller by playwright Jean Kerr. With Janis Paige, Spring Byington and Richard Haydn on hand for snappy comic support, Please Don't Eat the Daisies is breezy family fun with popular songs "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" and "Anyway the Wind Blows."

The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
Doris Day entered her eighth consecutive year as a Top-10 Box-Office Star when she boarded The Glass Bottom Boat, a blending of romantic comedy and the era's burgeoning spy-movie genre. Frank Tashlin directs with a cartoonist's sensibility, embracing everything from spy guises to push-button chaos in a futuristic kitchen. The film also stars top comedians Arthur Godfrey, Paul Lynde, Edward Andrews, John McGiver, Dom DeLuise and Dick Martin. o DVD special features include: Three vintage featurettes (Catalina Island, Every Girl's Dream, NASA), Oscar-winning cartoon The Dot and the Line. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A BRILLIANT DAWN OF A BRILLIANT DAY
Doris! The perky big band singer of whom Oscar Levant once quipped "I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin." I thought back to my visit to Carmel, California, a few years ago, where I dropped by the golf course to glimpse her house ... briefly visible from hole three. (Listen real carefully and you can hear her dogs barking.) I thought back to my beloved Great Dane, she with the baby blue eyes --- was named in honor of Doris, though Dory (for short) was actually named by the breeder from whom I purchased the 186-pound beauty.
And I thought back to the first (and only time) I had chatted with Doris Day. It was the January 28, 1986 --- the day the Challenger had exploded, killing her seven crew members (including Sharon Christa McAuliffe, America's first teacher in space), 73 seconds after launch.
I called Doris at her Carmel, California, home, and was in tears.
"Can you believe what happened," she asked her voice muffled and mournful. "I am so shocked. Those poor men and women. Their families ... the children ..." The tears flowed freely for several minutes. She cried. I cried. We both cried. This, I thought between tears, is going to be some challenge.
After a few minutes, she sniffled one last time. And so we began to chat about her life and loves and long career --- Doris was starting a new talk show, and Rock Hudson --- then so deadly sick with the AIDS virus --- was the first guest), her films, her music and of course, her animals. She told me how she cooked her own dog food, steaming rice and boiling chopped beef, then skimming off the fat, before blending in freshly cooked vegetables and a hint of spice. At the end of the conversation, I was salivating and ready to drop to all fours and beg for a taste.
As luck would have it, I am not the only one thinking about Doris Day these days. Paramount Home Video has just released Teacher's Pet, the 1958 comedy in which Clark Gable stars as a hard-nosed newspaperman who's smitten with journalism teacher DD. Not a great film --- gee, did Gable really so badly? --- though the title song is super, as is Mamie van Doren, as Gable's galpal who sings "The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll." A better flick is Day's last one: With Six You Get Eggroll, also from Paramount Home Video,the 1968 blended family comedy, with Day solidly supported by the Cape's own Pat Carroll, as well as Alice Ghostley, George Carlin, Barbara Hershey, Jamie Farr and the once-hot rock group, The Grass Roots.
Warner Home Video has just released the box set, Doris Day Collection, a slipcased collectible featuring six new-to-DVD titles: Young Man With a Horn (1950), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1962), The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and newly restored versions of Love Me Or Leave Me (1955) and Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)--- both of which feature new Dolby Digital soundtracks making Doris seem as fresh as, well, a new Day; along with Calamity Jane (1953) and The Pajama Game (1957), both of which have been repackaged for this collection. All the discs are packed with bonus features, including vintage shorts (including two starring Ruth Etting, whom Day portrays in Love Me or Leave Me), featurettes, cartoons and trailers.
But the best is saved for last. On June 28, MPI Media Group unveils the long-awaited The Doris Day Show: Season 1, the heart-warming comedy series that ran on CBS from 1968-1973. This was Day's TV series debut, and she proved that her big-screen likeability transferred, quite well thank you, to the small screen ... even if some of closer-ups seem a bit too gauzy for our tastes. Day played Doris Martin, a widowed mother who leaves the city to raise her two young sons on the Mill Valley, California farm of her father Buck, played by Dukes of Hazzard icon Denver Pyle. The four-disc box set includes all 28 original episodes from the show's first season, as well as never-before-seen bonus material.The bonuses offer additional insight into Day's warm, off-screen persona: there are TV promos and messages to network affiliates, as well as her two appearances as the "mystery guest" on What's My Line --- the first spot, from 1954, marked Day's TV debut, and her attempts to disguise her voice through a series of hi-pitched squeaks is a sheer delight.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!I MISS DORIS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!
Part one of my review(I looked at the moviesin order of the oldest date on the back).....Looked at Young man with a Horn(B&W)...if for anything get this movie for the spectacular shots of New York City....with the (trains running above ground)...but this was my first timeseeing this movie & it's a great script...not a big fan of Douglas but he was great in this part......and Doris can't do no wrong in any part....here she plays a very good friend of Douglas & gets to sing about three songs...great movie & you get Lauren Bacall thrown in as the viper
......then I looked at Lullaby of Broadway.i had seen this before but on my new flat screen TV...it's so amazing.love it

....then i looked at Calamity...I have over the years seen bits & pieces of this movie..I sat & watched it in it's entierty.....Doris is SO amazing in this role

got Love me or leave me in the DVD player now(but have seen this one....it's one of my favorite Dorismovies

I lived long enough to see these movies..I guess i was very young to actually see them in the movie(the earlier ones)...but you look at Doris Day & she's utterly amazing in her talent.she dances, she sings,she acts......but she can do just one ofthose things andshe would be a star..but that voice of hers is heavenly!!!!!

Top Notch Set
I can only rave about the care taken by WB Home Video to ensure that this set had wonderful picture and sound quality. The newly restored "Love Me Or Leave Me", and "Jumbo" not only have spotless picture quality with stunning colors but also have restored sound that will have you thinking you are watching a current movie rather than films made so many years ago. "Lullabye of Broadway" and "Young Man With A Horn" are excellent as well (but don't have the full fidelity sound of the other two). "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" and "Glass Bottom Boat" are gorgeous on the screen (and we project an eight foot picture!). "Calamity Jane" and "Pajama Game" are identical to the previous releases of these titles. They are very, very good if a tad lesser in picture quality. I had hoped that they would have received the first rate sound restoration of the first two mentioned above, but this would have required more expense and I feel this set is a bargain. There are many nice extras, too. Here's hoping other musical stars...like Mario Lanza...will receive this top notch treatment in DVD releases from WB.

