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"Inside of me there's a thin woman trying to get out," complains the ever-suffering Edina. "Are you sure it's just the one, dear?" asks her mother.

When anyone raves about Sex and the City, you need only to remind her that the Brits did it first--and better--with the creation of the brave say-anything show about sex, drugs, and the battle of the bulge. Absolutely Fabulous is a groundbreaking, off-the-wall comedy from the early 1990s, which began with a skit from The French and Saunders Show, about a moral, uptight daughter and her extremely loose mother. Ab Fab has taken this to the extreme. Edina (Jennifer Saunders) is the queen of excess. Her clothes are outrageous, her attempts at weight loss comical, and her efforts at motherhood (her daughter, Saffron--played to perfection by Julia Sawalha--is a practical-minded, reliable teenager) are uneven at best. Eddy's best friend is Patsy, a promiscuous Ivana Trump look-alike who always has a cigarette between her lips, a drink in her hand, and a fine-looking man (or boy) in her bed. The entire show lasted for three seasons, and all are included in this set.From organizing an orgy to a brush with poverty to the death of Eddy's father, nothing--and we mean nothing--is sacred in this show. Without a doubt, Ab Fab is one of the greatest television satires created, although keep in mind that it's strictly for adults. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (68)

The title says it all...
If there is something that American television needs more of, it's the misadventures of your average former hippie turned entertainment industry yuppie. Ab Fab manages to be completely pointless, yet funny and somewhat surreal. Out of all the British comedies that you can find on BBC America and Public television, Ab Fab comes off in the most universal way.

Ab Fab centers around Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) as they generally slack their way through life. Edina and Patsy have enjoyed a lifelong friendship, enduring longer than Edina's two marriages. However, most of the time of their friendship has been spent in a daze, leaving Edina and Patsy middle aged and somewhat outdated. Edina has also managed to have 2 children during her marriages, the unseen Sarge and the intelligent Saffron (Julia Sawalha). Saffron, known as Saffy adds conflict to the plot, giving Edina and Patsy a central enemy at times.

This DVD set is wonderful, giving loads of extras and 3 seasons. You get loads of outtakes, mostly featuring Saunders rambling as she fowls up a line. I was completely satisfied with my purchase. There is an entire disc featuring loads of information for the Ab Fab savvy, inculding the pilot episode to Mirrorball. Also, news of season 5 of Ab Fab is coming to surface, giving all of us fans something to really look forward too.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS COMPLETE DVD COLLECTION!
LAUGH at the adventures of EDINA (Jennifers Saudners) and PATSY(Joanna Lumley), two borded, dumb, wealthy and often very DRUNK women in London! This IRREVERANT BBC comedy is now available on this side of the POND! SEE Edna and Patsy bring excess to new heights of ABSURDITY! WATCH all 18 episodes of the show PLUS a 30-minute behind-the-scenes look at the show entiteled "How to Be Absolutely Fabulous!" You will enjoy the priceless OUTTAKES! This collection includes four-discs PLUS the bonus disc with "Ab Fab Moments," the ORIGINAL SKETCH from "French & Saunders"! Finally, ENJOY the interactive map of Edina and Patys' weird and wacky WORLD!

The Best British Comedy Ever!!
To me, Absolutely Fabulous will never get old!! Eddy and Patsy are two of the funniest people I have ever seen on TV!! I'll have to admit, at first I thought that Patsy and Eddy were only seen as gay icons throughout the world. Buying this collection just goes to show that ANYONE can enjoy the hilarious situations that these two women go through, with a whole bunch of people surrounding them making each episode that much more funny!!! I highly recommend this and any other Absolutely Fabulous DVD to anyone!!!

"Sweetie, Darling its AB FAB at its best!
Sure this is camp and lots of men like it but daren't own up to it as they fear been accused of been gay, but hey im straight and i love it!
Joanna Lumley is just gorgeous and so funny as the ageing tart with the big hair and she is my favourite, but Jennifer is brilliant as Edina, changed from "Edwina" as she just lives the good life and whatever she wants she gets, but she still has fat thighs!
Julia Sawhala is briliant as the quick witted very plain and dull Saffy and June whitfield a comedy legand in England becomes a new modern character as gran and is smashing.
The funniest character i think is Bo the "in with anger, out with love" character who winds everybody up without knowing it. The funniest example of this is when Saffy, Gran, the two ex husbands and ones boyfriend are talking about antiques and halfway through Bo says innocently "i love old things" and as she says it she puts an arm round gran and looks at her.
This is first rate comedy and sweetie darling is often said in this coutry and now has become part of the english language!

Fantastic, Sweetie!
This DVD set proves that some of the best sitcoms come from the BBC. Jennifer Sanders and Dawn French are brilliant writers.

The cast of "Ab Fab" is one for the history books. A classic cast that can stand along side of the great one like "I Love Lucy", "All In The Family" and so one.

I never get tired of seeing the antics of Eddy, Pats and Saffy!

Right, cheers thanks a lot! ... Read more

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Buster Keaton was arguably the cinema's first modernist, an old-fashioned romantic with a 20th-century mind behind a deadpan visage. His filmsbrim with some of the most breathtaking stunts and ingenious gags ever put onfilm, all perfectly engineered to look effortless. And, as Kino's magnificent11-disc boxed set The Art of Buster Keaton conclusively shows, they areamong the funniest ever made. Keaton warped gags until they left the plane ofreality in such shorts as The Playhouse (1921) and The FrozenNorth (1922), and takes a logic-defying leap into the very nature of cinemaitself in his hilarious Sherlock Jr. (1924). He takes on the mechanicalworld with Rube Golberg ingenuity in The Navigator (1924) and perfectshis match between man and massive machine in Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928),which features the funniest hurricane scene ever put to film, and TheGeneral (1927), one of the greatest comedies of all time.

In addition to the previously released 11 features and 19 shorts from the peakof Keaton's career, this set boasts the exclusive Keaton Plus, acollection of rarities and tributes. The greatest find is the long-lost endingto Hard Luck (1921), now restored to complete the film's final inspiredgag. Other highlights include newly discovered scenes from Daydreams(1922) and The Love Nest (1923), entertaining excerpts from Keaton's 1951TV show Life with Buster Keaton (he's still got it!), and his raredramatic turn in the 1954 television play The Awakening. --SeanAxmaker ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Keaton DVD Collection- Almost Perfect
The 11-disc set of Buster Keaton's work is, of course, a must-have for Mr. Keaton's fans in particular and silent film fans in general (sorry..). Having all these wonderful films on DVD is truly a dream come true.
That being said, I must point out one or two things with which I was disappointed. The set is said to be "digitally mastered from archival prints". Then why are there so many sections of film that are in such poor condition? While digital technology cannot replace lost film, even on my home computer I can touch-up photographs; surely a film restoration company should have better and more extensive resources at its disposal. Another sore spot is the scoring. I have been spoiled by a brilliant musician who plays at the Silent Movie Theatre here in Los Angeles, Dean Mora. He is the perfect accompanist for silent films. Some of the scoring for the DVD set is, forgive me, atrocious. The worst offense is the use of the James Bond theme for one part of SHERLOCK, JR. Of only slightly less heinous nature is the use of thematic elements from other (read "future") time periods. I may sound like an old fogey (I'm 43), but I think that a piano is fine, a violin and maybe one or two other chamber pieces sufficient. I am not averse to full orchestration, but music choice and coordination with the film is paramount. Musical cues should reflect on-screen action. One last point; sound effects are not needed.
Even with the flaws, I say: buy this set. It's wonderful to have Mr. Keaton in your home.

a treasure...
I don't disagree with the minor complaints of some of the other reviews of this Kino set of Buster Keaton's 1920s films. The music isn't always at the highest level. But generally its quite good, especially considering that most DVD reissues of silents are backed with a soundtrack performed on a synthesizer. I prefer a slightly out-of-tune but bona fide violin to a digital imitation of an orchestra. Also, these transfers have been around for a few years. Perhaps some of them could be improved upon. I noticed that the more recent Image DVD issue of "The General" has a better image. Perhaps someday we'll get a new Keaton set with transfers to match the quality of Image Entertainment's the General. But overall the image quality of the current Kino set is very good to excellent.

