Description

Available just a few months after the arrival of Home Movies Season One, Season Two features 13 more episodes of the irreverent animated series seen on Cartoon Network's [adult swim]. Squigglevision is gone, replaced by Flash animation and the characters developed in Season One — an alcoholic soccer coach, a single mother who swears at parent/teacher conferences and an eight-year-old who makes art films and documentaries in his basement with his friends — are in situations even more humorous than before. Great bonus features round out this must-have set!

Program Listing:

Disc One
Episode #201: "Politics"
Episode #202: "Identifying A Body"
Episode #203: "Hiatus"
Episode #204:"Business & Pleasure"

Special Features
Winning entry of "Small Shorts" Film Competition
Brendon Small interviews Melissa Galsky
Memories Featurette: Guest stars remember Home Movies
Animatics – "Politics"
Commentaries with Brendon Small, Melissa Galsky and Loren Bouchard

Disc Two
Episode #205: "The Party"
Episode #206: "Impressions"
Episode #207: "Dad"
Episode #208: "Therapy"

Special Features
Audio Anatomy Of A Scene
Animatics – "Party"
Interview with Brendon Small, Melissa Galsky and Loren Bouchard
Commentaries with Brendon Small, Melissa Galsky and Loren Bouchard

Disc Three
Episode #209: "Class Trip"
Episode #210: "History"
Episode #211: "Writer’s Block"
Episode #212: "Pizza Club"
Episode #213: "The Wedding"

Special Features
Animatics with crew commentary – "History"
Home Movies music – extended songs and music lesson
Home Movies writer Bill Braudis speaks!
Commentaries with Brendon Small, Melissa Galsky and Loren Bouchard ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Oh, thank goodness!
I was terrified that sales of Season One wouldn't be good enough to justify further releases.

My hope for this set:That they mixed the commentaries properly, so the episode audio doesn't interfere with the commentary hijinks.I would love to be able to hear the commentaries without getting an extreme headache.

Brendan Small is a . . . GENIUS (musical and comedic) . . . and H. Jon Benjamin may be the only performer who can steal the show from him!Janine DiIlulio is admirable for IMPROVING on Paula Poundstone's role (and lending the character sex appeal), and Melissa Bardin Garsky is a witty foil.Not to mention the great guest performers, and semi-regular Jonathan Katz.It's really amazing:"HOME MOVIES" is OVERLOADED with TALENT!No, seriously . . . I think the show would have lasted longer, if there had been less talent.

Finally, MORE!
I became addicted to this show a couple of years back, when my employer had me living out of a hotel room for month. After a 14-hour workday, I'd get back to the room mentally drained. While flipping channels to fall asleep, I happened upon this irreverent little cartoon show that was as hillarious anything I'd seen since the early days of The Simpsons, or the comedy of Jake Johansen.

The smart silliness of this animated show was, for me, the perfect antidote to fried-brain syndrome; and needless to say, I became hooked. Only thing is, I've never had cable at home; so when I got back, I went through withdrawls from no longer being able to see the show every night. FINALLY, I spotted the Home Movies: Season 1 box set at Tower Records and immediately had to get it. And I'm so hyped to know that the second season is about to be realesed!

On days when I come home for lunch, I end up watching Home Movies for an hour--it's way better than Judge Judy--and return to work ready to serve out the rest of the day with a grin on my face. I can't wait to own 13 more episodes of this great show.

$25???????
$25 is a BARGAIN for a movie that will give you MILLIONS of laughs!!!

Home Movies had a way of taking situations that we can all relate to, usually uncomfortable ones, and finding the greatest humor within them

If you've already seen Home Movies, then I don't need to go any further

However, if you're new to it, then just believe me when i say that this is comedy that you just won't find anywhere else

and besides - $25 is a pretty small risk to take

"I stand on land!"
To me it has always been a breech of decorum to review something on Amazon before it has actually been released but to me, "Home Movies" Season 2 is an exception from where I stand. I've seen the second season of Home Movies many more times than I can count.

Adult Swim (for those who don't or can't tune in) can be considered the home of "cutting edge" (though cheaply animated), gutsy, adult oriented animated programming. That's what they, and anyone with low enough standards thinks. What the block really consists of is exhaustively rerun cartoons and every half year something new--- which they will rerun until you can spout out any line of any show on demand.

These days, I change the channel until it's time for Home Movies. I've seen the other programs worth watching on the block a hundred times squared anyway, and Home Movies has always been the one gem to consistently make me laugh, even though I know every line from every show thanks to Adult Swim's lack of up-to-date programming. I can't explain it.

The first season DVD was great, simply because the show is. They could leave the commentaries, Brendon Small's attempts to display his below average musical ability, and the cast's attempts to convince us that they have careers away from Home Movies off the DVD and we'll still have a 5-star boxed set to add to our growing collection.

They did us all a favor and switched from Squigglevision to Flash Animation. The colors are brighter, movements more fluid and the lines hold still, thank God. The shows are less improvised and more scripted, and after hearing Loren Bouchard explain how episodes were recorded in the first boxed set: hours and hours of Jon Benjamin and Brendon Small goofing around, improvising dialogue and then editing the choicest stuff into the episode was probably a huge waste of time and money. One can certainly understand scripting the episodes, and letting the actors go from there and it never once changed the overall feel of the show at the core.

