Amazon.com

Like a groovy Family von Trapp, The Partridge Family arrived in 1970 with matching velvet outfits and wholesomeness bursting from every pore. Watching it now, you expect little more than kitsch--but the show, though certainly a sitcom representation of the world, is curiously fresh and appealing. This sheer likeability comes partly from the cast--Shirley Jones (The Music Man) looks foxy in miniskirts while still being the cool mom everyone wishes they had; teen idol David Cassidy is unexpectedly engaging as an actor (his charisma is all the more apparent when another teen idol, Bobby Sherman, makes a wooden appearance); and Danny Bonaduce's child-star rise sprang not from cuteness but his genuine comic timing. It doesn't hurt that many of the troubles the characters faced--swelled heads, rivalry, groupies (!)--were undoubtedly problems the actors were facingas their show became a hit.

Sure, there are utterly ridiculous episodes, such as when Danny is tutoring a mob boss's girlfriend about the stock market and the gangster, not knowing Danny is only 10 years old, gets jealous--but most episodes feature ordinary show business conflicts or straightforward family issues, like how the kids cope when their mother starts dating or how teenager Laurie (Susan Dey, who later went on to L.A. Law) feels ugly when she gets braces. This simplicity, combined with some classic vaudeville-style humor, proves surprisingly durable. Plus, the list of guest stars ranges from Ray Bolger (best known as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz) to a young Richard Pryor, as well as other soon-to-be-famous folk like Charlie's Angels' Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith and a pre-Star Wars Mark Hamill. The first season collection includes a bonus CD with four of the Partridge Family's actual radio hits; their sound, a fusion of the Monkees and the Mamas and the Papas, is pure pop sugar (created by a host of Brill Building songwriters like Neil Sedaka). If the Mondrian-inspired paint job on the Partridge Family bus gives you childhood flashbacks, you'll happily regress when you watch this box set. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A Great Way to Escape Back to An Easier Time.
You know why the Partridge Family is a good show?Because the Brady Bunch makes this family look like a love-in.Sure, this show had its saccharine and unbelievable moments, but you can forgive them next to Marsha Brady's "oh my nose!" episode.Usually, this show is quite believable in the family's music business predicaments, and also the writing is quite good.

Danny Bonaduce and Dave Madden had great chemistry as a comedy team, but they were also quite close off the set of the show as well.The two youngest kids are cute, if stiff, as actors, Susan Dey was good as budding teenage feminist Laurie, and Shirley Jones has always been a pleasure in most any venture she's undertaken.Must I really mention that, just like every other little girl and teenager back in the early 70's, I had a crush on David Cassidy?I was also at the right age to develop a crush on younger brother Shaun a few years later.

If you grew up with this show like I did and wish they'd run it on cable somewhere, this box set should be quite pleasing.My favorite episodes, to name a few, are the pilot, the incident with the skunk, and when Laurie gets braces.After all these years, I can admit the songs aren't so bad either.

Extras include music performances, interviews, two episodes of the short-lived Saturday morning cartoon, and Shirley Jones commenting on one of the best episodes.The Partridge family is 25 episodes, and then some, of good clean fun for the entire family with a lesson generally involved.It will take you back in time where, ironically, you will recognize some of the popular clothing and hairstyles as part of your own wardrobe now.It's a good time to be had by all, so get aboard that multicolored bus and, come on, get happy!

Bought the DVD
I've waited for years to see this wonderful show on DVD. Finally that day has arrived. My only complaint being, Shirley Partridge was the not the ideal mother we thought her to be! This woman picked up hitch-hikers, let strange men share beds with her sons, and horror of horrors, allowed her beautiful boy Keith to sleep in a prison with horny criminals. If you think I'm lying, just check out this DVD. What seemed like innocence now seems like child endagerment.

Memory lane re-visited!
First of all, my 12 year old son loves this show...what does this mean? Maybe seeing a more innocent era of life on the screen? Well, for whatever reasons he likes, I know why this 50 year old woman loves it...David Cassidy!! Watching these episodes again took me right back to Friday nights as a 15 year old and swooning over Keith Partridge. I loved the show then and I love it now. It's fluff at it's best. Sure, there are things that annoy me about the show, like why isn't EVERY episode about Keith...lol...but this is inexpensive enough to be what it is, a sitcom from the early 70's. As others have said, it's been fun to see who showed up in guest spots on the show and in addition to those previously mentioned, Jaclyn Smith shows up in one, too! The Partridge Family is what it is...a harmless family show with laughs, music and one hot teen idol. No more, no less. Enjoy watching it!

A Little Slice Of Childhood Breaks The Surface!
I was one year old when the show premiered, but I watched The Partridge Family in syndication from as far back as I can remember.The quaint nostalgia still holds pretty strong when viewing the first season."Come On Get Happy" the theme to The Partridge Family show has not yet evolved from "When We're Singin'" but that's okay.The writing was pretty sharp and Danny Bonaduce is hilarious as the midget businessman of the family.Some of the shows strain a little, especially when they deal with more grown-up problems, but overall it's is good to bring the Partridge's back into my living room.Different house and different mind, but still a warm and funny show.Rox!

Great!But being a purist. . .
Almost everything about this set is perfect.And for the cost I'm truly amazed at what went into it.My only complaint, as mentioned before, why delete the Screen Gems logo closing after each episode??For nostalgic buffs like me it should have been included.Hopefully someone at Sony will get wind of this when it comes to releasing future sets of "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie".Otherwise, Sony thanks for an excellent package. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's a good bet that any American kid growing up in the '70s or '80s learned some elementary lesson from the seminal musical series Schoolhouse Rock!. Airing from 1973 to 1984 (and often revived), the ABC Saturday morning shorts effortlessly introduced kids to grammar, science, multiplication, money, and American history--three minutes at a time. In one smart, comprehensive 2-disc set, all 46 songs and plenty of extras are collected. The four creators developed the series slowly, a welcome diversion from their advertising agency jobs, and ended up taking home four Emmys over the years. The background material includes 10 audio commentaries and a making-of feature for the new song, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College." The DVD subtitle option is a great bonus for those who need to know every word from such favorites as "Three Is a Magic Number," "Interjections," "I'm Just a Bill," and "Conjunction Junction." (Ages 3 and older) --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (108)

This Is So Cool--Facts can be Fun!!
And it's even educational! I was so pumped (now that I have a DVD player) to hear that they were releasing a big-time anniversary edition of Schoolhouse Rock in its entirety. I've had four of the videos for years, but this set is so much better. Disc One has all of the original songs--you can play them in order, randomly, just the top ten--and an all-new song about the Electoral College (inspired, no doubt, by the 2000 presidential election). The way you can navigate your way through any and/or all of the songs is very easy and great for when you don't just want to hear about grammar (or history, math, etc. . .).

What really puts this over the top, though, is Disc Two, with a bucket load of extras: the lost "Weather Show," a new computer three-song set, a making-of feaure, top 20 countdowns, an interactive trivia game, music videos by contemporary artists, audio commentaries, Emmy Award footage, etc. . . . I can't wait to explore even more than I got to last night! This will be such a great tool for my 21-month-old daughter (who will know how a bill becomes a law and how to use a conjunction in a sentence!) and a ton of fun for me in the process.