Those caveats aside, I would put this collection (along with Image's box of the Chaplin Mutuals and Essanays) in the 'essential' category for silent movie fans. Considering that a lot of movie classics are yet to see DVD issue, we are fortunate that Kino has put together such a comprehensive collection of Keaton's pre-MGM movies. Bogart fans will have to wait for the African Queen, but Keaton fans can enjoy these films right now. And unlike the Chaplin boxed set mentioned above, there's hardly a dud in the Keaton collection. Pretty much everything here will bring enjoyment over repeated viewings. With Image Entertainment's wonderful Arbuckle/Keaton issue now readily available, all we need is The Cameraman and Spite Marriage! I'd love to see these films make it to DVD...

indespensable set of hollywoods first modernist
the old chaplin vs keaton thing seems all the more pointless upon viewing the bulk of keatons work.
comparing them is a bit like the old apples and oranges thing.
chaplin was certainly the better actor.
he was more emotional and stirred your feeling far more than keaton.
but chaplin was not really an innovator like keaton was and in keatons best work his revolutionary aesthetics stand out.
works like 'playhouse' (in my opinion his greaest accomplishment)
and sherlock jr.
try comparing these to chaplins easy street and it simply cant be done.
this set was long overdue and it is a treasure to have, and i think to appreciate keaton you simply cant watch one of his films, you have to watch a group of them.
of course keaton paid the price for being just 'too artistic' and was duly punished in time by the system (for a while chaplin knew how to deal the sytem better than keaton did,).
invest in it and see the evolution of an important artist.

"Mister, we could use a man like Buster Keaton again..."
I had only seen a handful of Buster Keaton's films before deciding to take the plunge and buy the mammoth "Art Of Buster Keaton" DVD box set. I'm glad I threw the dice and ordered this. Here is silent filmmaking at its finest, with great attention to detail given to both short and feature films. The films are good and, although some of them are showing their age, I expect these are the best prints possible. You can't ask for anything more.

This is a huge collection of films (11 features and 19 shorts), so reviewing individual items is not going to be beneficiary. These discs have also been released individually, and I've already written many words on each of them. But in general terms, I did find that I preferred his short films to his longer works. The feature films don't quite have the frantic pace to them that made the shorter films so memorable and enjoyable. Of course, comparisons to his short movies a little unfair, as those shorts are rightly praised as some of the funniest sequences ever filmed. But there are some incredible moments in his features as well as some strong movies.

But those shorts. Wow. Here are some of the most memorable movie scenes I have ever viewed. Once seen, who can forget the literally hundreds of angry police officers chasing Keaton in COPS, or the prisoner bungee jumping from the end of a noose in CONVICT 13, or the DIY house being demolished by a train in ONE WEEK? These films are fast-paced, surreal, bizarre and hilarious. I loved them to pieces.

Prop comedy is something that is now horrifyingly associated with such painfully annoying clowns as Carrot Top (Lord help us). But in the slapstick era, this was something that was not only funny, it could be downright diabolical. I can only imagine how long it must have taken to construct the trap doors and false walls and other goodies that cropped up again and again. Clever, inventive and strangely sophisticated, these physical implements, when combined with Keaton's formidable athletic abilities, produced some amazing and breathtaking scenes.

One of the things I would wonder to myself was not simply "How on Earth did Keaton do that stunt?", but "How on Earth did Keaton survive that stunt?" His accomplishments are made all the more impressive given that he was performing all of these aerobatics himself with little in the way of trick photography (decades later, Jackie Chan would work in much the same way to similar acclaim).

The major bonus in this set is the final DVD, KEATON PLUS, which contains all sorts of rarities and extras. While the films here show Keaton in the 1920s, these extras focus on Keaton later in his career. It's somewhat sad to see the great man reduced to doing cheesy commercials, but he's always at least watchable. A few short excerpts from his 1950s TV series are included, and while it's fun to see that he could still take a pratfall thirty years on, I suspect that the thrust behind his return was the opportunity to make out with the incredibly tall and gorgeous model who appeared in virtually every clip. Lucky old Buster; though after being teamed up with Jimmy Durante, that's the least that karma owed him.

I noticed that some reviewers have had negative things to say about the musical selections used as the soundtrack to these silent pictures. My experience was quite different, as overall I enjoyed the music and was only occasionally annoyed by it. On the other hand, you may wish to take what I say with a grain of salt, as I thought the James Bond musical riff in SHERLOCK, JR. was absolutely wonderful.

This was a great purchase, and during the perusal of this set, I felt I was not only seeing some great filmmaking, but a real splice of cinema history. It's really a shame that Keaton's career went down the tubes after the 1920s, as I felt his features were gradually improving as he gained more experience. His shorts (from the early part of the decade) were uniformly excellent, but I got the impression that he was gaining more useful experience in feature-length movies and developing as filmmaker. It may be a bit depressing to know what happened after signing to MGM, but at least here we can enjoy the good times while they lasted. And they certainly were good times and great films.

Good stuff, but a few oversights...
This is a very good collection of the "essentials" of Keaton. One problem I have is that the bonus disk includes the complete "Hard Luck" (it adds back in the heretofore misplaced final gag), but the unrestored "Hard Luck" is on another disk. While interesting to see how Kino overcame the problem of the unfound film (it describes the gag and shows a still), I would rather have had the restored "Hard Luck" on one disk and had some bonus disk space freed up for the entire "This is Your Life" program (which sounds interesting in Keaton bios).

The Thames TV/HBO Video three-parter "A Hard Act to Follow" has a better variety of rarities, including samplings of Keaton's final works (including Samuel Beckett's "Film", an industrial safety film, "The Railrodder", and some decent interviews and behind the scenes).

On the picky side, one of my brand new DVDs had a scuff on it. I contacted Kino and they offered a replacement in return for the damaged disc, which I appreciate. Many of the discs also had fingerprints on them, which they will contact their manufacturer about. A small matter, perhaps, but the relatively high cost of this set and the reputation of Kino as a premier film reissue company means to me that such sloppiness should not be an issue. ... Read more

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Deep Space Nine's fifth season was a turning point from which there was no going back. Character and information overload took over, and the complicated twists and turns in the build up to war either hooked viewers securely, or sent them away with a headache. The Klingon faction instigated by Worf's arrival was occasionally played for laughs, but mostly their hardheaded personalities made all efforts at diplomacy moot. In the opening episode a chilling possibility is proposed as to what might be: have the Changelings infiltrated already and replaced key personnel? Some fans saw this as a flawed X-Files-style development. Nevertheless it sowed a seed of insidious suspicion, affecting all the principal casts' relationships with one another, even allowing Odo and Quark an opportunity to confess a degree of friendship. Expanding on the new theme of duplication, the crew also made numerous trips to their mirror-universe counterparts.

As well as new uniforms and the milestone 100th episode, Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig got to comically disguise the arrival of their child during filming. More laughs came from the fan favorite "Trials and Tribble-ations," with CG allowing Sisko and crew to interact with Kirk and a cameo from Leonard Nimoy. Avery Brooks began taking a backseat, partly a result of the now-overcrowded cast. Although Sisko's destiny would be foreshadowed by his first vision and the introduction of the Pah-wraiths, the Captain was in an increasingly sulky mood. Brooks only directed one episode, allowing room for regulars LeVar Burton and Rene Auberjonois to do more behind the camera. Joining them were Alexander Siddig, Michael Dorn and even Andrew Robinson. Available space started to seem hardly deep enough. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Excellent Season
Deep Space Nine's fifth season was the best to date. A lot of things happened in this season: the war with the Dominion began, the endgame with the Maquis ended, we got a visit from a fan favorite from another Trek series, a visit to the original Starship Enterprise, another Deep Space Nine, an end to the Klingon-Federation conflict, and a truly incredible twist at the end. This season must be counted as one of the show's best.