HAPPY "DAYS" ARE HERE AGAIN
If there is any question in anyone's mind as to why Doris Day is ranked by the distinguished annual Quigley Poll of top ten box-office stars, as the number one female star of all time, it will be put to rest by this great collection.
There is something for everyone contained in this beautiful set, complete with a nice array of extras.
Contained herein are films produced over a 16 year period and clearly showing that Miss Day could do it all - sing, dance, act in dramas or show a comic skill that few if any have come close to rivaling.
"Young Man With a Horn" featuring Kirk Douglas and Lauren Bacall gives Miss Day a great chance to emote skillfully and to render perfect renditions of several great band tunes. It's a well-made drama and her first film to play New York's famous Radio City Music Hall. In "Lullaby of Broadway" she sings, dances and dazzles as only Doris can with a wonderful cast of great character performers. She also gives the best rendition of the title tune ever recorded.
"Calamity Jane" allows Miss Day to let loose with a brilliantly executed performance as the famed woman of the wild west. She makes it her own, singing the Oscar winning "Secret Love" as well as delivering a powerhouse portrayal in a near perfect film co-starring Howard Keel, on loan from MGM. It's as good as anything Metro put out during their "Golden Age".
"Love Me or Leave Me", opposite James Cagney, is one of the most raw, real and no-holds barred biographical films ever turned out. Miss Day should have not only been nominated for an Oscar for her unforgettable performance as 20's singer Ruth Etting but should have won the prize. Her first film at MGM enabled her to dazzle the critics and the public with a first-rate acting job by any standard as well as rendering more than a dozen songs as only she can.
"The Pajama Game" is a near perfect screen version of a Broadway hit and Miss Day and much of the original Broadway cast perform at a breathless rate, breathing new life into some well-loved tunes. A great couple of hours of sheer entertainment.
Direct from her Oscar-nominated turn in "Pillow Talk", Miss Day played a mother of 4 in the screen version of Jean Kerr's hit, "Please Don't Eat the Daisies". How many other actresses of the time at the peak of their game would have played a mother role times 4? Miss Day and co-star David Niven are completely believable in this delightful, heartwarming and completing winning romp. "Billy Rose's Jumbo" took 27 years to reach the screen but it was worth the wait.The 1962 musical featuring some of Rodgers and Hart's best tunes is given the lavish MGM treatment. Miss Day, Stephen Boyd, Jimmy Durante and Martha Raye etch memorable performances in one of the last of the great MGM musicals. Finally, Miss Day had one of her biggest hits with the 1966 "Glass Bottom Boat". It's a wonderful slapstick comedy featuring an amazing cast of actors and comics, all set aside the background of California's Catalina Island. There are non-stop laughs and Miss Day secures her place as one of the funniest lady in film history, all the while maintaining her femininity and the endearing qualitiea that have made her an American Icon. "The Doris Day Collection" is a value at any price. It'll make your "Day"!

NOW - Now That's Entertainment
Wow this is great.Thanks for the release, but why has it been so long in coming?AND where are the others, On Moolnight Bay, I'll See you in My Dreams, just to name a few. There is and will never be another Doris, what an actress, singer and comedian she is.Thank you Doris for bringing joy, smiles and laughter into this world.You cannot go wrong with this set.Buy this and show the kids today what they missed by not growing up in the innocent times of the 50's and 60's.These are classics in every sense of the word. This will keep me entertained for days, weeks and years to come.And thank you Amazon. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The third and final season of Seth MacFarlane's late, lamented Family Guy finds television's most dysfunctional cartoon family even more animated than usual. As MacFarlane notes in a bonus segment about the controversial series' censorship battles, he was inspired to go for broke, thinking that the series, already juggled like a hot potato in the schedule (at one point, it aired opposite the mighty Friends), had been cancelled. Just as Spinal Tap walked the fine line between "clever and stupid," so did Family Guy gleefully mock the line between "edgy and offensive." Case in point is this set's holy grail: "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein," not aired during the series' original run, in which clueless Rhode Island patriarch Peter Griffin is convinced that if his lumpen son is to be rich and successful, he must become Jewish.

Like The Simpsons, Family Guy lends itself to multiple viewings to catch each densely packed episode's way-inside "one-percenter" gags (so-called by the creators because that is the percent of the audience who will get them), scattershot pop-culture references, surreal leaps, and gratuitous pot shots at everyone from, predictably, Oprah, Kevin Costner, and Bill Cosby to, unpredictably, Rita Rudner. Also like their Springfield counterparts, this series benefits from a great ensemble voice cast, with surprising contributions from a no-less-stellar roster of guest stars. Yes, that's actually Kelly Ripa as her "real" self, a heart-devouring alien in "Family Guy Viewer Mail #1," and June Foray popping in as Rocky the Flying Squirrel in "Brian Does Hollywood." Family Guy's stock has recently risen with its addition to Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" lineup, a much better fit than prime time. To see Peter invite Charles Manson to a party for Sharon Tate ("but only if you don't embarrass me") is to marvel how much of this ever got on the air. Happily, it is on DVD. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (156)

This Family Rules!
This is a great DVD set collecting the final season of the best animated comedy show to hit the airways since the SIMPSONS. Each episode is jam-packed with more pop-cultural references than a VH1 special. From the DUKES OF HAZZARD to Adam West, the Incredible Hulk to Optimus Prime (yep, he's in here!), series creator Seth MacFarlane manages to masterfully walk that fine line between parody and homage.
The picture quality on the episodes are crystal clear and the sound is sharp. The extras are pretty good this time around(especially compared to the first DVD set). The most talked about addition to this set is definitely the inclusion of the previously unaired episode. I personally didn't find anything offensive about it but I'm sure somebody somewhere can. The deleted scenes are funny to watch considering the animation is unfinished. The best bonus feature is the short pilot pitch that was only shown to FOX executives to sell the series. After seeing this, I have to commend FOX on taking a chance with this SIMPSONS knock-off (there I said it, but who cares? Does anyone care that the FLINTSTONES are a HONEYMOONERS rip-off?!)
So, with all this praise, you might be wondering why I didn't give this 5 stars. The answer is simple...the horrible commentaries! I'm a huge fan of commentaries because they allow the viewer to feel like they're sitting in a room conversing with the very people that are responsible for your entertainment. But the few commentaries on this set are played entirely for laughs, as cell phones can be heard ringing, people walking in on the recording sessions, pointless anecdotes that have nothing to do with the episode, and then annoying long moments of silence where it seems like everyone just wants to go home. Occasionally, somebody might start to say something relevant to the show, but is quickly interrupted by more horse-play. It's great that the crew get along so well, but who wants to listen to people goofing off for a half-hour? These guys should definetly check out the SIMPSONS sets for commentaries with a good mixture of levity and information.
But this is only a minor quibble about an otherwise wonderful box set that's easily one of the best additions to anybody's DVD library.