My favorite episodes of Season Two are "Therapy", "Class Trip" and especially "The Wedding" ("I am Elfor, The Landstander! I stand on land!"). The show has so many great moments that choosing a favorite is harder than it looks.

I was happy to read that Melissa Galsky is joining the cast on the commentary track. I missed hearing her cute voice on the first season commentary. It seemed incomplete to have Brendon and Jason on the track, but no Melissa. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they offer more to us than just a goof-off session on the commentary tracks. I hope to learn something about the process, but if I don't I'll still enjoy this.

The show stands by itself, and with or without DVD extras this set is worth the price. I imagine they put extras there just so people wouldn't shell out their money and complain about how the dvd had no extras. I personally could care less about dvd extras, though I harbor some hope that Soup 2 Nuts learned from the mistakes of the last boxed set.

Many thanks to Soup 2 Nuts for continuing to release Home Movies on DVD, and I hope to see the rest of the show on DVD all the way to the very last episode. I'd hate to have to keep tuning to Adult Swim at 2AM to get my "Home Movies" fix. Their new shows, such as "Tom Goes to the Mayor" and "Robot Chicken" are so painfully un-funny and difficult to sit through (even for 15 minutes) that I end up watch reruns of South Park or Chapelle's show. The new stuff Adult Swim Sunday offers aren't fit for streaming video, let alone a slot on a TV network, but I guess there's no school like the old school.

Many thanks for reading my worthless opinion and I hope it helped a little bit.

Brilliant!!
I was hoping they would release more than just Season One of this magnificent show. I could not sleep one night and by chance saw one episode from the first season. I was crying from laughing so hard. I immediately went out and bought the DVD's and have enjoyed them ever since. Admittedly I have not seen any episodes other than season one but what makes this show is the writing and I can't imagine that much of a downfall. Some of my favorite scenes from Season One....
The camping scene from "Yoko"---- Eugene "I peed in Coach Mcguirk's canteen.""Tastes like pee turkey."
Mcguirk is living with Melissa and Erik and he tries the yoga. Ok, it's immature but the fart jokes still crack me up.
My favorite, Jason, "What question would you like to 'axe' me?"
Oh man, I'm laughing just thinking about it. On par with Family guy. ... Read more

Reviews (79)

Perhaps the best "silent" comedy of all time.
Though "Blackadder" is, in my opinion, his best series, "Mr. Bean" is ultimately what put Rowan Atkinson on the map. The story of a bumbling, almost mute loner getting through life might not sound overly exciting, but it is made hilarious by outrageous situations and Rowan Atkinson's priceless delivery.

Newly released, this 3 DVD set has all of the episodes, and some decent extras. Anyone who purchased the VHS tapes when they were made available (circa 1995) would know that the episode "Hair by Mr. Bean of London" was not televised. It is included here. As well, all the episodes that we know and love are here to enjoy. My favorite episodes are "Mr. Bean in Room 426" (where he stays at a resort hotel), "Do-It-Yourself Mr. Bean" (where is drives his car while sitting in an armchair on the roof), and "Back to School Mr. Bean" (where he gets the wrong pair of trousers and steals them back). All of the episodes are funny in their own way, but some definitely stand out. Similar to most comedy shows, the jokes will dull with repeat viewing. Most of these episodes I have seen many times, so I don't laugh quite as hard as I used to. But I could watch Rowan Atkinson in anything, and I think he rivals any comedian around. I enjoy him more when he plays more speaking parts, because he's very well spoken and funny on a more intellectual level, but Mr. Bean is for the more slapstick comedy fan.

The DVD package has some nice extras. The big attraction is a 40 minute documentary called "The Story of Bean", which is actually the story of Rowan Atkinson. It has interviews with Atkinson himself, his past collaborators (writer Ben Elton, actors Angus Deayton and Helen Atkinson-Wood), and it also includes information tidbits on how he started out in comedy, how he develops his characters, and so on. It is very entertaining. They have also included two sketches from UK comedy relief, where Mr. Bean goes on a dating show (hilarious!) and where he caused trouble at an ice skating show (also very funny). There are also two Mr. Bean sketches that have never seen the light of day, and they are both very funny.

Happy as I was with what was included, I couldn't help but be disappointed by what they didn't include in this set. There is no commentary, which would have been good since there is no dialogue in the episodes and the commentary (especially from Atkinson) would be fun. Also, they didn't include any of Atkinson's wonderful standup comedy bits. I would have loved it if they could have included "Rowan Atkinson Live" in this package, to give Mr. Bean fans a chance to see some of his better work. But you can't always have your cake and eat it too, so I am content overall with this DVD package.

Really funny show on 3 DVD's
I don't know what user "dennislee" was watching. The turkey segment is included in Disc 2 episode Merry Christmas Mr. Bean & the beach segment is included on Disc 1 episode Mr. Bean. It's not cool to rate things that you haven't even seen. It's bad for A & E to edit 2 or 3 minutes from each tv episode now on DVD, but that doesn't mean that everyone has to give it just 1 star for the 3 DVD set. Each episode runs between 23 & 25 minutes & there's 14 episodes so there's plenty of good laughs. If you're somewhat of a Mr. Bean fan, you'll love it.