It is difficult to give highlights when nearly every episode is a highlight, but I will try. The season begins with "Apocalypse Rising", which has Sisko, Worf & co. masquerading as Klingons to expose the changeling in the Klingon High Council. After this episode comes the tense "The Ship", which is a sort of mystery story where everything is not as it seems. Next comes "Looking for par'mach..." a fun (and funny) episode which culminates in Quark dueling another Klingon with Batleths! The best episode of the season is perhaps "Trials and Tribble-ations" which has the DS9 crew going back in time to the classic Trek "Trouble with Tribbles" episode. Everything about this episode works: plenty of humor, nostalgia, and trek trivia. The season moved along to a great two parter which dealt with changeling infiltrators (In Purgatory's shadow, By Inferno's Light) as well as "Rapture", which showed the increasing responsibility that Sisko felt in his role as Bajoran Emissary. "Business as Usual" has Quark finally getting into the arms-dealing business, and eventually developing a conscience. The Maquis are dealt with in the satisfying "For the Uniform" and Eddington says good-bye in "Blaze of Glory". "Empok Nor" has the feel of a classic slasher movie, with Garak going just a bit insane. "In the Cards" is a final light episode centering on Jake and Nog's attempt to cheer up Jake's father, then the season ends with "A Call to Arms", one of the show's best episodes and perhaps the best cliffhanger ever. So much great drama in this episode: The Dominion actually takes over Deep Space Nine, Kira has to work with Gul Dukat, Sisko leaves his baseball behind. This episode leaves fans craving more, and those cravings would be fulfilled in the sixth season.

Season 5 broke the mold with its bold storytelling and paved the way for the incredible final two seasons. There are many great moments here, and it is a solid season all around.

Amazing
DS9's 5th season is almost flawless (the only mediocre episode is Let he who is without sin...).

My favourite episodes are (in no particular order):
- APOCALYPSE RISING (Sisko is formidable as a Klingon)
- LOOKING FOR PAR'MACH IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES (Cyrano de Bergerac in space with a twist)
- NOR THE BATTLE TO THE STRONG (great acting by Cirroc Lofton as Jake)
- THE ASSIGNMENT (Another "Let's torture O'Brien" episode. Rosalind Chao gives a creepy performance as the possessed Keiko)
- TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS (the famous "crossover" episode)
- THINGS PAST (Odo's past catches up with him)
- THE ASCENT (Quark and Odo make a great duo)
- THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT (A kind of "Ten Little Indians" in space)
- THE BEGOTTEN (Odo gets his shapeshifing abilities back in a special (and moving) way)
- IN PURGATORY'S SHADOW / BY INFERNO'S LIGHT (One of the best double-lengths episodes of the series, in which one of Garak's secrets is revealed)
- TIES OF BLOOD AND WATER (we learn more about Kira's past)
- CHILDREN OF TIME (One of the best episodes of the season that shows what Odo is capable of)
- BLAZE OF GLORY (Eddington says goodbye with a bang)
- EMPOK NOR (Although a little predictable, still very good in terms of both action and acting)
- CALL TO ARMS (the start of the Dominion war, and one of the best season endings)

The special features are all in the same league with the other season, with two features on TRIAL AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS, which are rather interesting, MICHAEL WESTMORE'S ALIENS, O'BRIEN'S CREW DOSSIER (which could have been a little longer) and 10 hidden files.

Now with added shouting
The fifth season of Deep Space Nine is a strong entry in the Star Trek line-up. The influence of Babylon 5 was growing, with even more elaborate on-going storylines cropping up. This may have made things confusing when the series originally aired (if you happened to not be home during an important episode, you'd come back the next week to a different galactic power-balance), but since the show is now out on DVD, there's no real danger of missing something and getting lost.

The previous season had seen the introduction of Worf, and his entry onto the station opened up a large potential for Klingon stories. Season four had devoted a fair amount of time to tales of the Klingon Empire. That trend continued through to the fifth year culminating in "Soldiers of the Empire" which takes place almost entirely on board a Klingon Bird Of Prey with Dax as the only character not buried underneath heavy prosthetics. To my surprise, I really enjoyed this gradual inclination towards more episodes dealing with loud actors shouting at each other about honor. I had been fairly bored during The Next Generation's attempts at building up the Klingons, so I was very happy that the Deep Space Nine people managed to not only hold my interest, but kept me wanting to see more.

My enthusiasm for this season is caught between a desire to talk about the various ongoing plot stands and the need to highlight the great standalone episodes. Deep Space Nine did an almost perfect job of balancing the two, making my job even more difficult. The Star Trek universe underwent many changes during this year with all sorts of allegiances forming and/or falling apart. On a more personal level, a few characters had to face demons from their past, but those stories were generally better than one might expect (in Star Trek, "demons from the past" usually involve someone's parent showing up unexpectedly and a Large Argument From Childhood finally being cleared up -- thankfully the show mostly steered away from this). Sisko's role as Emissary of Bajor was given more than just a cursory examination, while Quark and Odo continued to develop their snide arguments.

The extras in this release revolve around the fifth season (surprise, surprise). This means that there's not one but two mini-documentaries focused on the "Trials and Tribble-ations" episode (where Sisko and company go back in time and interact with the original 60s Star Trek episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles"). And, to be fair, there's a lot of stuff from and about that episode worthy of discussion. The first documentary involves a lot of talking heads discussing how the premise developed and what kinds of difficulties the production crew encountered getting it to the screen. The second documentary (and the one I found the most interesting, geek that I am) is more about the technical side of the episode -- how they managed to actually get the modern day actors and actresses to appear as if they were standing alongside their TOS counterparts. The "Forrest Gump" technology is expounded upon at length as well as the troubles that the model designers had in recreating the old ships and starbase models.

We also have a mini-documentary featuring the character of Miles O'Brien, one of the series' more entertaining and realistic characters. Also, Mike Okuda gives a guided tour of the space-station sets, pointing out little in-jokes that were too small to be seen on-camera. Michael Westmore (as he has in previous seasons) takes a look back at the various alien baddies and their makeup.

There were a few clunkers this year ("Let He Who Is Without Sin" - argh! Run away! Run away!), but overall I found this to be an excellent season of television. The storyline continually gets beefed up until one can't figure out exactly how they are going to keep outdoing themselves. The season ender is a great bit of storytelling and gives one a great sense of anticipation for the following year.

make it so..............................
the best of all the sets...........a must have for all.........make it so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Joe marzionna

THE BEST SEASON EVER!
A must see episode: "Trials and Tribble-ations"...Sisko must go back in time and prevent the assassination of James T. Kirk.
Also look for Jadzia Dax in her swimsuit in "Let He Who is Without Sin" ... Read more

Reviews (13)

See my review of each individual Aunt Jane movie
In case it gets cross posted this is a review of [Collection 2 (1986) ASIN: 630340488X] This collection contains five Aunt Jane Movies ("The Moving Finger," "Nemesis," "The Murder at the Vicarage," "At Bertram's Hotel," "They Do It with Mirrors,"]. There is no way to rank these movies as to which one is best. They are like shoes; everyone has a different favorite.

I did look it up to find that all of Agatha Christie's full Miss Marple novels were made in to movies with Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple. And this set has 5. Agatha Christie Collection 1 - Boxed Set ASIN: 6303111564, contains 4 more. Then there are three individual films not in the collection boxes.

If you do not obtain them all you will be haunted for the rest of your life wondering what you missed.

See my review of each individual Aunt Jane movie
This collection contains five Aunt Jane Movies ("The Moving Finger," "Nemesis," "The Murder at the Vicarage," "At Bertram's Hotel," "They Do It with Mirrors,"]. There is no way to rank these movies as to which one is best. They are like shoes; everyone has a different favorit.
I did look it up to find that all of Agatha Christie's full Miss Marple novels were made in to movies with Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple. And this set has 5. Agatha Christie Collection 1 - Boxed Set, contains 4 more. Then there are three individual films in a third set ... (VHS).
If you do not obtain them all you will be haunted for the rest of your life wondering what you missed.