Family Guy, we barely knew thee!
With the release of this boxed set, you can now own the third and final season of the short-lived but outstanding cartoon series "Family Guy." The 22 episodes from this season are, overall, quite hilarious. The commentary is frequently as enjoyable as the episodes, as various members of cast and crew discuss the creation process, animation, writing, censorship, etc. The last two episodes in this set are very memorable. The last aired episode explores three pieces of "viewer mail" -- three bizarre scenarios like wishes from a genie in a bottle, superpowers from toxic waste, and "Little Rascals," Quahog style. The last episode didn't make it on the air. Tasteless but side-splitting jokes about Judaism obviously didn't please censors and network officials. It's well worth it to own all three seasons (two boxed sets) of this show. The writers constantly push the boundaries of taste, tact, and television censorship. Television wasn't ready for "Family Guy," but you should be ready to own every episode!

Best Show Ever
Family guy is the best show ever made. It is the funniest cartoon/television show. Its characters are brilliant, humorous and offensive at the same time, which of course makes for a very enjoyable show. The political references, 70's/80's tv references are hysterical as well as stewie, the diabolical 1 year. I reccomend this to anyone with a sense of humor, and someone who doesn't take offense easily.

THIS SHOW WILL KILL YOU........WITH LAUGHTER
I have yet to find anything, show, movie, or real life, that is at least as funny as Family Guy. After about a year of searching (...) I came up with nada. Family Guy's quick wit, and clever writing offends anyone and everything it can. Basically, if you're watching it you'll be offended whether you know it or not. It has good uplifting moral values for all to enjoy(...). Well actually it has NO values of any kind. This show is probably intended for the viewers who are old enough to understand what's going on in the world. That does not include people over 60! Well, anyway Family Guy is a great buy at any price. (...)

Basically a Bad Show, Getting Better
While FAMILY GUY bombed on Fox (and don't let anyone tell you that Fox tried to kill it; Fox renewed the show twice even though the ratings stunk almost everywhere and the reviews were scathing), it's become a huge success on DVD and cable, leading to the production of new episodes of the show and an upcoming summer run on Fox for these new episodes, where it can bomb all over again.

So what's my problem with it? Well, first of all, almost everything is derivative of other, better shows. And not just THE SIMPSONS, but PINKY AND THE BRAIN (Stewie, the little big-headed megalomaniac, is a direct ripoff of the Brain). Second, the show uses references as a substitute for humor -- which is to say that they'll often refer to some '80s TV show or commercial and expect us to laugh just because we get the reference; there's rarely any satirical point being made about the shows it's supposedly "parodying." Third, the voice acting is often quite poor -- MacFarlane improved as the series went on, but his acting is often stiff and one-note, with none of the interesting vocal inflections that, say, Dan Castellanetta brings to Homer Simpson. (To be fair, MacFarlane is better as Brian the Dog than as Peter.) Fourth, the show doesn't have much variety in its gags; the basic tropes -- sexual innuendoes, parodies, famous historical figures acting inappropriately -- are repeated from show to show. Fifth, the animation is truly terrible; the characters are inexpressive, stiff and immobile. Any episode of The Simpsons or King of the Hill has better animated "acting." And King of the Hill, often denigrated as the unfunny link in Fox's chain of animated shows, actually has character comedy, which means that it is funny even if you don't get a bunch of cheesy '80s references -- King of the Hill or the early Simpsons are genuuinely funny; Family Guy is fake funny, getting laughs by cheap means. It's about as cutting-edge as an episode of "Wayne and Shuster".

But the biggest overall problem is that the characters are just not worth following. The characters are so clearly sitcom stereotypes, and the stories are so minimal (just a clothesline on which to hang the gags) that the greatest joy of a good sitcom -- following interesting characters like a Homer Simpson or a Hank Hill or even an Eric Cartman -- is not there. All that's there is the gags, and eventually they all come to seem the same because they are based on nothing; the characters are too shallow to be humorous. (Stewie was such a one-note character that by the final season, almost every joke involves him acting *out* of character in some way -- a sure sign that a character was ill-conceived in the first place, and a sad contrast with the far superior Brain from PINKY AND THE BRAIN.) Brian is the only character with some depth to him, and the episodes focusing on him tend to be the best.

I will say that by the last season, the writers seemed to be trying to tell more coherent stories and give the characters a bit more life. This bodes well for the new episodes. But the 50 or so episodes that already exist add up to a show with poor writing, poor story structure, poor voice acting, poor animation (Peter's face is so inexpressive that his "happy" face looks about the same as his "sad" expression), and above all weak characters. In other words, a poor show. Its cult success is impressive, but then, we can all name shows that are successful without being any good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"So," Tony Soprano asks analyst Dr. Melfi in the wake ofnot-so-dearly-departed Livia's death, "we're probably done here, right?" Sorry, Tone, not by along shot. Unresolved mother issues are the least of the Family man's troublesin the brutal and controversial third season of The Sopranos. Ranked byTV Guide among the top five greatest series ever, The Sopranosjustified its eleven-month hiatus with some of its best, and most hotly debated,episodes that continue the saga of the New Jersey mob boss juggling thepressures of his often intersecting personal and professional lives. The thirdseason garnered 22 Emmy nominations, earning Lead Actor and Actress honors forJames Gandolfini and Edie Falco for their now-signature roles as Tony and hisincreasingly conflicted wife, Carmela.