Yes, this set is missing entire scenes...
...and for an example I will give the "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean" ep in which he scams to win a turkey contest and is successful but the scene in its entirity is missing (several minutes) and what you get is a giant turkey suddenly appearing in his kitchen which is, granted, a funny sight gag, but would have made more sense and would have been funnier if you knew the story of how and why he ended up with a giant raw turkey--I admit I haven't watched all the discs yet, but that missing scene to me verified what the other reviewers making the same point have been warning you and I about--I only went ahead and bought the set as I had a unnamed store gift card and used it to purchase this set and therefore no big loss...

As for the humor, unlike what a previous reviewer has stated, the Mr. Bean character is not entirely silent, he talks more often than is stated but in short sentences and in a strained voice not unlike the character he voiced during a "end-of-the-world cult" sketch in "The Secret Policeman's Other Ball"--if you want a comparison, the style of humor owes much to Chaplin or Keaton, but in a modern setting...

In short, excellent humor but sadly incomplete with no complete set anywhere in site--either stick with your VHS copies or take your chances here...

Mr Bean is my idea of joke
This box set is the complete collection of episodes of the Mr Bean series. It even contains some parts that didn't go to air here in Japan. The picture quality is unbelievable for an English show as last time I was in the UK in the sixties many English shows were still in B&W.
Mr Bean is seen as a god here in Japan. He is an alien. At the beginning of each episode you see him drop from a UFO. My favourite part in the whole series is where Mr Bean's bathing costume comes off at the public swimming pool. You can see his can. It is very funny. I also like where he blows his noes on this jacket in church. I also like his car. It is very English and very comical as also is Mr Bean. Mr Bean reminds me of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Every time I see Tony Blair now I laugh.

Prince Charles once said "To laugh is to be free".
Purchase this DVD and you will be more free than Osama Bin Laden.

Great for an American fan.
As an American fan, I never actually saw Mr. Bean as aired in sequence. I had only seen repeats. This is an excellent collection for me (and anyone else) since I had little memory of the episodes and had only seen very few of them. Although I'm positive the collection could have been made better, I'm still very happy with it. Afterall, it's Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) and I'll take anything. ... 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

Amazon.com

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

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

Reviews (20)

Volume 2 is the best so far!
In my opinion, Volume 2 is the best of the four sets released thus far. "Pod People" and "Cave Dwellers" are among MST3K's classic episodes, and what fan would miss out on the Shorts?

Angels Revenge: T&A are the main assets in this Charlie's Angels ripoff, wherein buxom vigilantes fight drug dealers. Notable stars include Alan "Skipper" Hale, Jim "Thurston" Backus, Pat "Mr. Haney" Buttram, and Jack Palance -- all obviously in more desperate times.

Pod People: A magical ALF wannabe from outer space visits a northern town -- wackiness ensues. "Pod People" uses the cinematic convention that aliens will attack adults and befriend children. As Dr. Forester says, "It has nothing to do with pods, nothing to do with people, and everything to do with HURTING".

Cave Dwellers: A knockoff of Conan the Barbarian, "Cave Dwellers" features a medieval world vaguely under attack. The heroine's pie pan chestplate and an inexplicable hang-gliding scene make this one a breeze for Joel and the Bots. Not as good at the Steve Reeves Hercules episodes, but still good fun.

Shorts: Arguably the best part of MST3K, the Shorts Volume 1 collects half of the bits from the Shorts VHS collection for your viewing pleasure. The shorts are a nice change of pace from the two-hour films, which can become tedious after a while if you're not in the mood for them. They also cover topics *so* obscure (from chicken farming to industrial arts to "A Date With Your Family") that you can be sure this is the only time they'll ever be on DVD.

As stated, this is my favorite MST3K volume. It may not be the best collection to pull in new fans, but for veterans of the series, it's definitely the best Rhino's released yet.

Top-notch collection
This is a good collection of DVD's featuring some classic episodes, as well as the ultimate feature: a DVD with shorts on one DVD.

The first two films - "Pod People" and "Cave Dwellers" are some of my favorite episodes. The skits are funny and so is the heckling, and I would definately invite people to introduce friends to MST3K this way.

"Angel's Revenge" is...well, it's not HILARIOUS, but it is funny. I wouldn't suggest introducing some one to MST3K with it, but definately watch it after you've gotten into the series. It's kind of weak in the beginning but picks up better after a while ("So they just destroyed all the drugs in the world?").

The Shorts Collection - while perhaps missing "Mr. B Natural" - is still the funniest piece of the pie. I laughed through ever last one of them, and "Cheating" made me fall out of my chair. Such lines as "I will bring you down Johnny!" or "You've made some powerful enemies, son" will stick in my mind forever. The last short involving chickens was fittingly good as well ("Where's the driver? Oh my god the chickens are taking over!")