Not a "who done it?" a "what was done?"
This is one of those films [incase it is cross posted this is a review of "Miss Marple: Nemesis (1986) ASIN: 6303404855] that need to be watched twice. So much is packed from the beginning that you may forget it by the time you need the information. Then you can say "Oh, that was why."
A previous stated "This play isn't about a murder, it's about Miss Marple." And many of the characters repeat this through out the film. And this is maybe not standard but one of the plays where everyone and then some shows up in one place. It is not quite like "And Then There Were None (1945)" ASIN: 6304679661, but in a way more complicated.
Everyone is wrapped up in saying how good the plot is, how good Agatha Christie is, and how well Joan Hickson played Miss Jane Marple. Slow down and look at the Scenery and props. This has the look and the feel of the time from the buildings to the busses. It makes you feel that you are part of that time. At least you want to visit there.

Quaint
Anything that can inspire MatronsApron to write a song about it must be of some merit. A compelling series of mystery stories, each with its own type of clanicity.

A noticing kind of person......
Step back into Britain of the 1950s. WWII is over and this is your opportunity to enjoy a vanished world of vintage buses, cars and trains. Carry your leather suitcase into the vine covered cottage, or visit your old school chum in her palatial mansion. Observe the Vicar and his wife on their bicycles. Visit the Norman Church for Evensong and note original frescos installed during the Middle Ages. If you're free for a holiday, take a motorcoach trip and visit Blenheim and Stourton. Dine at a first class hotel in London where the waiters wear white gloves or have tea and cakes with Miss Jane Marple--she might even offer you a glass of elderberry wine.

Miss Marple is a noticing kind of elderly woman who lives in the Village of Saint Mary Mead. Occasionally she travels hither and thither to visit friends or take advantage of a lovely trip planned by a nephew. She always has her knitting needles in hand, working on a baby blanket or a sweater for a nephew. Jane Marple--Godmother and Aunt to several young people--I wish I had known her personally--but this is the next best thing after the books. "There she goes, tail up and head down" on the trail of another murderer--and she will get her man or woman as the case may be.

I agree with the reviewer who said one doesn't buy these DVDs with the expectation of Criterion remastering. Even so, the quality of the films on these DVDs is pretty darn good. I collect Criterion DVDs and expect them to be the fully restored works of art they are. However, some of the films Criterion has restored were so badly damaged they are NOT better than the Miss Marple films even when Criterion has done it's best. Also, many of the Criterion films are Black and White films from the 1930s and 1940s and of interest because of their filmography and/or the innovative techniques their directors employed. Some of these films were shot on a shoestring budget and it shows. Technology has improved dramatically since the 40s. The reason I buy the older Criterion films is to see how clever directors worked around technological constraints.

Call me blind, but I think the quality of the Miss Marple tv films is pretty good. Although some outdoor scenes are faded in spots (the films were shot in color) the director had access to camerawork not available in the 40s. Also, these scripts are excellent and filled with interesting detail. Most Criterion films average 1-2 hours of playing time (not counting the "perks" which you may or may not be interested in) whereas Series 2 of the Miss Marple films offers the viewer 500 wonderful minutes.

I am grateful that I have access to DVD copies of the Miss Marple stories, and I can watch them any time I want to. When I am watching them, I am reminded of life in the days when I was a young girl. Plus, today's tv entertainment is pretty much directed to the younger set whereas the Miss Marple films are probably better appreciated by older folks like me who lived through the forties and fifties--or younger folks who wish they had.

The British actors in the BBC productions are consumate professionals. Joan Hickson was told by Agatha Chistie that she thought Hickson was the BEST Miss Marple ever! Incidentally, I believe Ms. Hickson appears in the Criterion version of THE LADY VANISHES and I know she is in one of the Margaret Rutherford films. If you've read Christie's novels, you know Hickson fits the description of Miss Marple far better than Margaret Rutherford. Christie described Miss Marple as tall and thin with fine white hair and twinkly blue eyes--a gentle person in a cardigan sweater carrying a bag with her knitting needles and latest project--not an agressive broad in a tweed suit. Many other fine British actors are featured in these films--Joss Ackland, Claire Bloom, Rosemary Crutchly all favorites of mine who can out perform the "mega" stars any day of the week.

I love the vintage settings, costumes, clothing, china, knick-knacks and bric-a-brac, jewelry, shoes, hats, handbags, luggage, handkerchiefs--nothing is missing. I still own a handkerchief sachet with hand embroidered handkerchiefs my grandmother made --and one makes a very important appearance in a Miss Marple tale. The BBC maintains a museum in Stratford on Avon where one can view the costumes and other props used in various productions. The Miss Marple films give me a vicarious thrill and a trip down memory lane. Tea anyone?? ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first season of Have Gun--Will Travel makes it easy to see why this Western series was an overnight success. Making its debut on September 14, 1957, the half-hour show ranked no. 4 in the ratings for its entire first season, which ran almost completely uninterrupted (minus a one-week preemption) until June of 1958--a punishing schedule unheard of in present-day television. (It ranked even higher in subsequent seasons, holding the no. 3 spot, behind Gunsmoke and Wagon Train.) Richard Boone was perfectly cast in the lead role of Paladin, a cultured gunslinger whose West Point education, impeccable style, literate sophistication, and distinguished Civil War service made him unique among Western heroes, and the prototype for many dashing figures to follow. Based in San Francisco's ritzy Carlton Hotel, he scans newspapers to locate trouble throughout the wild West, then cagily markets his services (via his legendary calling card, "Have Gun--Will Travel") as a hired gun, moral arbiter, voice of reason, and reluctant killer of badmen. Understanding the complexities of frontier justice, Paladin (whose full name is never revealed) could turn on those who hired him if he suspected dubious motivations. He wore black, but he traveled in an ethical gray zone.

Running about 25 minutes each, these 39 episodes are consistently good and economically plotted, since Have Gun boasted stellar talent on both sides of the camera. Each episode began with the memorable theme by legendary film composer Bernard Herrmann, and most of the first season was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, who worked regularly on Gunsmoke, Rawhide, and Perry Mason before graduating to a prolific big-screen career. Regular writers included Gene Roddenberry (who created Star Trek six years later), and budding maverick Sam Peckinpah co-wrote episode #22, "The Singer." In addition to series regular Kam Tong as Paladin's Chinese-American manservant Hey Boy (a "Coolie" stereotype, but Tong handles it with dignity, especially in "Hey Boy's Revenge"), Have Gun offered a who's-who of 1950s and '60s guest stars, from genre stalwarts like Victor McLaglen (Andrew's father), John Carradine, Strother Martin, and R.G. Armstrong, to promising newcomers like Angie Dickinson, Warren Oates, and Charles Bronson (the last starring in "The Outlaw," one of the season's finest episodes). Each episode is accompanied by background information and guest-star profiles, and while picture quality is quite good overall, the audio quality suffers from a low-level mix with noticeable hiss from aged source materials. Fortunately, this won't prevent anyone from enjoying a first-rate TV series that thrived for another five seasons, until cancellation in 1963. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Description

The Battle of the Bulge: Nazi Panzer forces stage a last-ditch Belgian front offensive that could turn the tide of WWII. Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw and Robert Ryan in the spectacular recreation of a crucial campaign.

Battleground: Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy star in this remarkable war film, nominated for six Oscars(R) (including Best Picture) about courageous American G.I.s caught up in the battle at Bastogne.

The Big Red One Special Edition: "The real glory of war," Samuel Fuller said, "is surviving."A decorated combatant with the famed U.S. First Infantry in WWII, Fuller survived.His 1980 film version of his war experiences did not...until now.Working with 70,000 feet of vault materials and Fuller's shooting script, critic/filmmaker Richard Schickel heads a reconstruction that adds over 40 minutes and transforms a truncated but admired war film into an epic masterwork.Lee Marvin, in a richly layered performance now revealed as one of his finest, stars as the sergeant of peach-fuzzed riflemen fighting from North Africa to Normandy and across Europe.The film is the squad's combat diary, war as it's fought and sweated and bled, and, maybe, survived.