The video quality isn't MONSTERS, INC., but it doesn't have to be. The old animation holds up just fine, as does the audio, which audiophiles could probably complain about if they want to poop the party for the rest of us. What really stands up to the test of time, aside from the basic content, is the music. These guys (primarily) did some really good arranging, little of it in the rock 'n roll genre, ironically. Jack Sheldon delivers some spectacular jazz vocals on several of the more famous tunes. Complicated yet catchy melodies are the strength--that's why we all remember "I'm Just a Bill" and "Conjunction Junction"--with great backing vocals and instrumentation to boot. The contemporary artists' renditions didn't hold up to the originals, but they were pretty interesting to hear. The interactive stuff will be great for kids hearing these songs for the first time. The interviews and commentaries are really interesting, especially in hindsight. Great new additions, discoveries, and formats all add to the charm of the original forty-six songs. How they managed to get all of that factual information into essentially a music video, while keeping the kids (and me) entertained, is still a mystery to me.

Bottom Line: You'll be hard-pressed to find a better combination of education and entertainment. If there are any factual inaccuracies, they are minor enough to overlook and could actually spark interesting conversations. The basic content is right on-the-money. The fact that they'll actually be talking about and be interested in the grammar, history, science, and economics is important enough to overlook any minor flaws.
The fact that my daughter, who two years (and a couple of months) old, actually knows that "Wow!" is an interjection, a fact that most of my juniors (I'm a teacher) wouldn't know off the top of their heads, speaks volumes. . . !

Schoolhouse Rock totally rocks!
I'd been waiting to see if I'd get this for my birthday, but I couldn't wait anymore. I bought it today and had to pop it in. These great animated shorts helped kids learn multiplication, science, grammar, american history and money. You want an explanation of our national debt? - watch Tyrannosaurus Debt :-).

The first DVD has all the original shorts categorized by groups, you can play them by group, or play them all in order or play them all or shuffle. If you choose a particular group, you can pick the ones you want to play in the playlist or select the Play All button. I was having a blast seeing remembering how many of these I could still sing.

The 2nd DVD is the Extra Credit portion of the set. You can watch with Captions or Audio Commentary. I really had fun with the "Earn Your Diploma" Trivia and the Arrange A Schoolhouse Rock song. The Earn Your Diploma gives you a set of questions to answer to each group (Science, Money, etc). When you get them all right, you get a clue which when you solve all the groups you can then solve the Master Jumble to become a Schoolhouse Rock Graduate. The Arrange A Schoolhouse Rock Song has 3 of the Schoolhouse rock songs mixed up and its up to you to get the lyrics in order. When you get them right, the song clip will play. The music videos section was funny - the first 3 had the original animated shorts but the music/voices were redone by Better Than Ezra ("Conjunction Junction"), Lemonheads("My Hero Zero") and Deluxe Folk Implosion("I'm Just A Bill"). I didn't care for the last one by Goodness ("Electricity, Electricity"). That was just a music video but that one doesn't take away from the rest of the DVD.

I saw one review here getting a little too deep in reviewing the american group. I say, don't worry about it - these were meant to help kids learn and I can say they definitely did me good. This collection was well done and it's worth the price :-)

School House Rock
I learned more from this as a kid than in school. To expensive on Amazon, I got it cheaper at my local Vons grocery store.

Wow! Hurray! Hey! Hallelujah!
Yes, I'm using all the Interjections from SchoolHouse Rock to sing it's praises. I grew up with Schoolhouse Rock, but to be honest I thought about it only when my husband and I laughed nostalgicly about memorable songs like Conjunction Junction. Then, he bought the 30th anniversary edition for our daughter (he was trying to qualify for free shipping when he was buying the Tripletts of BelleVille!). So, it can be said that neither of us anticipated how fantastic this DVD would be -- STILL! My 3 year old LOVES it, and I can't say enough great things about the creative lyrics that teach grammar, numbers and how the body works (maybe I should reach into my bag of adjectives, which my daughter charmlingly calls "magictives"). It is the one DVD we own that I don't feel any apprehension about evil or scary characters, dark plots or questionable character influences (which are startling present in many videos for preschoolers).

If you're wondering about getting this video, wonder no more. It is a timeless winner that won't disappoint (unless you're looking for dark plots and questionable character influences!)

Re: Jason James Taylorville, KY
Mr. James I hope you have learned a valuable lesson from this experience. Read the product information before you buy it. You can look at the picture and see that it's animated/a cartoon. Come on don't trash the video because you didn't bother to read the product information before you bought it. I'm sure that you saw the cover on the DVD after you took it out of the package. I can't believe you opened it and actually watched it. Well, to each his own. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Season 2 of I Love Lucy includes two of the most famous half-hours in television history. "Job Switching," originally broadcast mid-September of 1952, is the crazy, battle-of-the-sexes episode in which husbands Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) and Fred Mertz (William Frawley) trade roles with wives Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ethel (Vivian Vance), culminating in the men making a shambles of domestic chores while Lucy and Ethel take disastrous work at a chocolate factory. That's right: This is the show where the ladies have a Chaplinesque experience with a too-fast factory conveyor belt, forcing them to hide candies in their mouths, in their hats, and down their blouses lest a tough forewoman fire them for incompetence. A half-century later, the scene is still so fresh and funny it would grace any current sitcom. "Lucy Goes to the Hospital," which received an amazing 71.7 rating on January 19, 1953, is the historic episode featuring the birth of Little Ricky and a load of wonderful slapstick. Other television series (The Dick Van Dyke Show) and movies (Nine Months) have tried to top Lucy's time-to-go-to-the-hospital shenanigans, but there's nothing like the sight of Ricky and Fred falling all over themselves or Ricky showing up at the maternity ward (direct from a voodoo-themed show at the Tropicana) in witch doctor makeup.

The other 31 episodes included in I Love Lucy: The Compete Second Season have choice moments, too. "Lucy Becomes a Sculptress" finds the ever-ambitious redhead falling for empty flattery at an art-supply store and commencing an ill-advised career working in clay. Ricky agrees to bless this new endeavor if an art critic says she has talent, but Lucy tries to increase her chances by posing as a bust of herself--resulting in mayhem, of course. The usual running themes in I Love Lucy--Lucy's misguided desire to be a part of Ricky's musical career, and her penchant for disguising herself to investigate something--are all over The Complete Second Season. "Ricky Loses His Voice" is a delightful piece in which Ricky's laryngitis inspires Lucy, the Mertzes, and an aging chorus line to put on a Tropicana spectacle, and "Ricky Has Labor Pains" finds Lucy and Ethel going undercover as male reporters to find out what happens at a stag party.Lots to enjoy here, and the special features include bloopers, information about the guest cast, and snippets from Ball's radio show. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I Love Lucy is the best!
I'm sixteen but I absolutly love I love Lucy. I started watching them when the DVD's for the first season came out. I am so excited to be getting the next season all at once and at half the price of season one. Season Two has some of my favorite episodes like Job Switching, Lucy is Enceinte, and Lucy Goes to the Hospital

Here are 32 More Reasons We Love Lucy ...
THE sitcom of all sitcoms -- the one show where you could watch many episodes 1,463 times (as most of us have) -- and they'd still be funny as hell, the Queen Mother of all sitcoms finally gets its 2nd-season release on August 31st - at a MUCH more reasonable price than season one, thank God!! This is classic Lucy, while the gang was still in New York and Lucy was very much still trying to get into the act.