The Sopranos continued to upend convention and defy audience expectationswith a deliberately paced, calm-before-the-storm season opener that revolvesaround the FBI's attempts to bug the Soprano household, and a season finale that(for some) frustratingly leaves several plot lines unresolved. The secondepisode, "Proshai, Livushka," confronts the death of the venerable NancyMarchand, who capped her career with perhaps her greatest role as malignantmatriarch Livia. A jarring scene between Tony and Livia that uses pre-existingfootage is a distraction, but Carmela's unsparing smackdown of Livia at the wakeredeems the episode. "Employee of the Month," in which Dr. Melfi is raped andconsiders whether to exact revenge by telling Tony of her attack, earned Emmysfor its writers, and is perhaps Emmy nominee Lorraine Bracco's finest hour. Thedarkly comic "Pine Barrens"--another memorable episode, directed by SteveBuscemi--strands Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) in theforest with a runaway corpse. Other story arcs concern the rise of the seriouslyunstable Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) and Tony's affair with "full-blownloop-de-loo" Gloria (Emmy nominee Annabella Sciorra). Plus, there is Tony'sestrangement from daughter Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler), his wayward delinquentson Anthony, Jr. (Robert Iler), Carmela's crisis of conscience, bad seed JackieJr., and the FBI--which, as the season ends, assigns an undercover agent tobefriend an unwitting figure in the Soprano family's orbit. Stay tuned forseason four. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (85)

A series that just gets better and better.
The third series of 'The Sopranos' consolidates the brilliance of the first two, rather than taking it in any radically new directions. The characters, their relationships and their environment are so strong; the dramatic irony between our sympathy with and enjoyment of these people, and our knowledge of their brutal and unhypocritically presented crimes, is so complex, that any blatant originality merely for the sake of it would be a betrayal.

But, because the central components are so strong, there is plenty of room for play - in the way narratives are set up to encourage then defy expectations; in the interplay with canonical gangster texts, especially 'The Godfather'; in the consistently creative use of music - for mood and to emphasise character, yes, but also to create ironic distance, to add montages of 'commentary' over the stories, to connect apparently disparate scenes, to add a depth of texture. Because it is in texture that 'The Sopranos' has really developed - the recklessly confident film-making; the layered scripts; the rich dialogue; and the knowing acting combine to create programmes of truly, yes, operatic density.

There are a number of new plot developments in this series - Meadow goes to Columbia University; the FBI (in a supremely funny handful of episodes) attempt to bug the Sopranos; the Russian mafia grow in menacing importance; Janice takes up with a Christian musician; Anthony Jr. becomes increasingly unmanagable at school and at play, but proves an unexpectedly skilful footballer; Ralph (Joe Pantoliano) replaces Richie Aprile as the major made-guy thorn in Tony's side; Carmela feels increasingly guilty about her mob-financed luxury; Tony begins an affair with a beautiful, smart, successful car saleswoman (Anabella Sciorra) who has even more mental problems than he. Most crucial for the series is the role of Jackie Aprile Jr., college-mitching son of Tony's former mob boss and best friend, who wants to see some of the criminal action, and starts dating Meadow as a spectacularly misjudged entree. The major weakness of the second series - the tokenistic continuation of the Dr. Melfi framing scenes long after they've outrun their dramtic usefulness - is corrected by both bringing the psychotherapist (dangerously) closer to Tony's life, and by having Carmela join in the sessions, to comic effect.

There is a brooding, elegiac feel to the series, with Tony thinking not just about his mother, but his dead friends, Pussy's actions in the last series, and the future possibilities open to the younger generation. If nothing else, Series 3 boasts the best-ever episode of 'The Sopranos', directed by one Steve Buscemi, which begins farcically, with Paulie and Christopher accidentally killing an irate Russian, and bungling the disposal of his body in a snow-wasted forest; before turning into a nightmare, as they lose their bearings after the corpse runs off, and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Loosened from the secure ties and identity-affirmation of family and Family, the episode brilliantly encapsulates what's at stake in the series, as unforgettably as the immortal 'Seinfeld' episode when the quartet can't find their car in the shopping mall car park.

Oddly compelling despite subject matter
The third season of HBO's acclaimed Sopranos continues the established tradition of this film-quality television series. The Sopranos are a fairly normal suburban New Jersey family except that the father, Tony, is the head of an organized crime organization. In the third season, Tony's mother Livia dies (as did the actress that portrayed her, Nancy Marchand), daughter Meadow goes off to Columbia University, son Anthony, Jr. struggles to stay in high school, and Tony's mobster friends continue with their regular business ventures. James Gandolfini's portrayal of Tony is always at the heart of the series' success. He is able to pull off the difficult task of being likeable as a suburban father while simultaneously cheating on his wife and killing people. People I know who don't usually care for onscreen sex, violence, and foul language are irrestibly drawn to this series because of its compelling performances, professional direction and screenwriting, and long-spanning story arcs. There is a large cast of supporting characters whose stories progress as the audience becomes more familiar with them, as in a daytime soap opera. Of course, some of them get whacked. Actually, the third season has considerably less killing and nudity than the first two. But the profanity continues in full force. This is not material suitable for the kiddies. To me the best aspect of the content of this series is the way it examines the themes of integrity, responsibility, and especially loyalty. There is a perverse sense of justice when a disloyal mobster is "disappeared" by the collective efforts of his mob family. The DVD extras are very slight. The featurette is very short but does offer a chance to hear the actor who portrays Furio speak without his Italian accent. The audio commentaries by actor/screenwriter Michael Imperioli, director (better known as an actor, though not of Sopranos) Steve Buscemi, and creator David Chase are among the least informative I have ever heard. Buscemi, one of my favorite actors, is entirely too humble and deferential to the set-in-place Sopranos powers-that-be to deliver any sort of authority on his commentary. But despite the lack of substantive DVD extras, this package is well worth watching to those who like competently delivered episodic television. But do definitely start with the first season!

My Favorite Season of the Sopranos
I'm a great fan of the series and have all four seasons on DVD and just finishing watching 5 on HBO. The third season is my favorite by far. Some reasons why:

The introduction of Ralphie Cifaretto to the show (played outstandingly by Joe Pantoliano), the hilarious and well acted Pine Barrens episode, the great chemistry and high drama between Tony Soprano & Gloria Trullo (Anabella Sciorra), and Jason Cerbone as Jackie Aprile (nice plot line involving him and besides he's great eye candy), the return of Janice, Carmella's scene in the male psychiatrist's office when she briefly confronts the reality of her life.