The Dirty Dozen: Twelve jailbirds will earn their freedom...if they survive a suicide mission against the Nazi brass. Tough-as-nails Lee Marvin leads a nothing-to-lose convict squad of Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Trini Lopez, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker and more in the all-time action trendsetter.Where Eagles

Dare: The mission is clear. Get in. Get the general. Get out. Commandos charged with freeing a U.S. general from an Alpine fortress should also be told to trust nothing - including the search-and-rescue orders just issued. Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood go Where Eagles Dare in this twisty World War II thriller written by action master Alistair MacLean (The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra) and directed by Brian G.Hutton (Kelly's Heroes). Known for fiery dramatic roles, Burton ventures into the realm of movie pyrotechnics with dynamic efficiency. And Eastwood's cool-fire presence heightens one searing action sequence after another. The film became Eastwood's then-largest hit and its studio's #1 moneymaker of the year. ... Read more

Description

At the time, martial arts training hall or "dojo" owner Soun Tendo thought engaging one of his three daughters to Ranma - the son of longtime friend and training partner Genma Saotome - was a good idea, but that was before "he" turned out to be a "she"!Youngest Tendo daughter Akane (who's always claimed to "hate boys" anyway) is quickly nominated for bridal duty by her older sisters, while an unruly Ranma (who never wants to do anything his dad says on general principle) must come to grips with the mixed blessing of his/her own appeal... to both boys and girls.

The first season of Ranma1/2! Available for the first time on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Saotome School of Anything Goes DVD
When I first heard of Ranma 1/2, the premise alone made me steer clear. A boy, cursed in an ancient Chinese spring, turns into a girl whenever splashed with cold water. Hot water undoes the curse, but only until the next time. I wanted nothing to do with this gender bender series billed as a martial arts sex comedy.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
A good friend made me watch it, and I was hooked. In a series that pokes fun at gender stereotypes, with martial arts hijinx, a mismatched marriage engagement between the hapless Ranma Saotome, cursed to become a girl in cold water, and the boy-hating Akane Tendo, who would sooner die than admit her feelings for Ranma, this is a hilarious series.
Season One introduces us to the amazing characters; Ranma, Akane and her sisters, Kasumi and Nabiki, and several rivals for both the hearts of Ranma and Akane. As we watch Ranma struggle to deal with not one, but two engagements, as the Chinese Amazon warrior Shampoo enters the scene. And marvel at the antics of the eternally lost boy, Ryoga Hibiki, Ranma's rival for Akane's heart, and bearer of a "dark secret".
Let me put it this way, if you want a great laugh that you know will always be around to treasure, then you can't go wrong getting Ranma 1/2 on DVD. Your sense of direction would have to be worse than Ryoga Hibiki's to pass this up.

Life is good...
Ranma 1/2, the gender switching comedy by Rumiko Takahashi, has long been a favorite of fans. Closer to Urusei Yatsura than Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi returns to a high school setting and ultimately a more episodic plot. This first season retains more of a continuous plot than any of the later seasons, and introduces most of the main characters. Though the series eventually becomes tedious, this season is fresh and fun. Anyone who calls him or herself an anime fan should definitely take a look. The Ranma dub is notorious among fans that suffered without subtitled versions for years. This DVD set solves this problem once and for all, including both Japanese with English subtitles, and the well-done English dub. Anyone who has never heard Megumi Hayashibara's Girl-type Ranma should watch it just for that.

The box is nice, but the DVDs are no frills. The Furinkan Gazettes, although no liner notes, would still have been a nice addition. Still, this is a great series and a good box set. I highly recommend it. Four stars.

I've been waiting a long time for this one.
Finally, the first season of Ranma 1/2 on DVD. There are three major reasons to get this:

(1) The first few episodes introduce the enchanted spring phenonema and establishes the Ranma/Akane relationship. Nowhere else in the series was this done adequately.

(2) The introduction of the Shampoo character. Rumiko's blend of Love, martial arts and gags reaches its zenith here. This is perhaps one of the best anime episodes ever produced.

(3) I really love this first season because this is where creator Rumiko Takahashi has creative control. There is a subtleness in the humor and relationships that was unfortunately lost in the later seasons. Rumiko's mastery lets you actually feel what the characters are feeling as the story progresses.

This is an all time classic for people who wish to collect the best of anime.

Caution: This series contains "comic nudity". It's not kinky stuff, but just illustrates how Ranma doesn't have modesty after getting transformed into a girl after contact with cold water. It's not a "sex comedy" but a "gender comedy" focusing on relationship and gender roles.

THIS IS THE GREATEST EVER!
There is no way of saying how much I thank Rumiko Takahashi for creating this amazing series. I reccomend this series to everyone! SO, if you want to spend your money on something worthwhile THEN SPEND IT ON THIS!

A Great Start to a Very Entertaining Series
Ranma 1/2 is by far the most entertaining anime series I have watched to date. Having watched Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Dragonball (Z), etc. I have to say that Ranma 1/2 is easily the most original and hilarious. Although there is plenty of martial arts action, it is also refreshing that no-one ever gets killed. The premise of the Ranma 1/2 series lies in the hilarious situations that occur due to the love interests of the many colorful characters. Needless to say Ranma is in the center of the whole convoluted scenario being the "unwilling" recipient of affections from both female and male suitors (while in his female form). The fact that Ranma is able to turn into a girl makes for some of the funniest situations imaginable.

I have now watched the first 4 seasons of Ranma 1/2 in chronological order and I think seasons 1 and 2 are the best. Season one introduces you to the main characters and sets the background for following episodes. Yet each episode is entertaining and usually adds a new character or interesting story element. Someone who is very familiar with the series may find some of the first few episodes "thin" because many of the main characters don't get introduced till later. However, for those who are relatively new, I think the build up in history and character development is perfect. Enough time is devoted to each new character introduced to give them some depth. In the season 1 set, the story line is relatively linear from episode to episode (each episode continues where the last left off). In seasons 3 and 4 this no longer occurs quite as much with the some episodes becoming almost completely "stand alone".

In conclusion this is a set that all Ranma fans should have and anime fans that haven't yet watched Ranma should definitely start here. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

One of my Favorite TV Shows...But 5 Discs??
I absolutely love this show. The first time I watched it, it seemed to much like an ultra-violent soap opera and I wasn't sure if I liked it. I watched the second episode and it grew on me and by the third episode I was hooked. It's so over-the-top that you can't help but be entertained. They should put it on HBO or something so they don't have to hold back on anything. You can tell the show wants to be worse, content wise, than it already is.
The one thing I find odd about this set is that it's five discs. That seems a little weird considering that there were only 13 episodes in the first season. This set should be 3 discs, 4 at the most. The first two or three should be just episodes then either put the Special Features on the third or on a fourth disc. The price seems a little high, but it's totally worth the money. Wow Nip/Tuck Season 1, Simpsons Season 4 and Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 2 on the same day. I can't wait! Second season starts June 22nd. YES!

"A Perfect Life"
When I heard great things about this series from friends, I simply had to check it out. Unfortunately for me, I don't have cable. However, when this DVD set came out I was lucky enough to find it for rent at a local video store and thus I rented and watched all five discs. I'm glad I did! This is a great series that shouldn't be missed.

The plot centers on Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and his partner in crime Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon). They are both plastic surgeons who share their medical practice. Together they help people to hide on the outside what they can't face on the inside. Sean McNamara has a wife (Joely Richardson) and two children, and seems to be relatively content with his life. That is, if you ignore the fact that he doesn't talk to his wife and kids as much as he should because of his work hours. Furthermore, his wife feels resentment towards him because she raised the kids alone and helped support him through medical school while ignoring her own dreams. Christian Troy is the antithesis of Sean in many ways. He is a commitment-phobic sex addict who tries to get out and enjoy what life has to offer. The fact that he makes a ton of money and can wave that notion in women's faces certainly aids him in his quest. Undoubtedly, he has made several enemies along the way.

The relationship between these two is complex. They are more than mere business partners. They are best friends and confidants, and together they get themselves mixed up in strange medley of unsettling incidences that will test their friendship and ultimately bring them closer than ever before. Throughout the course of this first season, they will be unwillingly involved in trafficking drugs across the border, disguising child molesters, and even getting rid of a dead body. In addition to the roller coaster ride of events they experience together, they each have their own separate personal ordeals that must be dealt with. Dr. McNamara's crumbling marriage is a constant reminder of his failures, and Dr. Troy's risqué love life will come back to haunt him.