In short, for MSTie or MSTie-in-training, this is an excellent volume. Get it. Got it? Good!

Another great collection from the funniest show ever!
This is Rhino's second DVD collection of four episodes of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," and it's excellent. It has three great episodes from various seasons, and a fourth disc of hilarious short subjects. And it comes in a nifty package with moving parts!

In case you're new to the world of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (MST3K for short, that's what us fans -- "Misties" -- call it), this is the famous TV show where a silhouette of a man and two robots in theater seats provide running commentary for some of the worst movies ever made. The ninety-minute episodes are scattered with sketches and songs and amount to some of the smartest, most pop-culture savvy, side-splitting comedy ever made.

This DVD contains three episodes, plus a compilation of short subjects from different episodes. The episodes cover a wide spectrum: two are from early in season three, when Joel Hodgson was the host and the show was just kicking into high gear. The third is from late in the sixth season, when the show had developed a much more slick and sarcastic approach with host Mike Nelson. People new to the show will get a good chance to compare the styles of the show. Personally, I love both, but they are quite different. The Shorts are brief films that the host would sometimes make fun of before the movie. Originally, they watched episodes of old movie serials, but when those quickly became tiresome, they turned to educational, commercial, and industrial filmstrips (you know, those annoying things you had to watch at school assemblies in sixth grade?). They contain some of the funniest riffing in the series, and are favorites of the fans.

Here's what's on this collection:

ANGEL'S REVENGE. Episode #622. A 1978 film originally titled "Angel's Brigade," this is an hysterically awful rip-off of the TV show "Charlie's Angels," only it's worse, if you can imagine that! A group of attractive and not-so-attractive women decide to wage war on L.A.'s drug dealers by dressing in white jump suits. The female leads (including Playboy Playmate Susan Lynn Kiger) are horrendous actresses, but what's really embarrassing is the presence of well-known guest stars slumming at the pits of their careers: Jack Palance, Jim Backus, Pat Butrum, Alan Hale, and in a depressing performance, Peter Lawford. Poor Peter appears to have been drunk for the entire filming. Mike and the 'Bots have an absolute field day making fun of the relentless 70s style ("Entertaining was a lot easier in the 70s!") and the poor, unfortunate guest stars ("Do you think Peter knows where he is?"). This is one of my favorite Mike Nelson episodes, and it's the best disc in this package.

CAVE DWELLERS. Episode #301. This film was originally released in 1984 as "Ator the Invincible" and then as "Blade Master" on video. It's a sequel to "Ator the Fighting Eagle," and is one of many cheap-o copycats of "Conan the Barbarian." This stinker stars Miles O'Keefe as beefy warrior Ator, who also knows lots of sciencey stuff (like how to manufacture a hang-glider in two minutes with just sticks). Ator travels to the Ends of the Earth to stop some John Saxon-like villain from obtaining some vague object with a funny name that might do something really bad. Or whatever -- the film is just fantasy of the worst kind. It's so cheap there are no special effects, and the only monster is an immobile velour snake. This is first episode of season three, and this is really when the show entered its golden phase. Joel and the 'Bots have some good times here, especially at the outlandish finale, and there's a hilarious parody of the movie's opening credits. A good episode, and the start of great things.

POD PEOPLE. Episode #303. The poor dubbing in this film automatically marks it as foreign, but since it's obviously trying to pass itself off American, it's tricky to figure out where it was really shot. Mystery over: this is a 1983 Spanish film called "Los Nuevos Extraterrestres," released in America as "The Unearthling." It's an awful attempt to copy "E.T." and combine it with a horror film. Aliens that resemble miniature two-legged versions of Snuffleupuggus from "Sesame Street" invade the mountains. A high-pitched little kid befriend one of the aliens, Trumpy, while the rest start killing people for no reason. There's an awful pop band on a trip (their performance in a recording studio is one of the highlights of the episode), some poachers, and a dysfunctional family up in a cabin. None of it fits together, but Joel and 'Bots create some classic running gags. It's the perfect kind of film for the MST3K treatment. You'll love their re-creation of the incomprehensible "song" performed by the band in the move. ("It stinks!")

SHORTS, VOL. 1. These come from many seasons, and all are great. Tom Servo does a joking intro for each one. "The Home Economics Story" (from episode #317) is a 1950s film for high school girls that encourages them to study home economics in college, implying that they aren't destined for anything other than being housewives. "Junior Rodeo Daredevils" (from episode #407) tells how a group of kids in a tiny town set up their own rodeo, and then broke all their limbs and snapped their spinal chords -- all in good fun! "Body Care & Grooming" (from episode #510) informs college students how to spend all their time grooming their hair and skin, because people will only like them if they're pretty! "Cheating" (from episode #515) tells the tragic story of Johnny, who cheated and rose to power, and then fell into the pits of despair not unlike a Kafka novel. "A Date with Your Family" (from episode #602) is the best of the bunch: a nightmare about the perfect 50s family having a perfectly repressed 50s dinner. The riffing here is as sharp and satiric as anything ever done on the show. "Why Study Industrial Arts" (from episode #609) is the reverse of "The Home Economics Story," encouraging young men to risk sawing off their limbs in shop class. And finally, "The Chicken of Tomorrow" (from episode #702) explains breeding techniques to create meatier chickens. It's very depressing.