Here's how Season 2 breaks down, in all its glory:

1. The Anniversary Present - Ricky enlists the aid of a beautiful neighbor to buy Lucy pearls for their anniversary ... and Lucy thinks he's having an affair!

2. The Handcuff - The Ricardos get cuffed together before Ricky has to do a big show.

3. The Operetta - Lucy's women's club stages an operetta, "The Pleasant Peasant," with Lucy writing a post-dated check to pay for everything (Lucy as the Queen of the Gypsies ... HYSTERICAL!!)

4. Job Switching - THE famous "candy factory" job episode!

5. The Saxophone - Lucy pretends to have another love to keep Ricky from going on the road with his band.

6. Vacation from Marriage - The Ricardos and Mertzes take a break from their in-a-rut marriages ... and find they are miserable.

7. The Courtroom - The Ricardos & Mertzes end up in court over a busted television.

8. Redecorating - Lucy is desperate to win a home-decorating contest.

9. Ricky Loses His Voice - Lucy takes over the show at the Tropicana when Ricky gets laryngitis.

10. Sales Resistance - Ricky demands Lucy ... a sucker for any sales pitch ... return a vacuum cleaner she was talked into buying.

11. The Inferiority Complex - Lucy feels inferior when no one laughs at her jokes or wants to play bridge with her.

12. The Club Election - Lucy and Ethel's campaigning against each other for the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League presidency gets way out of hand.

13. The Black Eye - No one believes Lucy really got her black eye from Ricky tossing a book to her.

14. Lucy Changes Her Mind - When Ricky complains that Lucy never finishes anything, Lucy reconnects with an old beau to get even.

15. Lucy is Enceinte - the beautiful, exceptional episode where Lucy struggles to find the right time to tell Ricky she's going to have a baby (touching ending!).

16. Pregnant Women are Unpredictable - Lucy feels neglected when Ricky seems to give all his attention to the upcoming baby.

17. Lucy's Showbiz Swan Song - Lucy fails to get into Ricky's Gay Nineties Review ... until she sneaks in on the barbershop quartet number.

18. Lucy Hires an English Tutor - Hans Conreid guests (hysterically) as an English tutor Lucy hires so that the baby will be surrounded by adults who speak properly.

19. Ricky Has Labor Pains - Ricky develops his own labor pains when jealous of the baby's attention; Lucy has Fred throw him a Daddy Shower that turns more into a stag party ...

20. Lucy Becomes a Sculptress - Lucy takes up sculpting so the baby will learn about and appreciate art.

21. Lucy Goes to the Hospital - The episode that beat out President Eisenhower's inauguration in the ratings; Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky.

22. No Children Allowed - A crotchety neighbor, Mrs. Trumble (in her first appearance on the show), complains about the baby's crying ... as babies are not allowed in the building leases!

23. Lucy Hires a Maid - Exhausted with caring for the baby, Lucy is talked into hiring a maid, who turns out to be a cantankerous biddy Lucy nor Ricky then have the nerve to fire!

24. The Indian Show - Baby or no, Lucy is going to get into the act at an Indian-themed show at the Tropicana.

25. Lucy's Last Birthday - A sad Lucy thinks everyone has forgotten her birthday ... and her (TRIVIA: This was the one and only time the lyrics to the "I Love Lucy" song were heard).

26. The Ricardos Change Apartments - Lucy convinces Ricky they need a bigger apartment, now that Little Ricky has arrived.

27. Lucy is Matchmaker - Lucy causes the usual disaster by trying to match a friend of friend of the Mertzes ... a lingerie salesman who thinks Lucy is hitting on him!

28. Lucy Wants New Furniture - Lucy buys new furniture without Ricky's consent, and tries hiding it until she can work up the nerve to tell him.

29. The Camping Trip - Lucy decides to pursue some of Ricky's interests, to show they have more in common.

30. Ricky's Life Story - Ricky's big feature in "Life" magazine resurrects Lucy's desire for a show biz career.

31. Ricky and Fred are TV Fans - Ricky and Fred are so glued to the TV for a fight, the girls leave the apartment, nearly get arrested -- and the men never even knew they were gone!

32. Never Do Business With Friends - An argument ensues when the Ricardos sell their old washing machine to the Mertzes ... and it breaks down.

At half the price of Season 1 (which needs serious re-boxing), Season 2 of "I Love Lucy" is not only affordable -- but necessary to anyone collecting classic comedy, as it has some of the best episodes of the entire series! Get yours fast -- and lets hope they sell well enough to make Paramount push out Season 3 right away!

Better format, better price, same dvd quality
Season 1 episodes on dvd have picture and sound quality that are unbeatable. The packaging, unfortunately, was done in a way to jack the price way up. Now we have season 2 in a more concise format, half the price, and most likely the same superior restoration and fun extras. This is the season with the chocolate factory episode, the baby episodes, and a lot of other hidden gems. Let's hope this one sells so well that we don't have too long for the rest of the seasons on dvd!

Lucy Ricky Fred & Ethel They Were The Best Ever.
I Have been watching Lucy for 42 years now. At least once a day. If she is on it doesn't matter what else is on WE watch Lucy! Some could say it's a cult. I say it is a time that I would like to have seen more of being born in 1960, I just missed the real deal. I cannot wait for the Second and All the other seasons. Does that sound good. I love Desi & Lucy JRS. too. They made me cry in their 50th anniversary special.
Anyway Enjoy The Show...... Rickrocksem ... Read more

Amazon.com

Here's where it all began. The first season of Survivor dominated the ratings in the summer of 2000, helped spur the reality-TV craze, and inspired countless water-cooler jokes about getting voted off the island.The first season established the formula that would continue, with sometimes surprising variations, over numerous subsequent seasons:16 people intended to represent the American mosaic are stranded far from civilization (in this case, the island of Pulau Tiga, off the coast of Borneo), struggle for food and shelter, compete in a series of physical and mental challenges, and at the end of each three-day episode vote out one of their fellow contestants.After 39 days, the one sole survivor who is able to outwit, outplay, and outlast the others wins a million-dollar prize.Because the Survivor craze preceded the craze for complete-season DVD boxed sets, the first season was represented on DVD and video by a 150-minute highlights package called Season One: The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments.Now, all 13 episodes are available in a five-disc set (the fifth disc is ...Outrageous Moments) that contains every challenge, every political maneuver, every next-episode preview and previous-episode recap, every tribal council including the famous finale, and the reunion show.If you started watching Survivor in the Australian Outback or later, this is the perfect opportunity to see how host Jeff Probst, scheming Richard Hatch, tough truck driver Sue Hawk, ex-Navy SEAL Rudy Boesch, athletic Kelly Wiglesworth, and the others got the ball rolling.If you did watch the first season, here's your chance to relive it, and you also get an enthusiastic group commentary by host Jeff Probst (poking fun at himself) and contestants Hatch (talking the most, which should surprise no one), Boesch, and Gervase Peterson on the first and last episodes, plus some minor featurettes (seven minutes of footage of the contestants leaving L.A. for Borneo, David Letterman's Top 10 featuring the contestants, and 10 minutes of new interviews with Hatch, Boesch, and Peterson).Many reality shows have come and gone in the meantime, but in terms of staying fresh over a long run, Survivor has outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted them all.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Bring out ALL Seasons on DVD for Fans of the Show!!
I finally succombed to survivor fever back when it was first on tv during the merger episode. By then, I really didn't know enough from the earlier episodes to understand the moronic attitude of the anti alliance group, and to appreciate Hatch. I did not like him for years. However, I got my S1 dvd set this week and I am on disk 3 now. I LOVE THIS. What a great season.