The ultimate theme for the series is that no matter how beautiful we look on the outside, there can still be hideousness on the inside. We are a society of grit and grime, and no amount of money and technology will change that. Nip/Tuck portrays that harsh reality in a brutal, in-your-face manner that is both intriguing and addicting. The symbolism seen in the opening of each episode is a great way to emphasize this point.

I must admit that I wasn't all that interested in this series after the first couple of episodes. They seemed to plunge the viewer right into the plot without spending much time developing the characters. I wanted to know who these people were and why they would do some of the things they were doing. However, I'm glad I stuck with it and continued to watch. With each new episode, small tidbits of each character's personality are revealed. These are complex characters that can't be explained in a few episodes. The writing for each episode is phenomenal, with each one being better than its predecessor.

I definitely suggest this series to fans of good television. I should note that the plastic surgery scenes tend to be quite graphic and are definitely not suitable for everyone, but don't let that keep you from checking this out. I can't wait for the second season to come out on DVD!

Searingly hot-sexy, provocative, involving.
Wow did I love this series! I missed it during the original broadcast, but based on what people have told me, I gambled on this box set. I feel like I hit the jackpot.

It's definitely not for everyone though. No sirree.

First of all, if you're squeamish, the brilliantly reproduced surgeries can be a bit nauseating. (I'm a surgeon, and I loved 'em. My wife, an ex-nurse, had to close her eyes...)
Second, if you are at all uncomfortable with the topic of sex, stay away. This series will plant you into situations you have not even imagined. Bouncing between hilarity and discomfort, sex is definitely a theme throughout the 13 shows.

Third, if you appreciate good acting, it does not get any better than this. Seriously. This is "Sopranos" good; "NYPD Blue" good. The two lead performances are pitch-perfect, both deeply flawed and often morally reprehensible individuals who at the end of the day, you can't help but root for. The "supporting" players are a heck lot more than that, and provide tons of drama, amusement and eye candy.
There is beauty and ugliness everywhere, from an absolutely gorgeous female figure to a purely evil drug dealing psychopath. That's just in one episode.

Fourth, the screenwriting is bling-bling eye-popping, smart as all hell and consistently surprising. The thirteen episodes link nicely together, the first ones dovetailing back into the last ones. I was constantly taken aback at the twists, the lines, the situations they came up with. Let's just say that I learned in the very first episode that crocodiles prefer ham to human flesh. And that fact is actually important to the story...

I haven't even had a chance to go through what appears to be fairly extensive supplements and deleted scenes. I HAD to write in...I will recommend this to ANYONE, anyone over 18 I should say, who likes good television and may like to be pleasantly shocked from time to time.

With great restraint I have withheld many (if not all) plot points, because the exhilarating thrill of discovering them on your own is something you'll only feel once. Without spoiling too much, the show centers on the Miami plastic surgery practice of McNamara/Troy.
Sean McNamara is a questionably happily married man, with one teenage son, and one grade schooler daughter.
Julia, the wife, is plagued by doubts surrounding her love for her husband, the urge to go back to medical school and sexual attractions/distractions galore.
One of whom might be Christian Troy, Sean's best friend and partner, and one of the most gleefully decadent characters in TV history. I mean "decadent" in a good way. Sort of.
His travails include, but in no way are limited to, a continuing parade of sexual partners, a number of hysterical surgical propositions, problems involving his boat, his cars, his apartment and the plastic surgery competition across town.
Other important characters include the melting hot staff psychologist and the defiant, embittered, proudly lesbian anesthesiologist. The cast has such chemistry that they not only react to one another, they generate this bubbly heat together...it's fun to watch them prod each other to new heights.

The one thing that struck me the most about these shows is the amount of genuine heart that stands at the center of each episode. There is a large amount of provocative, politically incorrect but unassailable truth here...nothing you'd like to admit, but stuff you instantly recognize. As you get to know these characters, establshing empathy fir them is easy. It's darn near irresistible. I was hooked from the first five minutes.

I could write more, but I need to go check out the extras, AND the four NEW episodes I have on tape. I have just GOT to get my Tivo hooked up...

Not for the faint-hearted
This is a gritty, down-to-earth show. From the start, I knew I was hooked. Originally I watched the show because Julian Macmahon was in it, I had seen him in Charmed and thought he was great. This show really lets him shine. Sure, there's lots of blood, realistic surgery, and sex in it, but don't let that distract you from watching theese two great actors (who do NOT play two brothers - watch the show with you eyes and ears open before writing a review) show what real life can be like. You can really get a sense of what someone may go through when they feel the need to seek out a plastic surgeon's help. Combined with the back story of the two doctor's lives outside the office, and it just makes for great viewing. It's something you have to watch yourself, do not let someone else tell you that it's good or bad - just try it, I bet you'll like it.

Dawson's Creek without the Creek
I caught an episode of this one night on F/X. The dialogue is like the tracks on a roller coaster. It makes for a great ride. I decided to pull away and wait for the DVDs. I was not disappointed.

Drs. Sean McNamara and Christian Troy are not as shallow as their profession would have you assume. I think that is the focal point of the show. These two guys care more than they should, and they care about each other most of all.

Each episode has a story in itself, as well as advances an overall story of the season. You'll find yourself addicted to the next episode. You'll want the next story and you will want to know what is going to happen to these characters, Sean and Christian, Sean's wife and son, as well as the patients that come through or in and out of the plastic surgeon's lives. This is a show where you care about the principle characters along with the second tier story tellers, i.e. the patients.

Definitely give this series a try. F/X has got the best one-hour dramas out there. ... Read more

Description

Those acclaimed Gilmore Girls are back for a second seasonof warmth, charm, zingy repartee and heart-stopping moments of drama. In this 6-disc set are all 22 irresistible year-two episodes about the people you've grown to love: young single mom Lorelai, her super-achieving daughter Rory, her elitist parents Emily and Richard, and a whole town of dreamers and eccentrics. New faces also come to Stars Hollow, including Luke's nephew Jess, whose rebelliousness offends the town, but whose passion for books attracts Rory. Hearts break and mend, careers end and begin, folks stumble and pick themselves up in a series that's "blissfully brilliant" (Ken Parish Perkins, Fort WorthStar-Telegram). ... Read more

Amazon.com

American sitcoms usually have a bland, likable central character who has to cope with obnoxious acquaintances--who usually provide most of the actual comedy. The British smartly put the comic personalities front and center, and Keeping Up Appearances has one of the best: The petty, pretentious, tyrannical Hyacinth Bucket (played by the impressive Patricia Routledge), a dowdy middle-class social climber with a piercing voice and an unshakable faith in herself. Upon learning that her mailman has seven children, she declares disapprovingly, "Quite an achievement when you have to be up so early." Whether she's scheming to invite a minor local celebrity to a garden party or scowling at an enormous dog left in her driveway, Hyacinth terrorizes all around her, particularly her long-suffering husband Richard (Clive Swift), who takes a small delight in subverting her efforts from time to time; her trembling neighbors Elizabeth and Emmett (Josephine Tewson and David Griffin), who scarcely leave their house lest they be invited in to coffee; and her sexually frustrated lower-class sisters Daisy and Rose (Judy Cornwell and Mary Millar) and Daisy's layabout husband Onslow (Geoffrey Hughes), who longs to be left in peace to eat chips and watch the races. Though Americans aren't as class-conscious as the Brits, snobbery is universal, and Keeping Up Appearances has developed an appreciative cult following on this side of the Atlantic. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Amazon.com

Broadcast in 1991, the third season of The Simpsons contains a host of candidates for "Best Simpsons Episode Ever." Homer is in such good form throughout that a reasonable case can be made that he has superseded the importance of his Greek namesake in the annals of culture and civilization.The opener, "Stark Raving Dad," for instance, features a guest appearance by an uncredited Michael Jackson, who plays an obese white inmate whom Homer meets while confined to a mental institution. Other standout episodes include "Like Father, Like Clown," in which Krusty reveals he is estranged from his Rabbi father; this is The Simpsons at the height of its powers, mature, ironic, erudite, and touching while bristling with slapstick and Bart-inspired cheek. "Flaming Moe's" features Aerosmith and sees Homer invent a cocktail that desperate, sleazy bartender Moe steals from him. "Radio Bart" is another demonstration of the series' knack for cultural references, parodying the Billy Wilder movie Ace in the Hole. Finally, there's "Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes," in which Danny DeVito reprises his role as Homer's brother, regaining the fortune Homer lost him by inventing a Baby Translator. Immensely enjoyable at any level, this third year demonstrates conclusively that The Simpsons is quite simply, and by a large margin, the greatest television show ever. --David Stubbs ... Read more

Reviews (205)

The Simpsons at their best
The Simpsons had hit their stride in this, the third season. The sappy endings that filled most of the first two seasons were gone, the animation and colors were no longer stiff or quite as washed out and grainy looking, and the voices for the first time sounded clear and perfect. The stories and episodes were also some of the best, and here it was still a surpirse to see guest stars and guest voices on the show (In the episode HOMER DEFINED, Homer sounds ecstatic when he hears that Magic Johnson has called him up at the Power Plant).