(In a bit of a mistake, two of the shorts are already available on other DVDs: episode #609, "The Skydivers" is on the first Rhino DVD collection, and Episode #515, "The Wild World of Batwoman," is available as a single DVD, so you might have already seen two of these shorts.)

This is another awesome collection from Rhino. There's more laughs here than you'll find in a year's worth of Hollywood comedies. A must for MST3K fans and newcomers alike!

Keep circulating the DVDs, Rhino!
Rhino continues producing MST3K boxed sets, and I can't thank them enough. They foster my MST collecting habit with each release. I adore the boxed sets and recommed them for any devoted MiSTie. That said, on to the Film Blecch in this set.

Angels Revenge (bad puctuation not mine): a blatant, charm-free Charlie's Angels poser. The 'angels' aren't even remotely attractive, but they use their womenly wiles to bring down the drug trade. The real surprise in this one is the --ahem-- famous names, like Jim Backus, Alan Hale (he's shown up in a BUNCH of MST-treated flicks), and good heavens--Mr. Haney. Summary: cheesy 70s T&A theme flick, with as little story as possible, so as not to burden the audience. A dippy teacher rounds up a model, a scary stuntwoman, a lousy Vegas singer, and some other person to defeat the pushers. This one takes more than one viewing to enjoy the jokes, because it is JUST that bad.

Cave Dwellers: Rhino was smart to package this movie in the set that houses its sibling, Pod People. This cinematic train wreck has the same jumbled production values of Pod People--you'll recognize it immediately. Signature element: scenes from some other movie play behind the opening credits. Cave Dwellers gave Miles O'Keefe a set of fringed boots, a tiny loincloth, and not much else. You will HOWL during the host segment when Joel & the Bots do a half-screen action sequence of the guy with the fruity hat.
Summary: ?? go to the ends of the earth, and you still won't get what this turkey is about. Images not to be missed: Ator & Thong's fight with invisible monsters, Ator hangliding, and the scene with the "Most Attractive Man of the Middle Ages--MY MY MY!" Ultimately, there is a short bit of the actual Cave Dwellers, but the film has zero to do with them. ??

Pod People: HUZZAH! A real crapfest, complete with a bargain basement Alf wannabe. Can you imagine the pitch for this film? I think it must've gone like this: let's have a cuddly but murderous alien, a bad rock band, a weird mountain family with a poorly dubbed child, and OH! for extra spice, POACHERS! If this leaves you saying, "What the hell?" -- you are ready to watch the movie.
Summary: cuddly Alf-like killers inconvenience a bad rock group's weekend in the mountains.

Shorts, Vol 1: the best Shorts volume, IMHO. This set of shorts has actual hosting by Tom and includes The Home Economics Story, Junior Rodeo Daredevils, Body Care & Grooming (they're cops!), Cheating, A Date with Your Family, and Why Study Industrial Arts? A Date with Your Family is my personal favorite--"A violent argument erupts over whose day was more pleasant." This short couldn't get any whiter if it tried. Life in the 50s as introduced to us by the MST cast!

A great boxed set--pop the popcorn and get ready for cinema's disasters to spin in your player. A must for MST collectors, and even the box design is cute!

Rhino Misses Mark on Volume 2
Last year I made a discovery... MST3K. Well, not really, I'd been watching the episodes for years. I only became VERY interested last year because I discovered Rhino had started issuing the MST episodes on DVD and including the original unedited films on the flip-side of the disks. The first four episodes Rhino put on DVD, I Accuse My Parents, Red Zone Cuba, Mitchell and Manos had lacked this feature and I had not been interested in getting those.

As a collector of odd-ball films I own a ton (many of them are Rhino tapes), but when Rhino started putting out double-sided DVD disks I became a died-in-wool MST collector too because for me the MSTied versions are like really, really good commentary tracks added to the disks. They are the kind of commentary tracks that all good DVD commentary tracks should aspire to be!

But now I discovered beginning with MST3K - Collection Volume 2, Rhino has reverted to the old practice of only one-sided disks!! Shame!! Tragedy!! On top of that, they've left the retail price in the same ballpark as the first collection which contained both versions of each film!

Oh yeah, I've read posts from others, "Rhino doesn't need to put the un-MSTied versions on the disks, those films are not worth viewing anyway! TRUE MST fans only want the MST episodes, blah, blah, blah…" Well, here is one person who is really saddened that Rhino has lowered the value of their disks (and not lowered the price!) Shame!

Who was the marketing genius at Rhino who dreamed this one up? I think there are other folks like me who enjoyed having the original films on the disks. I thought Rhino staff were people who (like me) who had a genuine love for off-beat cinema! Maybe Rhino has marketing-types running the show at company headquarters now instead of people who have a love for the product.

Here's the short version: Rhino won me over by putting out MST WITH the uncut films. Yes I'm still a big MST fan, but when allocating scarce dollars I will think twice about what gets purchased first. You know what? I don't own any of the single-sided disks. Rhino can sit on 'em! I'll buy them when they show up in the $5 cut-out bins.