Here are some observations.

Cheesy stuff they don't do anymore, that I think is great in these episodes:

1) the gong going to tribal council
2) the treasure chest full of "money" (my note: what happened to this money during the rainy tribal councils? They never show it soggy)

More on the filming:

During most of the challenges, you can see boats out at sea that are supporting the production. Most of the time, the cruise ship they used for the crew is parked at the horizon, clearly visible in the scene. I heard helicopter noise during the filming of the merger challenge, where pagong lost for the last time to make it an even 5.

It is VERY amusing to watch the voting after the merge. Pagong pagonged ITSELF. This is hilarious. I just finished the episode where Jenna gets voted on by her entire tribe, even though the alphabet voting put greg out.

Another observation: whenever Jenna was on a tribe, the tribe did happy things. Pagong was a happy tribe as was Chapera. I think Jenna is under appreciated as a player on survivor.

I miss them casting a wide age range of players. If they bring that back, it will make the dynamics more interesting. BB's game strategy was a train wreck. Sonja was a great lady. I loved her singing that funny song to hatch.

Gretchen was an interesting survivor, she understood the game, as did Greg. How come we don't hear about these contestants?

If you haven't watched the new dvd set, I recommend that you watch the first CD all the way through WITHOUT the probst et al commentary turned on. Then go back and turn on the commentary and watch E1 all over again listening to the boys talk about the scenes as they unfold. This is great stuff. I wish they had commented on EVERY episode with more of the cast.

This was probably the best $35 i have spent on entertainment in quite some time. I hope they bring all the seasons out on DVD.

What I wish they will do for future sets:

1) after the credits for each episode, then show clips of the voting confessionals and ALL the insider clips that were on the CBS website each week.

2) Have cast commentaries on EACH episode by cast members of that season that you can turn on or off, like they did for episode 1 on this set.

3) Show audition tapes of cast members (I don't know if these are on this set, I am still watching disk 3)

Also for those purchasing this set, don't mistake the plastic on each CD case as something you have to rip off. I was bone headed and discovered AFTER I ripped off the plastic on my case that it was to hold the cover in place. The cd case itself was not sealed in plastic (dah). Oh well.

Insight
This DVD offers commentary by Richard, Rudy, Gervase and Jeff Probst during the 1st and final episodes. I found it very interesting to watch with the commentary and enjoyed listening to the 4 guys give their insight during the show. This Season of "Survivor" was my favorite because of it's freshness, and the originality of it and it a definite MUST GET for anyone, whether they've seen the show or not.

The only thing I didn't like is how they listed who gets voted off each episode on the DVD cover, but that's not enough to sway my vote to give this DVD 5 stars!!!!!

I'm looking forward to future seasons of "Survivor" to be released on DVD. Buy Season 1 - great entertainment and definitely something you'll appreciate to have years down the road.

Snakes and rats.
Survivors first season was classic TV. An original, unexpected trendsetter. Marc Burnett is a fantastic storyteller and the cast he selected is fantastic. Unfortunatly if you've already watched it on CBS watching it again is almost like watching old weather reports and frankly there isn't enough "plot" to sustain multiple viewings. The only reality show i'd probably buy is PARADISE HOTEL since it's format was more like a lightly scripted soap. As for Survivor all the media overkill has killed all joy in watching it more than once. EP

WOW!
I pondered long and hard if $40 was too much to pay for something I didn't know how many times I'd watch. The ultimate answer came after I spent it and realized it was well worth it. The sheer amount of hours in this, including the additional DVD is well worth it. Watching this show again just confirmed why I love the show in the first place and also shows how far it has come.
The players in this are all naive and only Rich seems to have anything planned. It's so interesting to watch again knowing all that I do about watching the series over it's many seasons. Season 1 still remains one of the best just because of how naive the players are.
It seems they already have the All Stars complete season planned for release in August, but I truly hope they plan on releasing the other seasons as well. I'd really love to see Survivor Amazon on DVD! In any case, this set is WELL worth it for any Survivor period.

Survior - The Complete first Season
I love this set. The only thing I did not like is the listing of who gets the boot on the back cover of each disc. The whole set was wonderfully done. The extra material was great. I really hope the remainder of the Survivor shows is put onto dvd. I plan on getting them when they come out. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

1969?
awesome movie, very well written and acted, honest, touching.

An excellent debut
I was lucky enough to see "Garden State" at the LA Film Festival, where it was the centerpiece attraction, as it was at Sundance, where it won top honors.

As well it should have been. It is EXCELLENT.

This is Zach Braff's masterwork, a film that by all accounts should not have been made ("hi, i am the funny guy from "Scrubs," can you help me make a movie I have written, directed and want to star in?")

This is the story of Andrew Largemann (aka "Large" to his buddies) who has to fly across the country to attend the funeral of his mother.

(...) Just An Awesome Film
Zach Braff proves he's a master at both writing and directing. This film is so wonderful-- it's simply a great story. It's got the feel of other films that also tell great stories, like Lost in Translation or Pieces of April. All great.

This is the story of Andrew Largeman (Braff) who lives in L.A. as a wannabe actor. It's been nine years since he's been home, and the death of his mother is what takes him back to the garden state.

Braff plays this character with excellence-- fun, but perhaps misunderstood, with a lingering sadness. Everyone else in the movie is just as wonderful. Natalie Portman plays the eccentric Sam, who when they first meet, tells him to listen to a song because it will change his life. Peter Sarsgaard plays Largeman's partying friend-- talk about a scene stealer!

When this film comes to a theater near you, I highly recommend seeing it. It's the perfect movie to see when you need a break from the typical summer movies that you seem to see every year. Garden State boasts a fantastic script, great acting, awesome cinematography, and everything else someone could want in a wonderful film.

Not perfect, but highly recommended
As most of my moviegoing experiences these days have been, I sat in a room full of college students who lined up hours in advance to see The Garden State. And we watched in utter amazement, sadness, excitement, laughter...not even because it was THAT good, but because we were watching perfect reflections of ourselves on screen.

After the screening, Zach Braff (who had, he told us, been sitting behind the audience the entire time) talked to us about his film, answered some twenty-odd questions, and truly revealed why this film was a piece of art. Yes, Braff himself was almost as entertaining as the movie itself. But The Garden State still held its own.

Braff's debut film as writer, director and star, The Garden State involves the protagonists' (Braff) journey to re-find himself as he travels back to his home town in New Jersey. Previously defined by his tidbit roles as a Hollywood actor and his parentally diagnosed psychological illnesses, Braff rekindles old friendships and makes new ones along the way. Natalie Portman, who gives an outstanding performance, plays possibly the most well written female role I've seen in a long time. The energy exuded from her presence on screen is unmatchable and a wonderful contrast with Braff's underplay of his character.