This season on top of all of the visual imporvements also showed us some of the most entertaining and memorable episodes. LISA'S PONY has Homer turning into a zombie doing the graveyard shift at the Kwik E Mart to pay for Lisa's new Pony, a pony he bought for her after ruining her talent show audition. SEPERATE VOCATIONS has Bart and Lisa switching personalities after taking the Career Aptitute Normalizing Test (or CAN'T) a test to tell you what field you would be best in. Bart cleans up his act, and is offered a hall monitor job at school after hearing he should be a cop, a disgusted Lisa turns tough after reciving Home Maker instead of blues artist. FLAMING MOE'S has Homer's own alcohalic drink saving Moe's Tavern, with Moe taking all of the credit and Homer getting nothing. BART THE LOVER has Bart toying with his lonely teachers feelings by sending her love letters to her, while she thinks it's a man who answered her personal's ad. THE OTTO SHOW is one of everybody's favorites with Bart's pal Otto losing his bus drivers job and having to live with the Simpsons. Finally, I MARRIED MARGE has Homer retelling the kids how he proposed to Marge and his struggles to find a job with Bart on the way. There are PLENTY of other good episodes to talk about in this season such as the softball episode, the episode where German investors buy the power plant and the soapbox derby episode (hopefully will be released in it's original un-cut fashion, even when shown the first couple of times back in 90-91 some scenes were edited out.)

The next best thing after this will truly be the next best season of the Simpsons, which is season 4 which also had some excellent episodes, ( DUFFLESS, A STREETCAR NAMED MARGE, HOMER THE HERETIC, ITCHY & SCRATCHY THE MOVIE along with the immortal KAMP KRUSTY.) If season 3 is the best, then season 4 is a close 2ed or maybe 1a and 1b. When this season is released, it might be one of the best DVD sets ever. Anyone who calls themselves Simpsons fans needs this set as theirs hardly a stinker in the bunch. Get it!!

24 classics
By this season The Simpsons have reached the peak of their popularity. The problems with the first two seasons are gone with this one. By this season we didn't have the washed out look of the first seasons and we were treated with twentyfour episodes of satirical brilliance. The storylines of these episodes were the best the series has seen and the voice-acting was what it would continue to be throughout the rest of the series.

This season contained some of the most memorable episodes this show has seen like Flaming Moe's, and Like Father Like Clown. This season also featured guest stars such as Michael Jackson, Joe Mantegna, Neil Patrick Harris, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson Jackie Mason, Catherine O'Hara, Aerosmith, Terry Cashman, Beverly D'Angelo, Spinal Tap, Kimmy Robertson, Joe Frazier etc. Episodes feature Homer inventing a new alchoholic beverage, Lisa getting a pony, A retelling of the early days of Marge and Homer, a company softball team featuring Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax, Don Mattingly, Ozzie Smith, Darryl Strawberry, Joe Canseco and Mike Scoscia, the return of Herbert Powell, Homer's brother, and much more. This season is definetly my pick as the defining season of The Simpsons. It's also one of the reasons why The Simpsons is the best show on television.

This set will also feature specials such as: Disc One:
Commentary on all episodes. When Flanders Failed pop-up Storyboards & sketches. Disc Two: Commentary on all episodes. Flaming Moe's pop-up Storyboards. Multi Language (Treehouse Of Horror II) Sketeches. Disc Three: Commentary on all episodes. Baby Translator. Radio Bart pop-up Storyboards & Sketches. Simpsons Character Poster. Audio Outtakes. Disc Three: Commentary on all episodes. Colonel Homer pop-up Storyboards & Sketches. Jukebox Feature.

This is the ultimate set for fans of The Simpsons brimming with special features to perfectly compliment this brilliant season.

Great season on the way to the peak
Season three is where the show comes in the magic period of faultless episodes and incredible plots unlike today's junk. After the crude animation of the first two seasons the animation improves dramtically.
19-Sep-1991 Stark Raving Dad
26-Sep-1991 Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington
03-Oct-1991 When Flanders Failed
10-Oct-1991 Bart the Murderer
17-Oct-1991 Homer Defined
24-Oct-1991 Like Father, Like Klown
31-Oct-1991 Tree House of Horror II: A Simpsons Halloween
07-Nov-1991 Lisa's Pony
14-Nov-1991 Saturdays of Thunder
21-Nov-1991 Flaming Moe's
05-Dec-1991 Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
26-Dec-1991 I Married Marge
09-Jan-1992 Radio Bart
23-Jan-1992 Lisa the Greek
06-Feb-1992 Homer Alone
13-Feb-1992 Bart the Lover
20-Feb-1992 Homer at the Bat
27-Feb-1992 Separate Vocations
12-Mar-1992 Dog of Death
26-Mar-1992 Colonel Homer
09-Apr-1992 Black Widower
23-Apr-1992 The Otto Show
07-May-1992 Bart's Friend Falls in Love
27-Aug-1992 Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes?

These episodes are classics Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington and When Flanders Failed are to of my favourite. The other are just as good, really there are no faults in this season and the next four seasons are just as good if not better. The plots are really good here, especially flaming moe's which is a true classic i love that episode so much. This is the peak of tv, nothing comes close to the simpsons at it's best...

Best Simpsons Season
The third season of the simpson's is really really funny (I think that it is the best one out on DVD right now), although the fourth seanson is pretty funny. The third seems to have a bunch of really funny episodes including Stark raving Dad, where Homer goes to a mental hospital and The Otto Show, where the Simpsons take Otto the bus driver into their house to live because he lost his job as the school bus driver because he didn't have a drivers license and therefore had to live in a dumpster until Bart found him and convince his parents to take Otto in to live with them. Anyway this season is hilarious, so if you are only going to buy one season, it should be this one.

Good stuff
More Simpsons hilarity. Can't wait for the Stonecutters episode to come out in a future release. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Key to Time: The Complete Adventure encompasses one of the more ambitious chapters in the history of the long-running BBC television series Doctor Who, and its landmark status, combined with the presence of the well-loved Tom Baker in the title role, should make this six-disc boxed set irresistible to Who fans. The 26-episode series was conceived by producer Graham Williams, who was intrigued by the idea of a season-long story arc, and after several setbacks he finally achieved it in 1978-79 for the program's 16th season. In The Key to Time, the Doctor and his new companion, the elegant and sharp-witted Time Lady Romana (Mary Tamm) are dispatched by the White Guardian to recover the six segments of the Key of Time, a powerful device with the ability to stop time. The Doctor and Romana must travel the universe to find the hidden segments before the nefarious Black Guardian discovers them. Their adventures bring them in contact with a host of unusual personalities and, in a time-honored Doctor Who tradition, a number of terrifying monsters.

Unlike the other Doctor Who DVDs from BBC America, The Key to Time: The Complete Adventure is debuting in North America rather than the United Kingdom, the reason being that the Baker serials have proven more popular with American audiences. And while offering somewhat fewer supplemental features than the previous releases, the boxed set is a rare opportunity to own an entire season of Doctor Who at one time. For fans of the series and Baker in particular, The Key to Time: The Complete Adventure is a must-have. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A great way to spend ten hours or so ...
The Key to Time is an excellent series of adventures featuring everyone's favorite Doctor, Tom Baker (though in all truthfulness it's the other Doctor named Baker, Colin, who is my own personal favorite). This boxed set gives us all six adventures in that paricular season, divided out of twenty-six short-ish episodes (laying all the pieces together, end to end, will give you about ten hours of viewing time, not counting special features). This gives us a nice range of stories told in various different styles which means that who(m)ever gets their hands on this will have a nice sampling of the various different kinds of tales Doctor Who is capable of telling, while a common theme pervades throughout each one to unite them.