It's just fantastic and like the entire show so far, it's a must see. Although some were disappointed with Season 5 and truthfully it could have been better, the Sopranos continues to be complex and quality TV. It's more than just a mob show, for sure.

BADA BING...BADA BOOM...
If you are looking at this review, you probably already have the first and second season. All I can tell you is that the third season is as good, if not better, than the first and second. This is truly one of the best series ever to have graced the television screen. Leave it to HBO to have come up with such an engaging, well-written, well-acted, and totally addictive series.

There are some major plot developments this season. Starting off slowly, the first episode chronicles the synchronized, often comical efforts of the FBI, which is trying to get an electronic surveillance bug in place in the Soprano's household. The season then heats up considerably from thereon.

Livia Soprano, Tony's wicked mother and a canker in her children's lives, dies, bringing daughter Janice back from where she had fled, after she had bumped off her manic boyfriend, Richie Aprile, last season. Janice returns with a narcoleptic, musician boyfriend who is the antithesis of Richie. As always, Janice likes to stir up trouble, and her mother Livia's wake and funeral services are fertile country for her new machinations and self-importance. When she tries to stir up trouble with Livia's one legged, Russian caregiver, which leaves the caregiver searching for her missing prosthetic leg, however, Janice soon discovers that she has gone too far, and her chickens come home to roost with a vengeance.

Meadow, the Soprano's daughter and eldest child, a college student at Ivy League Columbia University, gets a new boyfriend, Noah Tannenbaum. He is handsome, intelligent, and articulate, and Tony hates him on the spot for reasons the viewer will quickly discern, as Tony pulls no punches with Noah. This will create a certain amount of tension between father and daughter, and an estrangement ensues. When Noah breaks her heart, Jackie Aprile, Jr. is waiting in the wings with her parent's blessing, and Meadow goes from the frying pan into the fire.

Anthony Soprano, Jr., the Sopranos' other angst ridden teenager and youngest child, who has turned out to be an unexpected gridiron wonder, is also sowing his wild oats, getting himself in deep trouble at school, much to his parents' anger and dismay. When Anthony, Jr. continues in this vein, there is a big surprise in store for him, causing him to undergo a major life change. He is not, however, the only Soprano family member to do so.

Tony finds himself head over heels with Gloria, another of Dr. Melfi's patients. A Mercedes car salesperson, Gloria, the new light of Tony's life, is gorgeous, passionate, and a totally loose cannon. She will cause quite a bit of conflict for Tony as their affair heats up, as Gloria likes to fight fire with fire. Gloria has to watch out that she, herself, does not get burned.

Carmela, Tony's long suffering and patient wife, being only human, finds her thoughts increasingly absorbed by Tony's henchman, Furio, the sexy, pony tailed Italian. The problem is that Furio, too, is experiencing deep feelings for Tony's wife, a situation that can only become increasingly dangerous for all concerned. How Furio and Carmela handle their feelings and resolve this potentially dangerous development is of great interest.

Dr. Melfi herself undergoes great personal angst this season, following her violent rape at the hands of a stranger. A very conflicted Dr. Melfi finds herself on the edge of taking a path from which there can be no return. This season also finds Dr. Melfi doing husband/wife tag team counseling with both Tony and Carmela, a venture that provides some comic relief and gives rise to potential conflict of interest.

Meanwhile, Jackie Aprile, Jr., Tony's godson and Meadow's new main squeeze, the deceptively soft spoken and good looking son of the late mob boss, Jackie Aprile, Tony's best friend, is up to no good. Lying through his teeth about everything to everyone, he is misguided by his seriously unstable step-father, mob made man Ralph Cifaretto, who is busy plying both sides of the coin. It seems that Ralph, dissatisfied with the role to which he has been relegated within the family, is doing Tony dirty, going against his wishes at every turn, and the situation with Jackie, Jr. is no exception, a situation that will culminate in heartbreak for all concerned.

Back at the ranch, Tony's other henchmen seem to have their own troubles. Corrado "Uncle Junior" Soprano, the nominal boss of the family, who is kept in check by his nephew Tony, is busy battling cancer and a federal prosecution. Young Christopher Moltisanti, Tony's nephew, gets his long desired promotion, and is told to report to Paulie "Walnuts" Gaultieri. Christopher soon finds out that with Paulie "Walnuts" business is business. Meanwhile, Christopher gets involved in a sideline that bodes ill for him and his fiancee.

When Tony sends a resentful Paulie "Walnuts", accompanied by Christopher, on a mission that should have been that of another, Christopher sees an unexpected side of Paulie. When the mission, involving a member of the Russian mob, goes bad at the hands of an angry Paulie, Christopher discovers that Paulie may not be as stand up a guy as Christopher thought. While this is a terrific episode, very funny in a macabre sort of way, it also cleverly sets up Paulie in a new light for future developments. This particular episode, one of my favorites, is a feather in the cap of actor Stephen Buscemi, who directed it.

These are just some of the highlights of the third season. There is so much more! The writing continues to be intelligent, and the story lines are as well thought out and engrossing as ever. The performances are uniformly stellar. The late, great actress, Nancy Marchand, whose portrayal of the venomous Livia Soprano was a feather in her cap, left a legacy of memories, having died after creating such a memorable character. She will sorely be missed. This third season's attempt to bridge her death and use existing footage and computer effects to create a dialogue between Livia and Tony, however, was misguided, as its effect is a tad ghoulish, as well as disturbing. Nonetheless, I absolutely love this series!