Pisstified in S.F.,

Bob Burns ... Read more

Amazon.com

If the first season of Star Trek: Voyager was a shakedown cruise, then season 2 represents a vital blossoming of the series' potential. As Captain Janeway, Kate Mulgrew maintained Starfleet integrity in the lawless expanse of the Delta quadrant, and became the ethical conscience of her still-uneasy Maquis/Starfleet crew, whose unanimous loyalty would be dramatically proven in "The '37's" (a first-season hold-over). Janeway's moral guidance would also assert itself in "Death Wish" (a "Q" episode featuring NextGen's Jonathan Frakes) and "Tuvix," in which life-or-death decisions landed squarely on her shoulders. Season 2 brought similar development to all the primary characters, deepening their relationships and defining their personalities, especially Robert Beltran as Chakotay (in "Initiations" and "Tattoo"), now firmly established as Janeway's best friend (and nearly more than that, in "Resolutions") and command-decision confidante.

Solid sci-fi concepts abound in season 2, although "Threshold" is considered an embarrassment (as confessed by co-executive producer Brannon Braga in a self-deprecating "Easter Egg" interview clip). It was a forgivable lapse in a consistently excellent season that intensified Janeway's struggle with the villainous Kazon, exacerbated by a Starfleet traitor in cahoots with the duplicitous Cardassian Seska (played by Martha Hackett, featured in a lively guest-star profile). The psychologically intense "Meld" (featuring a riveting guest performance by Brad Dourif) was a Tuvok-story highlight, and the aptly titled "Basics, Pt. 1" provided an ominous cliffhanger, including a second planetary landing (in a season full of impressive special effects) that left Voyager's fate in question. DVD extras are abundant and worthwhile, especially the season 2 retrospective and "A Day in the Life of Ethan Phillips" (who plays Neelix under a daily ordeal of latex makeup). Several Easter egg surprises--including a music video performance by Tim Russ (Tuvok)--are hidden (but easily found) among the "Special Features" menus on disc 7. All in all, this was one of Voyager's finest seasons, leaving some enticing questions to be answered in season 3. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (24)

best of the star trek series
i watch, and like, all of the incarnations of star trek. voyager is my favorite.
a few of the best episodes from this season:
meld
the thaw
tuvix
resolutions
basics, part 1
unfortunatly, the price is too high. so, i decline to purchase
this set, as i have all of the star trek releases.

great sci-fi
okay--the original Star Trek series started it all and it was great. i enjoyed/enjoy all the shows that are springing from it, and i'd have to say that Voyager is the best 'child' of the asexual Star Trek parent. i like that it takes you away from all the traditional Star Trek components. by writing up a crew that get's lost in a whole new unchartered part of the universe, the writers have put watchers and fans in a totally fresh Star Trek state of mind. not to mention Kate Mulgrew plays the perfect FIRST Star Trek series captain. kudos and more to the show. i have season one on dvd; can't wait to own them all...specifically so i can watch Seven wrestle with that hottie The Rock in that one episode.

*insert Voyager theme music here*

Great Voyager DVD's!
I really love these dvd's. This season is the first one where voyager lands, ie, really cool effects. I also love the episode "deadlock", where voyager splits. Great idea! The special features are really awesome on this one. The "day with ethan phillips" is really cool, becuase it shows the application of his makeup. There is an awesome easter egg on this one too. It's one of Tim Russ's (Tuvok's) music videos! He sings Kushangaza (and has a nice voice might I add ;) )

I would really suggest these dvd's to anyone who loves all things star trek. I'm glad I added to my collection, and will watch these for years to come!

Wow, "Threshold..."
... still sucks. I saw it when it first came out and I was like "no way!?!" Now, I'm almost ten years older and may or may not be wiser (the fact that I bought this DVD set indicates the latter), and I am again shocked by the 220-proof ridiculousness of "Threshold." What an insane piece of writing! Okay, while turning people into cat-fishes is a great way to dispose of useless characters like Kes, Troi, or Wesley, it is another thing to do it, and then turn those people right back into human beings after a log entry! While the premise of the episode was certainly interesting, the ending was beyond bad.

To be fair, Voyager was getting better in season 2, but it was still amateur night compare to DS9.

The Packaging stinks and the series isn't much better
Voyager looses Gene Roddenberry's respect in it's disregard for life in this season. Janeway has characters doing things Gene Roddenberry would never have allowed- A man with a homicidal temper murders a crewman (inspite of Piccard's statement that the seeds of criminal behavior have been rooted out of human society) Torres Murders a sentient robot she helped bring to life, and Janeway lets a Q commit suicide because he suffers from a sorching case of boredom. Of all the reasons for doing evil, boredom is absolutely the stupidest.