Through the course of six adventures, the Doctor and his new assistant, Romana (played by the gorgeous Mary Tamm), together with a robotic dog named K-9 (the pun has been completely lost on me, I realize now, after so many years of Who viewing) travel throughout time and the universe in search of six segments to a powerful artifact known as the Key of Time which is capable of providing it's keeper with absolute power over all that exists/has existed/ever will exist. Luckily, in order to use the key of time one has to be powerful enough to be able to put it to use, and out of all that exists there exist only two beings capable of doing this. Unforunately (and inevitably), one of them is pure evil, and if the Key falls into his hands... well, you get the picture.

Of the six, my favorite has to be the first, "The Ribos Operation", set on a Medieval-esque planet that is just on the verge of an astronomic revolution, while contrary to most people's opinions, my second favorite is the fourth, "The Androids of Tara", also set on a Medieval-esque planet but in specific, hidden ways technologically superior to our own time. Going onto a tangent that includes a minor complaint extending not just to these six stories but much of the entire series: a question arises when one considers just how earth-like each of the planets the Doctor visits, as far as flora and fauna and inhabitants go... How can we explain this? Either a tremendous coincidence is at work, or each planet was long ago terraformed or colonized by humans in the distant, distant past. I would have enjoyed at least some small attempt to make the sights and sounds of each less developed planet at least a LITTLE alien (the swamp environment of Power of Kroll was a step in the right direction, but what if the plants were all tinted blue or even purple? Why should the skies always be blue?). Of course, in letting this little factoid bother me I'm stepping away from the point of Doctor Who, which is of course good, imaginative, and exciting stories, all of which are entirely present in each of the stories we're given.

Incidentally, three and a half stories I realize now are excempt from my little complaint, at least only as far as the setting goes: "The Pirate Planet" (penned by "Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" author Douglas Adams) is fine because it's set on a technologically advanced planet quite a few steps ahead of present day earth; "Stones of Blood" is set on modern-day (read, mid-seventies) Earth; and the final tale, the extended epic "The Armageddon Factor", is once again set on a trio of planets with a highly developed technological society. The half comes with "Power of Kroll", as the fact that the humans in the story specifically are descendants of colonists from Earth is stated more than once as the narrative progresses.

Also, a familiar face guest stars as one of the villains in "The Armageddon Factor": the Marshall is played by John Woodvine, who(m) I immediately recognized as the doctor (lower-case "d") from John Landis' classic "An American Werewolf in London", one of my favorite movies. Just cool to see him, nothing really more than that.

The main reason to own these stories is for the stories themselves... extras aren't such a big deal to me, but we're still given a few, which I appreciate. Each story has a commentary track (with Tom Baker on three of them), plus a few actor bios and behind the scenes photographs. Good enough for me. I would like to mention the covers on each DVD case... my gosh but they're awful! Compare any of the covers from the Key of Time series with other DVDs from BBC's Doctor Who line... they could have done a lot better if they'd tried. But as it's what's inside that counts, that won't go against my perfect five-star rating.

All in all, "The Key of Time" is an excellent smorgasbord of Doctor Who adventures, with something unique to turn to for every day of the week. You'll get some great humor, some interesting ideas, and some lovely acting, and you will have a lot of fun in the process. Buy it today! (and thank you for reading these random, disorganized thoughts)

Carry on Carry on,

MN

An Ambitious Box Set Release: Includes Full DVD Descriptions
The BBC has gone all out with this Dr. Who DVD set of Season 16 "The Key To Time". The great thing about these DVDs is that they all have commentary and Tom Baker himself has done commentary on half of them. This is great compared to other show DVD releases. How many Star Trek Episodes or Movies have commentary by any of the actual stars of the show? (NONE) Here's a description of the stories and extras you'll get in this package...

The Ribos Operations- A pretty good Robert Holms Story about greed for a valuable mineral set in a medieval type culture.
Commentary by Tom Baker and Mary Tamm(Romana). Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Pirate Planet- This is the Gem of season 16. One fo the great Douglas Adams Dr. Whos. It's about a planet that continuously experiences economic boons whose native's never bother to question why. The Doctor must face the extremely loud and boisterous Captain to find the answers. Wonderfully humorous dialogue and one of the few Whos that can hold the interest of non fans.
Commentary by Director Pennant Roberts and Bruce Purchase (the Captain) Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries plus several minutes of additional footage from the location shoots.

The Stones Of Blood- Another excellent story (from a dialogue perspective at least). Satan worshippers pray to giant stones which can move across the countryside sucking the life out of people. There's even a decent slasher film type scene with a couple camping in the woods.
Commentary by Mary Tamm and director Darrol Blake Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Androids of Tara- A swashbuckling adventure about an alien civilization who's garb look medieval but who also employ android technology. Kind of silly but kind of fun.
Commentary by Tom Baker, Mary Tamm and director Michael Hayes Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Power of Kroll- The worst one of the season. Laugh as the green painted swampies worship the giant latex Squid. Be warned... at any moment the giant rubber tentacle could come and drag someone away! Kind of like the gong show.
Commentary Tom Baker and John Leeson (K9) Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

The Armageddon Factor- The final battle for the Key To Time. Can the Doctor defeat the mysterious Shadow? I always found the Shadow to be incredibly scary although it doesn't make up for the fact that they could've probably cut a half hour out of this.
Commentary by Mary Tamm, director Michael Hayes and John Woodvine (the Marshal). Text commentaries/trivia and photo galleries.

Certainly the Doctors' LONGEST adventure...
When an actor such as Tom Baker stays with a show like Dr. Who for seven years, it's inevitable that the show will undergo a few changes and the biggest changes were the different producers. Phillip Hinchcliffe produced Bakers first three seasons, the best of the entire history of the show, in my opinion, which focused on the gothic horror elements of sci-fi and was top notch. John Nathan Turner produced Baker's last year, featuring a slightly more sedate and possibly more tired Doctor as he neared his regeneration into Peter Davison's version (also, Baker was in ill health for a stretch during the final season which accounted for his changed physical appearance). But Baker's 4th thru 6th seasons were helmed by Graham Williams, who had the unenviable task of veering away from the popular, scary and brilliant Hinchcliffe stories and had to go in a more slapstick, dumbed-down direction for the kids. Well, he succeeded. There are some nice elements in some of the different Key to time adventures and it was a bold move to do an entire season under the umbrella of one idea---the quest for the six segments to the key to time. I think I may have liked it even more if I hadn't been so used to the magnificent Hinchcliffe era shows. Williams era had a lot of silliness and of course, K9. It also featured some of the very lamest Who such as "Horns of Nimon". All in all, the Key to time is a good addition to the DVDs although I would have voted for many more early Hinchcliffe/Baker episodes to come ouot before these.

One of the greatest of the Doctor's adventures
There are a few Doctor Who story arcs which are inarguable classics. This one is possibly the best of them all. The Doctor, fresh from rescuing Gallifrey from invasion by the Sontarans and having just left his companion Leela there to marry Andred, is suddenly diverted to a meeting with the White Guardian of Time, who has a tremendously urgent mission: Find and assemble the pieces of the immeasurably powerful artifact, the Key to Time. To assist him, the Doctor is given a new companion, the Timelady Romanavoradtralundar (Romana for short), and the two begin a huge quest to locate the hidden pieces of the Key -- which can literally be anything, ranging from a creature to a stone to an entire planet. Once assembled, the Key will be used to make minor adjustments to Creation in order to keep things working smoothly... unless it is the Black, rather than the White, Guardian who gets hold of the Key first!

More hours of pleasure than I can calculate
The Dvd's have commentary, some with Tom Baker! That is endless enjoyment. Then you have the text commentary, fanstastic. The only thing I find missing is easter eggs. :( I hope they remember when comming out with future dvd's what fun those are to have. ... Read more