Tony is harder, more killings and rape.
If the last episode of Season Two got you hooked, you're going to be on the edge of your seat for Season Three. The DVD screensaver intro is different than past collections. Special features are also on Disc 1 which leads to cast and filmmakers,series index and DVD-ROM/Weblink. If it has been awile since you've seen Sopranos, it also offers you a Season One and Season Two recap. Actress Nancy Marchand who played "Livia Soprano" died so they used prior footage and also a body double with CGI computerized image of her face to complete the scenes in the second episode (#28) of the Third Season. Tony's psychotherapist is attacked and raped by an Italian (played by Mario Polit) who she thought was Puerto Rican. She tells her husband, but tells everyone else she was in an accident. If you are in the mood for a hilarious episode. Episode #37 (11) is the one. Tony's numbskulls shoot a Commie in the snow-ladden woods. They follow the trail of blood, but no body. They must find the Commie's body. Tony is having a fit. Joe Pantoliano joins the series. Burt Young is in episode #31. The Fourth season of "The Sopranos" is now available on VHS and DVD. ... Read more

Description

Based on a manga by Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon is the story of a teenage girl who meets a magical cat who gives her super powers. She becomes the leader of a team of brave girls, known as the Sailor Warriors. Sailor Moon has long been justifiably renowned for the strength of its plot, its direct and honest treatment of romance and, in this uncut version, a realistic and unflinching acceptance of death as a necessary possible consequence of a righteous fight. ... Read more

Reviews (108)

Finally.. The Original UNCUT Sailor Moon Season 1
ADV finally announced the release of the uncut version of Sailor Moon (Season 1). It will packed in 2 high quality hard boxes each one contain 4 DVDs (46 episodes, over 1000 minutes total running time). The voices will be in original Japanese, with English subtitles.

In this uncut version, a realistic and unflinching acceptance of death as a necessary possible consequence of a righteous fight.

The story as it described in ADV words: Based on a manga by Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon is the story of a teenage girl who meets a magical cat who gives her super powers. She becomes the leader of a team of brave girls, known as the Sailor Warriors. Sailor Moon has long been justifiably renowned for the strength of its plot, its direct and honest treatment of romance and, in this uncut version, a realistic and unflinching acceptance of death as a necessary possible consequence of a righteous fight.

A diamond in the rough.
I would love to be able to give this five stars, the story deserves it. Unfortunatly the box set itself is a little disappointing. The audio quality is pretty poor with the sound fading in and out at odd times as well as being rather tinny. I know some of this may simply be due to the fact that the series didn't have a big budget for sound in the begining but seriously, it's been 11 years since the series came out. It's not that hard to clean it up a little is it? Anyway another point of note for those of you who were looking to have both the english language track and the japanese language track in one DVD, this isn't it. This has only the japanese language track with english subtitles.

Aside from the technical issues with the DVD, I absolutely loved the story itself. I ended up watching the whole set in about two days because I couldn't put it down. So in spite of the technical problems with this edition, I do recommend it for any Sailor Moon fan or anybody who like me doesn't enjoy the english dubs for anime and is interested in seeing a bit of Sailor Moon. However, I do not recommend this for the very young Sailor Moon fans who aren't up to reading subtitles very quickly just yet.

Best season of Sailor Moon Ever!
I remember the first time I watched Sailor Moon was on Cartoon Network about six years ago. From the first time I saw the show, I was hooked on it. Luckily, I got to see the first season first and the rest in order. Now about a month ago I bought the boxed set uncut version and was shocked and amazed at how much better the show was in Japanese. Also, there were many more episodes which they didn't show on Cartoon Network. For about 3 years, I was off being hooked on Sailor Moon because the fourth season really lacked. But now, I want to see every episode in its original form, uncut and in Japanese. Watching theshow makes mewant to learn the language evae more. I now have to buy season two and so on. And the best part about this was that I paid less than $60 here at Amazon, about $50 less than Best Buy.

Sailor Moon--the way it was MEANT to be!!
This box set features the entire Sailor Moon Season One, all 46 episodes, all uncut in original Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Reasons why you should buy this boxset-
*Because it's subtitled
*Because it's uncut
*Because it contains several episodes that were never shown in America
And most importantly...
*Because it's Sailor Moon!

I highly recommend this to any Sailor Moon fan (ages 14+) who is looking to see the REAL first season of Sailor Moon, not the choppy, edited, dubbed, HORRIBLE Dic version.
Hope that helped.
~Ashley

Sailor Moon in its purest form
I am a big sailor moon fan and have seen all the seasons in japanese (including StarS). After all the times ive watched sailor moon since 1995 ive realized that season 1 is its purest form. Lets face it the American dub sucks. But in this version its the japanese uncut which i can say is 100% better than the stupid dubbed way. People are complaining about the sound and what not... live with it and grow up. if your a true sailor moon fan then who cares how they made it whats happening i the show should have your full attention not how the screen is and if its not loud enough turn the volume up its not rocket science. This is a really good season and as i said its sailor moon in its purest form all i can say is dont pay $150 for it when you can get it on ebay for $50-$70 and 99.9% of the time you wont have any problems with ebay ive been on ebay for quite a long time and havent had any problems yet. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: Like 1999's other screen touchstone, American Beauty, the HBO series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood.

The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatization of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchmen and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed.

The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (232)

How the Sopranos saved Christmas.
On December 22, 2000, I recived the Sopranos First Season on DVD. It was a Birthday/Holiday gift form my girlfriend of 5 years. Over the course of the next week and a half, if there was any doubt of my whereabouts, it was a safe bet I was watching the next episonde. I am a 23 year old actor. My VHS collection numbers 350. My DVD collection a mere 20, however the Sopranos box set delivered more hours of riveting enjoyment than anything has in a long time. The show is, in my opinion a perfect blend of satire, drama, social comentary and fantastic story telling. Every person I introduce to the Sopranos is throughly impressed with all aspects of the series. On a personal note, I think James Gandolfini has finally given us something that Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino have long strived to achive. Gandolfini brings a familiarity to this roll that is one of the key elements to the show's success. He has created a character that is not out of reach for the veiwing audience. Edie Falco and Nancie Marchand are also invaluable components to the creation of the overall feeling of accesability. While we may not all know what it is to have an AK-47 within arms reach, we do know what it is to have a nagging mother and a confused and judgmental spouse. The icing on the cake of this series is its supporting cast, the boys at the club and kids at home create an atmosphere that is simply tantilizing to the veiwing audience. I recomend this set to mafia fans and house wives alike. Get it for the gangster in you, after all...a hit is a hit.

Woke up this morning and got myself the Sopranos...
Anyone who knows me could tell you I'm a huge fan of mob/crime films, so it's rather weird that I never had a huge interest in this show until now. I don't have HBO in my house and simply never cared enough to go out and rent/buy all four seasons. Then my parents watched it and were suddenly in love with it. Knowing that my mother wouldn't go within ten yards of a film like "Goodfellas," I figured this had to be an excellent show.