The plot has its moment, but is nowhere near the dynamic adventure of an oscar winning story. However, the little things carry the film. Also, the music is AMAZING and Braff's choice of soundtrack is most certainly one of the success stories of his film.

The film is not without faults, such as lack of exploration in certain storylines (especially concerning the protagonist's father and the introduction of numerous characters who are never fully developed). However, the film's unique and intense direction and cinematography coupled with some brilliant acting make this film a must see. Especially for the college generation.

Not perfect, but highly recommended.

Self-indulgent and ultimately disappointing...
I saw an advanced screening of "Garden State" at a film festival. I was eager to see it since early buzz had been good. Although I give high points to Zach Braff for attempting a literary movie, I was ultimately disappointed by his egotism. More than once I was taken out of the movie by Braff's obvious attempts, as writer and director, to cast himself as both a comedian and leading man. The story, which could just as well be titled "When Anne Tyler met Harold and Maude" strains under too much contrivance and deliberate quirkiness. The basic problem with the movie is that is overdoes almost every element -- there are too many characters, too many pointless subplots and scenes, and the central characters, played by Braff and Natalie Portman (in an ultimately annoying performance), are given too much screen time. If "Garden State" had been edited down to 90 minutes, it might work. As it stands, at 120 minutes, it is overdone.

One reason to see the movie: Peter Sarsgaard. He steals every scene as a dirtbag high school friend of Braff's character. He is a great talent, and deserving of better movies than this one. ... Read more

Description

One of television's most popular series, the groundbreaking Combat! offers a gritty, unflinching look at American soldiers battling in Europe during World War II, confronting imposing odds and demonstrating remarkable levels of ingenuity and courage. Vic Morrow and Rick Jason head a stellar cast in the critically acclaimed long-running war drama, featuring an incomparable list of guest stars from Hollywood's Golden Age as well as top directorial talent. Episodes include: The Linesman, Main Event, Hear No Evil, Nine Place Vendee, Sudden Terror, Evasion, Finest Hour, Breakout, The Farmer, The Raider, Crossfire, Soldier of Fortune, The First Day, S.I.W., Luck with Rainbows, The Flying Machine ... Read more

Reviews (4)

nearly perfect
Image did a fine job on the Combat! dvds. However, it`s unfortunate they were unable to find prints that were not "time-compressed". Surely there had to be some available somewhere. It`s so irritating watching them in their slightly sped-up form. The dvds would have been perfect if not for this. They LOOK superb. I understand they will be releasing season 5 in "non-time compressed" prints. At least we will get one season at the correct speed.

HOLD ON A MINUTE, JP!
I must reply to JP Falcon's posted review of "Combat"(4/7/05) which lists the episode "The Farmer" as one of the worst.FOLKS, TAKE THE WORD OF A GUY WHO REGARDS "THE FARMER" as his PERSONAL FAVORITE of them ALL----IT"S TERRIFIC!

Amazingly sensitive and perceptive in its portrayal of the soldier whose main concerns are seeing that the tranquility and spiritual qualities associated with farming are not destroyed by the ravages of war.The peaceful, idyllic scene where the entire squad (except for Saunders) gradually join Weaver in planting the crops for an aging French couple who were chased off of their land is, in my opinion, the SINGLE MOST BEAUTIFUL scene that the series has to offer.And then, things start to go desparately wrong, as Weaver endeavors to save a baby calf from starving.Much excellently wrought conflict with Kirby and Littlejohn, as Weaver continually puts the squad in danger because of his convictions. And the final moments show a man who out of desperation and rage allows himself to be destroyed---all because of his fanatical devotion to preserving the sanctity of the earth and its creatures. Great closing speech by Conlan Carter.

FIRST-RATE!Get it and see for yourself.

****ALSO FABULOUS---- "S.I.W." with phenomenal direction (John Peyser) and performance from John Cassavetes. An epsisode wherein ALMOST NOTHING happens in terms of action---but the INTENSITY between characters is unbelievable. And the final resolution of the show is almost cathartic, as if all of the hatred and mistrust between Cassavetes and William Stevens has been purged--or cleansed.Brilliant.

******THE REAL SLEEPER EPISODE:"RUN, SHEEP, RUN".Even though this show, late in the season, is essentially a rehash of the first season's "The Medal", it ultimately stands on its own as a truly fine episode. The closing scene, as Dwayne Hickman admits his own cowardice to the squad, never fails to bring a tear to the eye (mine, that is).

FINEST HOUR is very good (even though it, too, is essentially a re-write [of the 1st season's "The Chateau").Great to see a (rare) performance by Louise Rainer.

And of course, "HILLS ARE FOR HEROES" is pretty amazing stuff.

THE END!

The Best COMBAT Episode has Arrived!! Part 1
We are now at the apex of the COMBAT series when the show reached its' peak as this season has the best episode ever produced. There are a few episodes that seem variations on previous Combat themes, but overall the fourth season holds up well...Of the cast members, Jack Hogan as Kirby does his best work in three pivotal episodes, especially in Hills are for Heroes which I consider one of the greatest war movies ever made. I will discuss this episode in the COMBAT SEASON 4 CONFLICT 2 review. For now, here are some of the hits and misses of season 4...

1. The Leader - Kirby must lead a group of disgruntled soldiers as they prepare for a German counterattack....one of the shows where Jack Hogan shines...

2. Retribution - Jack Hogan is 2 for 2 as Kirby, when he discovers that his future Brother-in-law was beaten to death by a sadistic German Officer. Hogan's acting is top notch as he seeks revenge.


3. The Raider - a tense drama as Saunders needs to discover which of the German prisoners is actually the Officer who knows the whereabouts of a captured Hanley.

4. Finest Hour -It is a treat to see the fine French actress Luise Rainer in a morality play regarding honor and sacrifice.


5. Main Event - Jack Carter plays the manager ofcontending boxer and tries to protect his "investment" from the dangers of war. Jack Carter is at his conniving and sleazy best.

6. The Old Men -Simon Oakland portrays an replacement with bad knees, as he and other older replacements join Saunders squad.


7.The First Day - Four "Green" soldiers are put in Saunders squad. If this seems familiar to THE OLD MEN, well, I guess it is, but it is still well done.



Those are a few of the fine episodes which are included in this season 4 compilation of COMBAT. There are however some, not so stellar episodes.

1. The Linesman -Jack Lord is a know it all radioman who accompanies Saunders squad on a mission. It is the overdone"Arrogant Officer Humbled" theme.

2. Hear No Evil -There are actually good portions of this episode where Saunders loses his hearing. The scene which illustrates how he became deaf is well done. There is a silly section involving a dog however which brings the episode down, and if you are a dog lover, you may become unsettled.

3. The Farmer - Dennis Weaver loves animals more than Humans. Just plain dumb.

So, should you buy this set?Yes, most certainly, for there is much to enjoy in this collection. If you are planning to buy both volumes of this season 4 DVD set, but are only planning to buy one at this time, then I advise you save buying SEASON 4 CONFLICT 1 for now and quickly purchase SEASON 4 CONFLICT 2 because, as I mentioned previously, one of the finest war movies was produced when HILLS ARE FOR HEROES hit the small screen. I will comment on this fantastic episode in the CONFLICT 2 review.