**************When items arrive damaged repeatedly Amazon doesn't blame it's shipping department, they blame the customer.. You are limited to one replacement, even if the manufacturer's packaging is partially to blame for the problem, as it is in this case. When they offer you a promotional certificate or partial refund to compensate you they take it away if they decide you've had too many returns and then blaclist you so yoyu can't shop with them anymore. deepdiscountdvd.com is almost always cheaper, shipping is always free no matter how much you buy, and their packaging is seldom a problem. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For Seinfeld, the third season's--for want of a better word--the charm. The show has found its misanthropic voice (by season's end, a fed-up Elaine tells herself, "I gotta get some new friends"), the ensemble has a firmer grasp of their characters, and the writers rise to the occasion with episodes that have entered the Seinfeld pantheon, including the Seinfeld equivalent of a Very Special Episode, "The Boyfriend," with Keith Hernandez and the J.F.K. parody, "The Library," featuring Philip Baker Hall channeling Jack Webb as library bookhound Bookman, "The Pez Dispenser," and "The Keys," with an L.A.-bound Kramer winding up on Murphy Brown. Michael Richards, especially, comes into his own this season as Kramer. The first two seasons built up the mystique of this "man-child"/"parasite." So while he was absent in season 2's "The Chinese Restaurant," he is now out and about with the close-knit, albeit dysfunctional, trio. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has some of her giddiest golden moments, zonked on painkillers in "The Pen," or, as a bored party guest in "The Stranded," telling an obnoxious bride-to-be that "Maybe the dingo ate your baby." And don't get us started on Jason Alexander as George, series co-creator Larry David's neurotic and angst-ridden alter-ego. To paraphrase what Julia Roberts said of Denzel Washington, we don't want to live in a world where Alexander doesn't have an Emmy.

But it's the extensive bonus features that give this four-disc set "hand" over other TV-on-DVD releases. The "Inside Look" episode intros, optional pop-up "Notes About Nothing," and candid, albeit a little too casual, commentaries offer a fount of information to even the most obsessive Seinfeld fans. We learn that even the most outrageous episodes, such as "The Pez Dispenser," were inspired by real-life events. Especially telling is Alexander's observation that Jerry never really socialized with the other ensemble members. This has extended to the commentaries: Seinfeld pairs with David on some episodes, while Alexander, Richards and Dreyfus team up on others. They are gracious to the guest stars and extras, and mostly mum on Jer. --Donald Liebenson ... 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

Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation seemed like the year of family. After quickly resolving the breathtaking cliffhanger of "The Best of Both Worlds," the show took pains to show some of what the Federation was fighting for. We meet Picard's brother, Data's father, Tasha's sister, and Worf's adoptive human parents, plus an old flame with a surprise son in tow. The Klingon heritage subplot that begins here and builds to the cliffhanger finale ("Redemption") would continue to the show's end and through into Worf's reappearance in Deep Space Nine.

The year also explored the implications of Data, Lwaxana Troi, Geordi, and Dr. Crusher being in love, while Miles O'Brien (given a first name at last) married Keiko. There were old friends revisited: the ubiquitous Q in a hilarious Robin Hood romp ("Qpid"), perennial screwup Reg Barclay ("Nth Degree"), and even the mysterious Traveler from season 1's "Where No One Has Gone Before" (played by Eric Menyuk, who was nearly cast as Data). There were new races introduced who would have an important bearing on Trek's destiny: the Cardassians and the Trill. Most of all, though, there were the one-off stories that impressed: "Clues," with its memory-loss mystery; "Night Terrors," with some genuine frights; and "Identity Crisis," with possibly the only time Trek technology really helped Geordi solve a puzzle. Then right at the end, reinforcing the year's familial theme, Denise Crosby returned as her own half-Romulan daughter! --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (28)

TNG Fourth Season...The Best Continues.
The fourth season of TNG begins with the rescue of Picard from the Borg collective, and ends with Worf leaving the Federation to join his people during the Klingon Civil War. In between these two landmark shows, lies a fourth season drenched with superior stories and consistently good character development. Star Trek really established itself in the third season and it never looks back as we go forward through the fourth. I liked this season only slightly less than the third, only because of a couple of episodes I didn't care much for. I didn't like "Remember Me," and "In Theory." Data falling in love was good for a subplot, but not the main story. Still, we get top-notch entertainment as the crew continues to explore places no one has gone before. High-lights include, "Reunion," "The Drumhead," "Qpid," "The Mind's Eye," "First Contact," "Clues," and "Future Imperfect." We meet Tasha Yar's sister in, "Legacy." We meet Data's father in, "Brothers." Also, while the Klingons and Romulans still play vital parts, we finally meet the devious Cardassians in, "The Wounded," where O'Brien finally has his moment to shine. All and all, this is a superb DVD set and I highly recommend it to any fan, whether you are a diehard Trekor or just getting started.

Television Entertainment At Its Finest
What can I say that hasn't already been said about how wonderful Season Four was? But with the weight of such episodes as The Best of Both Worlds Part II, one might hear a collective gasp from Trekkers who find that there's actually someone who enjoyed another episode more than the gripping conclusion to Season Three's nail-biting cliffhanger.

I love The Drumhead - it is my favorite episode of this season. An excellent courtroon drama directed by Jonathan Frakes with a style reminescent of Stanley Kramer's "Judgement At Nuremberg" and penned by veteran series writer Jeri Taylor, The Drumhead is an intelligent and often thought-provoking exercise in the dramatic.