And I was right.

I still don't get HBO, but when I think of the past five years where I could have been watching this show on DVD instead of "Paradise Hotel" on FOX, I kick myself. I've only watched the first season and am looking forward to what comes next. "The Sopranos" is a meticulously crafted drama that's unlike anything else I've ever seen on television. Frankly, I was always just into comedy sitcoms because I didn't have the interest or patience for this type of TV. But, in "the Sopranos'" case, I'll make an exception. I'd only be cheating myself if I didn't.

I might be five years late, but at least now I understand what the hype is all about. Highly recommended for other late bloomers.

HBO's way of telling us to thank God our dad isn't a mobster
"The Sopranos" has done more than just revolutionize television...being one of the best shows on TV with compelling story lines, quarky characters, and snappy mafia lingo...the show has redefinied the definition of family. But while we've grown up with our family, we've grown up with Tony's family and it's HBO's way of telling us to thank God our father isn't a mobster. The first season is great when we see Tony desperately trying hard to hide the salomi with his psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi. There's his dutiful wife that suspects that he's been cheating. TRUST ME THE LAST THING THAT I NEED TO SEE AT NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT ON HBO IS JAMES GANDOLFINI'S SLUGGISH, BEARISH BODY ON TOP OF A HOT CHICK. But it only fuels to the show. The violence. The sex. The language. It all accomplishes the real grit of being a mobster. I've heard fans say that they think Tony is the tragic hero-type, but HE'S A COLD-BLOODED KILLER! There's nothing heroic about that. Then there's the fact that a few years ago, somebody made a real adult film based on "The Sopranos". That's when you know you've become part of pop culture. Five stars all the way, for the cinematic effect that the collage of episodes brings to the small screen. Now you've got the skinny on "The Sopranos"...kapish?!

HBO's way of telling us to thank God our dad isn't a mobster
With compelling story arcs, quarky characters, and catchy mafia lingo, "The Sopranos" has taken the definition of family and redefined it. But ever since the beginning, "The Sopranos" has sparked a sensation with American pop culture and has revolutionized television with the use of sex, drugs, violence, and profanity to fuel complex story lines. For example, "The Sopranos" has had so much of an impact that there's an adult film called "The Sopornos" based on it. That's when you know you've got a hit. NOW THE CRITICISM: As always I've got to slam every movie/show I see, so first of all, what is the deal with Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) trying HIDE THE SALOMI with Dr. Melfi. And why doesn't his wife Carmella (Falco) give a s*#%. Second, Dr. Melfi (Bracco) doesn't have a right to complain since all she has to do is transfer her mob boss patient out of there, but SHE DOESN'T. I THINK SHE NEEDS A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF HER OWN. There's Uncle Junior (Chianese) with his grandpa nit-picking. I liked the start of the show when Tony and Uncle Junior were warring over turf. Why can't Sirico win the Emmy for Paulie Walnuts. (...) Another thing, I bet if I had a ring stuck on my finger, I'd just run it through Silvio's greasy hair and it'd fall off, shelled in hardened vasoline. Finally, what is with the audience, thinking Tony is a tragic hero. He really isn't, HE'S A COLD-BLOODED criminal. Just because he provides for his family doesn't justify his actions. While Chase (writer/producer) humanizes him, he's still a vicious guy that treats women like garbage. Note: The last thing I need to see at 9:00 on HBO is Gandolfini's sluggish, bearish body on an intensely hot chick. BUT this is certainly one of the best shows on TV, if not THE BEST! "The Sopranos" is great in its writing, directing, and acting. I JUST WISH THOSE PROTESTORS WOULD SHUT UP , STOP RANTING, AND STOP RUINING IT FOR THE REST OF US. I IMPLORE YOU TO WATCH THE FIRST SEASON AND I GUARANTEE YOU'LL GET HOOKED, at least for the first three seasons. NOW I'VE TOLD YOU THE SKINNY, SO CHECK IT OUT...KAPISH?!

It's a hit!
EXCELLENT DIRECTING/PRODUCING/WRITING/ACTING. Great performances and the originality is unbelievable. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein earned glory as a composer, conductor, and pianist(classical and jazz), but nothing gave him more pleasure than the joy of teaching.He presented the unique blend of spoken words and music known as the "Young People's Concerts" throughout his tenure as music director of the New York Philharmonic and for several years after. His enjoyment, and his audience's, can be seen vividly captured by the video cameras. He is an intensely interactive teacher, getting his audience to sing, springing a quiz full of trick questions, and singing a Beatles song to demonstrate a point.

Bernstein is completely at ease talking to his audience. He can takethe most abstruse subject - the meaning and function of intervals,tonality and atonality, the links between Gustav Mahler's troubled life and his music - and present them to a young audience with clarity,without condescension, and with a clear sense of the material'svalue. His subject-matter is enormously varied. For IgorStravinsky's 80th birthday, he simply tells his audience thestory of Petrouchka while conducting a dazzlingperformance of the colorful ballet. For a program on "FolkMusic in the Concert Hall," he plays some of Canteloube'sfolk song arrangements and the boisterous finale of Ives'sSymphony No. 2, full of borrowed pop and folk melodies.The influence of folk music is shown in folk song imitations byMozart and Carlos Chavez.

The sound and images, taped over a 15-year span when theart of recording was rapidly advancing, are varied in quality;the series begins in black-and-white and ends in vivid color. Not all of the programs are equally compelling, but all areworth close and repeated attention. --Joe McLellan ... Read more

Amazon.com

Who and what is Vash the Stampede, a.k.a. "The Humanoid Typhoon"? To bounty hunters, he's an outlaw with 60,000,000,000 Double Dollars on his head. To Meryl Stryfe and Millie Thompson of the Bernardelli Insurance Society, he's a walking disaster area who's cost the company a fortune. To otaku, he's one of the most popular characters in anime. Based on Yasuhiro Nightow's manga, this comic adventure takes place in the distant future on a desert planet that looks like the American Old West. Vash wanders from town to town, unsuccessfully pursuing peace, doughnuts, and "the mayfly known as love." Meryl and Millie follow him, trying to minimize the destruction, but Vash's only real friend is the gun-totin' preacher Nicholas Wolfwood. Despite their grudging affection, Wolfwood articulates the other characters' thoughts when he tells Vash, "When you're around, things always seem to get worse!"