Recommended without reservation.

This program has unique introductory music
Many programs of the era had their own introductory music and this program was no exception; the music was by Leonard Rosseman.

They always start out with "staring Rick Jason and Vic Morrow." Instead of great sweeping epics this program focuses on a single squad with their trials and tribulation with confronting the Germans in WWII. Each episode is one hour and has to oppose a problem and a solution in that time. This was back in the time of professional privates.

In 1967-1968 Vietnam if you were lucky certain areas actually had TV broadcasting at 1600 hrs. You guessed it; this was one of the programs. I wonderer what the locals thought of the episode?

This would be a good series to own. Not just for the nostalgia, but the personal conflicts portrait in the program are still with us today.

If you are buying this item, I assume you have already purchased the first three seasons. And can not help but add to the collection and go on from her. I am also sure that by now you have your favorites marked for reviewing.
... Read more

Description

Angus MacGyver is a secret agent who refuses to carry a gun with him, but fortunately never needs one.Drawing on a vast practical knowledge of science, MacGyver is able to make use of anything around him to create solutions to any problem he faces.Underestimating MacGyver is a major mistake made by his enemies and always results in the destruction of their plans. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Absolutely Brilliant!
It is soooo frustrating! MacGyver is one of the best TV Series made in the 80's and 90's (You can put it in Line with the A-Team, Knight Rider and so one). And everyone in the USA will be able to purchase this brilliant DVD to sit at home and look at Richard Dean Anderson again and again and again.
It is really sad that this DVD is not available in Germany (Especially in the European Format). So, pleeease! Hurry up and bring it to Europe as well! I will buy it straight away!

Genius. Scientist. Sexy. What More Could A Girl Ask For?
As all true Angus Macgyver fans know, getting the series on dvd has been like pulling teeth. As one of the best shows ever on television, you would think it would be an easy choice. However, it is here, and I am overjoyed.It has something for everyone. For the girls, it has a hot star and the hero every girl wants to be there when they have a crisis. For the guys, it has action, adventure, bombs, and even some nail biting moments. During the second season, we see a little bit more about our reluctant, but always present hero. Give him a stick of gum and a wire, he'll make a bomb. To all those who are complaing about no extras...get over it! It was hard enough just getting the dvd. I am looking forward to this season because, my personal favorite character (besides Mac) Murdoch will be out in full force. Everyone will enjoy this dvd.

MacGyver finally on dvd.
yes the first season didnt have any extras and im sure this one wont either, but come on people this is MACGYVER finally out on dvd. my personal favorite show of all time this is and will be without a doubt a must have, even if youve never watched the show before-buy it, you will not be dissapointed and will be instantly hooked (not to mention impatiently waiting for the next season, and the one after and so on). I for one am extremely excited about the best tv series in the history of tv finally out on dvd. keep em coming.

What will MacGyver think of next?
A unique and different kind of TV action series, MacGyver made its television premiere in the Fall of 1985 to much fanfare. Audiences immediately responded to the title character and his unusual penchant for turning everyday items like chewing gum and paperclips into elaborate life-saving contraptions. In this way, it maintained a slight resemblance to The A-Team, and this recurring plot device helped MacGyver build a strong cult following...

Richard Dean Anderson plays the title role of MacGyver, an energetic employee of the fictional Phoenix Foundation for Research. An unorthodox hero by action series standards, MacGyver has a deadly fear of heights. A pacifist who refuses to use weapons, he relies heavily on his ability to use his brain and tinker with the various materials at his disposal. MacGyver's best friend, and the director of the Phoenix Foundation, is Pete Thornton (Dana Elcar). Pete often sends MacGyver on Foundation missions and sometimes comes to his aid (usually after MacGyver has saved the day). In addition, MacGyver is joined on a regular basis by his airplane pilot friend Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill), a man who constantly entangles himself in illegal activities and other troublesome situations. Between the usual slew of bad guys, the vendetta of archenemy Murdoc (Michael Des Barres), and his multitude of troublesome friends, MacGyver is always in the midst of interesting and dangerous events, and the show's true entertainment value derives from watching MacGyver's distinctive method of dealing with each one...

The MacGyver (Season 2) DVD features a number of action-packed episodes including the season premiere "The Human Factor" in which MacGyver and the Phoenix Foundation are called upon to test the security of a top-secret military installation. When MacGyver makes a bet with the security designer, Dr. Jill Ludlum, he successfully gains entry, but the automated system traps them both inside (with a dwindling supply of oxygen) where they're forced to race for their lives against a ticking clock... Other notable episodes from Season 2 include "The Road Not Taken" in which MacGyver encounters his former fiancée while helping a nun, and "Birth Day" in which MacGyver must guard a pregnant woman from her husband, who's out to kill her...

Below is a list of episodes included on the MacGyver (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 23 (The Human Factor)
Episode 24 (The Eraser)
Episode 25 (Twice Stung)
Episode 26 (The Wish Child)
Episode 27 (Final Approach)
Episode 28 (Jack of Lies)
Episode 29 (The Road Not Taken)
Episode 30 (Eagles)
Episode 31 (Silent World)
Episode 32 (Three for the Road)
Episode 33 (Phoenix Under Siege)
Episode 34 (Family Matter)
Episode 35 (Soft Touch)
Episode 36 (Birth Day)
Episode 37 (Pirates)
Episode 38 (Out in the Cold)
Episode 39 (Dalton, Jack of Spies)
Episode 40 (Partners)
Episode 41 (Bushmaster)
Episode 42 (Friends)
Episode 43 (D.O.A.: MacGyver)
Episode 44 (For Love or Money)

The DVD Report

paramount *sigh*
Knowing paramount'a reputation for DVD releases, this will most likely be similar to MacGyver season 1 and have absolutely no extras and Paramount will get by (once again) with the bare minimum. Anyways, MacGyver is an awesome show, so if you don't care about Paramount's crappy DVD release policy they seem to have, pick this up. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The third season of ER had some of the series' most compelling and wrenching story lines.John Carter (Noah Wylie) is now an intern, but his surgical dreams continue to be thwarted by Dr. Benton (Eriq La Salle), a frustration shared by fellow student Dennis Gant (Omar Epps).Benton also torments former lover Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben), who has tested positive for HIV.Because he has tested negative, he's free to badger her about the risks involved in her treating patients while moving on to his next potential conquest, a sexy waitress named Carla (Lisa Nicole Carson).Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) continues to be one of the series' focal points, struggling to survive the bureaucracy of management and still feel like a doctor.And now single, he goes on bad dates as does Dr. Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), both ignoring the obvious until a seemingly casual vacation invitation sets a number of uncomfortable wheels turning.

The other focal point is nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), for whom things go from bad to worse. She has serious money problems, her career choice doesn't look so good anymore, and when a patient dies, she finds herself suspended.That sets the stage for one of the series' most memorable episodes, which takes place almost completely outside the hospital.Hathaway goes to the corner drug store, where she meets guest star Ewan McGregor, and things take off from there.She also wisely keeps her distance from former lover Dr. Ross (George Clooney), who may have really done it when he brings into the ER a one-night stand suffering from a seizure and has to admit he doesn't even know her name.