After an explosion aboard the Federation flagship Enterprise, a Klingon exchange officer is found guilty of spying on behalf of the enemy, the Romulan Empire. Once cleared of being involved with the explosion, Admiral Satie (Jean Simmons) begins a witch hunt for a saboteur and finds him in crewman Simon Tarses (Spencer Garrett) on the grounds that Tarses' paternal grandfather was a Romulan.

This is television entertainment at its finest; on par with the best of Law & Order and JAG. Expertly directed with fine performances all around and presents a fine message that holds true especially today. The Drumhead is an excellent episode and one not to be missed, even if you're not a fan of the television series.

Continuing excellence
The third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation laid a new foundation for the series and season four does nothing but continue right where season three left off with more great plot development and story telling. In season four we saw the return of K'Ehlyr accompanied by Worf's son. Season four continued to elaborate on plot elements concerning the Klingon empire that were laid down in Sins of the Father in season three. The season built up to the major conflict with the episodes Reunion, Data's Day, The Mind's Eye, and brings it all to a climax in Redemption: Part I. This season also has a direct effect on many of the plot elements in Deep Space Nine in the episode "The Wounded". There is also a new villain introduced that has yet another direct link to season three, however, that is not brought to light until the second part of the season ending cliffhanger in Season five. A huge underlying theme in the fourth season is family. A great season of continued excellence and not the last.

Personal Favorite Episodes:

The Best of Both Worlds: Part II, Family, Brothers, Reunion, Data's Day, The Wounded, Clues, The Nth Degree, QPid, The Drumhead, The Mind's Eye, Redemption: Part I.

Danger Will Robinson!!!!!!
Dr. Zachary Smith is a great character. Nobody on The next generation even comes close!!!!

Season 4 - TNG Running at Warp 9.8!
Regarded by most fans of The Next Generation as the series finest hour. Everything about this season seems to gel incredibly well.

This is the season to show non-Trekkies (Trekkers for the purists), and those who say "They never will enjoy it" - I have converted a few myself *grin*

Starting off with the conclusion to the shocking Best of Both Worlds and ending with Redemption Part I, this season is packed full of action, character development and some first rate stories.

This boxed set should be top of your list to purchase - ideally this season and seasons 6 3 and 5, unless you are determined to go in chronological order.

All in all fabulous! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Series, but why season 5?
I really like this series, as I have all the Law & Order shows and spinoffs, but I'm curious as to why we are getting season 5 before season 2,3, and 4? Same goes for the others as well, Law & Order itself jumped for season 2 to 14, weird way to release them, don't you think?

The Best Show Ever
Law and order SVU is the best action show. You expirence the drama like no other show. Christopher Meloni is Det. Elliot Stabler. The lead Det. on all the cases. He knows what he's talking about on the show. Mariska Hargitay is Det. Olivia Benson. She works side to side with Chris Meloni (Det. Elliot Stabler). Richard Belzer is Det. John Munch. He's outspoken and says what comes to mind. Ice-T is Det. Odafin "Fin"Tutuola. He works as partners with John munch (Richard Blezer). Fin is the young Det. who transfered from narcotics. Dann Florek as Capt. Donald Cragen. He is the guy who dose everything the the victems. Stephanie March is A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot. She assits on all the cases by proscuting. Know Diane Neal is A.D.A. Casey Novak. B.D. Wong is Dr. George Huang. He is forensic psychiatrist on the show. Tamara Tunie is Dr. Melinda Warner. She the medical examiner on the show. And finally there is the wonder, fun creator and executive produce Dick Wolf. He is the one who started the show. ... Read more

Description

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL: CYCLE ONE has 14 beautiful contestants taking part in a series of tests over the course of the series to determine who has the sheer strength, will and attitude to make it as America’s Next Top Model. Along with Tyra Banks, notable fashion editors, photographers and agency reps judge the girls each week and decide who should pack their bags and go home and who becomes one step closer to being America’s next top model. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A Fun Show
I had never seen ANTM until the Fall of 2004, having missed the first two seasons.I have zero interest in fashion, but heard that, as far as reality shows, it was one of the most entertaining.It was always being talked about and quoted in Entertainment Weekly.So, during an ad break in one of the early episodes of LOST, I flipped over to ANTM.I've never flipped back to LOST and have been watching ANTM ever since.

The show is incredibly entertaining.And season 1 (which I had never seen until it was released on DVD) is a great season.You have all sorts of conflicts.The devout Christians vs the atheist being the biggest one.

The DVDs are well put together.Three discs.Four episodes on the first two and the finale on the final disc.

The only extras are three, short featurettes (each 5-10 minutes in length).One about the casting, one about the making of the show, and a final one about the two Jay's.They are fun, but nothing special.To be honest, when it comes to TV on DVD, I'm more interested in the show than any extras so I'm not upset with the set.

The set is well worth picking up.Even if you don't care about fashion or modelling.The cast makes the show work.A very entertaining series.

Model Transformations
Show the world how human you are. ~Tyra Banks

America's Next Top Model reveals the complex decisions, responsibilities and intellectual challenges models face o