Anime heroes tend to be either cold-blooded warriors who kill for honor (the Gundam Wing pilots) or unlikely nerds who grow into the role of warrior when it's thrust upon them (Shinji Ikari in Evangelion). Sometimes comic and kooky, sometimes gentle and earnest, Vash reveres life and agonizes over the bloodshed he inadvertently causes. He'd rather eat than demonstrate his amazing marksmanship: he doesn't fire a shot until the fifth episode, although one of his arms is actually a gun. Voice actor Johnny Yong Bosh articulates both Vash's suffering and adolescent exuberance whenever he sees a pretty girl with exceptional panache. The runaway popularity of Trigun seems to have surprised the filmmakers. Although no plans have been announced for additional animation, a new manga series has appeared, Trigun Maximum. It seems unlikely that the artists would prematurely end the adventures of a figure with so much potential--and so many fans. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (146)

Classic Anime Series
Trigun, in my opinion, is THE best and most original anime series to date. It has a certain flair of action, adventure, comedy and even drama and romance. Its the story of Vash the Stampede, a man who the whole world fears. They call him the Humanoid Typhoon. Trouble lurks everywhere he goes and he doesnt know why. The story line for the series is addictive and captivating. I already have the whole series on the seperate DVD set that comes in 8 volumes, but i'm still willing to spend money to purchase the boxed set. Theres a lot to find out in the series, like why theres trouble lurking wherever he goes, why the show is called "TRIGUN" and just who is Vash the Stampede? So grab a couple 2-litter bottles of your favorite soda, grab a couple bags of chips and get ready to get stuck on your couch, glued to the tv, watching TRIGUN.

A silly, funny, serious sci-fi action flick.
Trigun is a complex piece of anime. It starts out as a lighthearted western comedy with sci-fi elements and slowly turns into a very serious science fiction story.
The story basically tells the story of Vash the Stampede, a gun sliging man with a 1 billion dollar price on his head.
It starts out silly, with two female insurance agents sent to find and convince Vash to stop destroying entire towns so that the insurance agency won't lose so much money from insuring towns. As those insurance agents discover, Vash is a complete goofball with a heart of gold.
As the unrelated stories unfold, the first few episodes introduce us to the characters and the desolated world that Vash and gang live in. As we move on, more of Vash's mysterious story is revealed and the story turns more and more serious.
The story owes alot to older silly/serious characters and anime series such as City Hunter. Overall the Trigun series is worth watching for its funny moments and action sequences. Athough its got an interesting story, the story gets too depressing and just drags on for too long at the end. The animation is also a mixed bag with some beautiful episodes and some which are just mediocre. Overall Id say give the series a shot and you'll come to love it.

TRIGUN's a masterpiece, unique & ultimately brilliant anime
I started to get the TRIGUN series of anime after reviews on the net and various other sources recommended it. After getting the first DVD entitled The $$60,000,000,000 Man, I was hooked. TRIGUN features some of the strongest characters I have seen in Japanese animation. The stories are individual but build into the entire development of each character and especially the strange hero, Vash the Stampede. I won't ruin it for you by revealing any of the plot. This series is absolutely brilliant, each story is carefully thoughout and contains an enormous amount of humour (sometimes adult in theme) but the hero himself is a beautiful character that is superbly drawn. This hero is a bit like Clint Eastwood's The Man With No Name from the Dollars Spaghetti westerns. He enters towns as a drifter and is the ultimate in cool, but what sets him aside from other heroes is he acts like an idiot and does some really crazy stuff along the way. I love the English dub to this series, one of the finest and carefully put together dubs ever and it is probably even better than the Japanese soundtrack because it is so funny. The producers couldn't have found a better voice actor for the hero. The music to this series is excellent, from spanish guitars to heavy metal guitars, it never ceases to be cool. A superb soundtrack with many interesting instruments and styles sets mood and emotions.

This series is the ultimate anime treat, I have started to collect the series on DVD but now I'm just going to get the DVD box set instead.

This series works on so many levels and is a highly intelligent, thought provoking series with a high level of comedy.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

So funny (and deep too)!
Some other reviewers have noted that Vash is an implausible(...); that he is un-heroic and the show lacks balance in the transition from funny to serious. This, of course, stems from a misunderstanding of what a hero is and how complex characters are developed.

The theme of the reluctant hero is rather common--it exists from the Christ (who wished not to die) to the "manslayer" (another hero that refuses to kill). Vash has tremendous power (as does Knives) but he chooses to use it for good. The first ten episodes of the show emphasis his childish nature and establishes his pacifist beliefs, his sense of justice and how he must reconcile the two.

Despite his constant heroics, people both hate and fear him, mistaking him for the villain and trying to cash in on the $60 billion on his head. And perhaps the key part of his character is missed by these reviewers; Vash suffers to save others (the "by his stripes we are healed" of Isaiah is literal-Vash is covered with scars from times he refused to kill). His is a "hunter of peace, chasing the elusive mayfly of love", trying to find his small piece of happiness and peace in a barren world.

So, in a sense, the other reviewers are right that Vash is weak in the sense that the Knight of the woeful countenance was crazy. The villains on the show certainly view him as such and one wonders which will crack first: Vash or them. The show heavily emphases Christian themes (even featuring a gun toting priest and two episodes: Diablo and Sin) especially redemption

And besides, this show is filled with humor, wild west/techno guitar music and awesome duels; the only trouble is the subtitling that is filled with errors. Trigun is one of the greatest Animes and Vash the humanoid typhoon is an ultra cool tragic hero.

Very Different Show
Having heard alot about this show I finally decided to buy it and was certainly not dissapointed.
Trigun is a very unusual show. One of the criticisms I have heard is about Vash being a pacifist. However there was something refreshing about it. It brought a totally different slant to fight scenes and made deaths seem all the more horrific when they occur.
This is a very philosophical show and really does force you to think about the right to take a life in any circumstance.
The Score is excellent, ranging from moving "film noir" style music" to sterotypical Cowboy music to Heavy Metal.
Plus it has big guns and cursing!!!!!! ... Read more