County General survives a closure scare, but instead has to absorb some new additions, including chief of staff Donald Anspaugh (John Aylward), intern Maggie Doyle (Jorjan Fox), and the best pediatric surgeon in Chicago, Abby Keaton (Glenne Headley), who attracts the attention of Benton and Carter for professional and/or personal reasons.But those additions are countered by two emotional goodbyes, and other gritty story lines, including a troubled teen (Kirsten Dunst) and an assault on a doctor, helped make ER's third season often tough to take, but unforgettable.

Special features consist of commentary tracks on two episodes; a 15-minute spotlight on the episode "Fear of Flying" with new interviews with Sherry Stringfield, Noah Wylie, and Glenne Headley; bloopers and outtakes; and a featurette on the ER's nurses with interviews of Yvette Freeman, Abraham Benrubi, Ellen Crawford, and others, but not Julianna Margulies.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (15)

New look for the cover art
I am so pleased to see Season Three of what has become one of the most respected and influential television programs.I am also pleased that episodes are released on a one-sided as opposed to two-sided discs.

Here's hoping we will see the DVD release of such popular medical shows as St. Elsewhere, Medical Center, Marcus Welby, M.D., Dr. Kildare, and Ben Casey, without which, there would certainly not have been an ER.

ER Third Season
It's ben a while but ER the complete third season is finally out!The day it came out I went straight from school to the store to pick it up.I went through the season in about three days....and wow...I am counting down the days until season 4. Although it was a great season there are some weak points and even a cast member leaves but I wont spoil it. The six disc set makes it easier to use although you find yourself pulling out a new disc every so often.Overall I give it five stars and with the great price it was worth the wait.....enjoy.

Better Layout
I have seasons One and Two and I think season Three is a better layout overall. I don't mind that Seasons 1 & 2 are double sided discs, what bothered me about them is they are not labled so you wouldn't know which side you are putting into the DVD player. However, season three is nothing like that. It's easier to deal with. Now I cannot wait until season 4 and I hope they keep the same layout and design.

Season 4 coming soon....
For those that are interested, Season 4 will be out in May in the UK. For some reason the UK releases, which were about 3 months behind the US for seasons 1 and 2, are now storming ahead with the next releases. Perhaps you guys in the US are more patient than us??!

If you just CAN'T wait
Seasons 1-8 can be found with some difficulty in Japan. They can be quite expensive! While the DVDs were created for the Japanese market, they can be played with the original English soundtrack if you have a DVD player that will play DVDs for that region (or software which will "liberate" the DVD.)

Don't ask me why they don't release them here first because I just don't know. Surely the demand is here.

The eBay DVDs appear to be knockoffs of the Japanese DVDs with the exception of season 4 -- where the bootleggers seem to have screwed up when they were making the copies. Caveat emptor. ... Read more

Reviews (176)

One, Two, this DVD's for you!
This set provides the essentials, the movies one through seven. However the Encyclopedia disc is simply PACKED with extras. I think there is nearly 2 or 3 hours of extras. With that, any Nightmare lover can see the entity of this movie in so much depth and detail. You'll also find, if you haven't already, that Robert Englund and Wes Craven are "Bloody" genius'. There is a reason why A Nightmare on Elm Street is simply the BEST horror movie franchise in existence, and this collectors box set gives you 8 reasons why. Unlike it's rivals, the Nightmare series travels, it covers so many aspects of the evil inside (without embarassing itself by traveling to space!).
If there is one thing I truly respect about this series is the sequels. Although parts 2-6 were not really scary, they did deliver what would become the quintessence of Freddy. The sarcastic, sometimes hilarious demon anti-hero who you can't help but cheer for. Also, it does something that no other horror movie franchise has. It's final part leaves the viewer just like the first one: terrified. I really feel that New Nightmare was so overrated yet so very well done.

If you love these movies, BUY THIS SET! Well worth the money!

Campy horror at it's best! A terrific DVD set.
The "Nightmare on Elm Street" series was, in my opinion, the only one that justified the number of sequels it had. It is also the most entertaining, original, and frightening of all the 80's "slasher" films. They may be a campy as a row of tents, but they are still among my favorite guilty pleasures.

The first three movies are without a doubt the best, with part 4 being okay, and part 5 being awful. "Freddy's Dead" capped off the series nicely, while "New Nightmare" found a brilliant way of making another movie as a self-parody, rather than a cookie-cutting of the older movies. Many don't consider it to be part of the series, but it defintely is in my opinion. I will always pick Freddy over Jason or Michael Myers for his devious sense of humor. Who can forget the classic line "You've got the body, and I've got the brains". Great line.

Collectors can enjoy a whopping 8 DVDs of Nightmare material, including all 7 films and a bonus DVD filled with behind-the-scenes extras, interviews, and other goodies. I enjoyed the book, but the extra DVD is a real bonus. It made the DVD set more enticing, considering the price tag.

Unlike the Friday the 13th or Halloween movies, which specialized in cookie-cutter sequels and little to no variation, the Nightmare series is the one that is worth owning on DVD. The originality, the chills, and the fun make the series stand out from all the other campy 80's horror series. I can join the rest of the horror movie fans in saying "They don't make em like this anymore".

Great Packaging of the Series
Each DVD in this set has special features and the like. All movies have similair menu formats meaning that they were designed for the set, which makes it consistant and enjoyable. There is even an extra DVD full of special features inclucing, interviews with freddy, music videos, cast and crew, and even Clive Barker himself. There is this cool way to find all sorts of hidden facts and videos in an interactive way. You control you way through a dark maze and solve riddles and unlock doors. Really great set!

Pretty fun fare, these "Nightmares"...
Since I've pretty much covered my thoughts on every 'Nightmare' flick in separate reviews-- and because I'm a lazy reviewer-- I'm just gonna talk about the bonus 'Nightmare Series Encyclopedia' disc that's included with the box set. If ya wanna know what I think about the movies, check out my reviews of 'em on their respective product pages-- they're posted in series order, from June 23 to June 30, 2004.

Anyhoo, here goes:

The Encyclopedia includes 'Prime Time', an hour-long documentary on the making of the first 'Nightmare', featuring musings from director Wes Craven, stars Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund, and other people involved with the project. A few behind-the-scenes & technical things are shown as well. While I found some of the subjects' thoughts about the movie's significance and influence rather droning and pretentious, much of the stuff shown here was reasonably interesting.

Then there's the encyclopedia proper, an archive of interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes on every 'Nightmare' flick from the first on through to 'New Nightmare'. Much like the 'Prime Time' doc, the seemingly endless array of stuff has its more interesting parts and its drier and downright boring parts. While most of the interviewees (i.e. the films' directors, actors, writers, & producers) seemed a bit too full of themselves at times and made the 'Nightmare' franchise out to be more important and significant than it really was, these interviews paled in comparison to those of Clive Barker, writer-director of the 'Hellraiser' flicks. I tell ya, this guy's pretentious pontificating and going on and on AND ON about the horror genre could put the worst insomniac to sleep in mere moments! If ever there was a truly scary nightmare, it's tryin' to sit through an interview with this guy! Which now that I think about it would probably make for a pretty good story idea for a possible "Freddy vs." sequel! I can just see it now: "Both combatants possess some truly scary capabilities and skills! Freddy has the power to invade your dreams and kill you in your sleep! Clive Barker has the power to bore you into a coma in mere minutes with his endless babbling! Who will win this titanic tussle of truly horrific proportions? Find out when you go to see: 'Freddy vs. Barker'! Coming soon to a theater near you!" I'd be rootin' for Freddy, myself, even though Barker definitely has the edge in the scariness department...

Also included is a trio of music videos, including Dokken's "Dream Warriors", as well as one by the Fat Boys and another by some other rap group whose name I can't recall. Of the three only the Dokken video is really worth checking out. BTW I'm surprised they didn't include Will "Fresh Prince" Smith's "Nightmare on My Street" video, which I kinda liked when I saw it on MTv many years back. Also included are theatrical trailers to every 'Nightmare' mo-pic.

Finally, there's the Labyrinth game where you walk through the halls of Springwood H.S. to grab a few things and solve puzzles to help you unlock a few of the game's features. These features include a bunch of really corny MTv promo spots hosted by Freddy himself, a couple behind-the-scenes moments and interviews that weren't included in the encyclopedia section. Also thrown into this labyrinth were a few things that were carried over from the encyclopedia section, including several cast and crew interviews, the theatrical trailers, and the trio of music videos. I was kinda disappointed by the latter array of features, since I was able to access them in a different part of the bonus DVD, and didn't have to click through a maze of hallways to watch 'em. The way I see it, they shoulda' made the Labyrinth game completely of stuff I couldn't access anywhere else. Otherwise, I found the adventure engaging and surprisingly quick to get through-- it only took me about 90 minutes. I probably woulda' taken twice as long had I not fast-forwarded through the stuff I'd already seen before...

Overall, I found the movies decent viewing even though none of 'em were all that scary to me. Funny for sure, but scary? Nope. Well, except perhaps for 'New Nightmare', a little bit. And the bonus platter had a nice array of good stuff, as well as some dull stuff. Fortunately, the dull stuff can easily be fast-forwarded through. Bottom line: this baby's worth at least one rental, just so you can finally say you saw all of the 'Nightmare' movies.

'Late

Greatest horror series!
This is one of the greats of horror movies there have ever been. With one of the most infamous killers ever. Freddy Kruegar. These films represent his story...

Nightmare on elm street - This is by far the best on the series. Freddy looks very dark in this one, and this is probably the one were he is the most violent. Robert England plays him so well. It can be shocking at times, but not scary. Lots of disturbing and strange scenes too.

Nightmare on elm street 2: Freddy's revenge - A lot of people really hated this film because it messed with the original story. Robert Englund reprises his role as Freddy. It is set in the same area, but this isn't a film with nightmares. It starts off as a nightmare film, but at the end this is a normal slasher. That's why people didn't like it. Still, I still like it, and it contains so much more gore.

Nightmare on elm street 3: Dream warriors - This is the one that made the second look like it didn't exsist. This one follows from the first, not the second. Many people enjoyed this one, as I did. Robert Englund is back, and so is Heather Lagnekamp (played the main character from the first film). The story concentrates on a group of teenagers this time, and their nightmares, and Freddy is back again, invading their nightmares. This one is probably the most fun, since Freddy gives us better and more creative death scenes, like the puppet scene (SICK!). This one isn't set on Elm street though, it's a hospital, but it has good atmosphere. An enjoyable entry.

Nightmare on elm street 4: Dream master - This was a dissapointing sequel, which I also didn't like. Freddy loses his touch in this film. It can also be very stupid at times, and the deaths are -- creative -- but very OTT. The gore is the same (OTT). It does continue from the third, but the leads who survived in the third don't survive for long in this one, and it changes to another story. This is quite a bad entry to the series I think.

Nightmare on elm street 5: Dream child - This is very much the same to the fourth, but this is the worst in the series. The film doesn't concentrate enough on Freddy, but instead it's his mom. Freddy's one-liners are very cheesey and crap, and there aren'r enough deaths in this one. This one concentrates more on Freddy's past. Shame, 'cause the opening of this is quite scary.

Freddy's dead: The final nightmare - People also don't like this one, the consider it to be more funny than scary - which it is, but it's a really good film. It opens up quite satisfyingly, and the film also gives us information on Freddy, before he became a killer. This is the only elm street film where he doesn't use his claw to kill someone, but he kills people in a cool, fun way. I like this entry, certainly an improvement to the lat tow films.

Wes Craven's new nightmare - I actually like this film. It's all about Freddy in the "real" world. Many roles from the original movie star in this and play themselves, as this film is like a docusoup. Once you get to the last thirty minutes of this film you'll love it. But, Freddy isn't in much of the start of this film, and it has a story that can be quite hard to follow. Other than that, this is an excellent film, and it's a great and different way to end the series.

A classic horror series that must be bought. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's not one cougar to be found in 24's dynamic third season, and that's good news for everyone. After Jack Bauer's daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) survived hokey hazards in season 2, she's now a full-time staffer at CTU, the L.A.-based intelligence beehive that's abuzz once again--three years after the events of "Day Two"--when a vengeful terrorist threatens to release a lethal virus that could wipe out much of the country's population. Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) attempts to broker a deal for the virus involving drug kingpin Ramon Salazar (Joaquim de Almeida), whose operation Jack successfully infiltrated at high personal cost: to maintain his cover, he got hooked on heroin. That potentially deadly triangle--drug lords, addiction, and bioterrorism on a massive scale--sets the 24-hour clock ticking in a tight, action-packed plot involving a potential traitor in CTU's midst; the return of TV's greatest villainesses in Nina Meyers (Sarah Clarke) and former First Lady Sherry Palmer (Penny Johnson Jerald); a troubled romance between Kim and Jack's new partner Chase (James Badge Dale); and a scandalized reelection campaign by president David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), who monitors CTU as they struggle to (literally) save the day.

The intricately woven subplots that are 24's greatest strength are masterfully developed here, and character arcs are equally strong, especially among CTU staffers Tony (Carlos Bernard) and his wife Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth); CTU director Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze), who is season 2's tragic bargaining chip; and the annoying but well-intentioned Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), who makes pivotal contributions with by-the-book efficiency. It's 24's superior casting that overcomes the series' occasional lapses in credibility, and season 3's twists make marathon viewing a nerve-wracking delight. By the time it's all over, with a high body count and the surgical reattachment of a main character's severed hand, 24 once again leaves you gratefully exhausted. As always, Sutherland anchors the series in the role he was born to play. When Jack takes a private moment to release 24 hours' worth of near-fatal tension and psychological anguish, Sutherland proves that 24's dramatic priorities are as important as its thriller momentum. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes (about the prison break sequence, climactic F-18 Hornet air-strike, and real-life bio-weaponry) that pay welcome tribute to the series' hard-working crew, who create Emmy-worthy television under pressures as intense as 24 itself. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Well worth watching, but more uneven than Seasons One or Two
Season three begins 3 years after season two. Jack Bauer has returned from a deep undercover assignment, where he infiltrated and won the trust of the Salazar brothers, two drug dealers with ties to terrorist cells. Jack's assignment ended successfully with the capture of Ramone Salazar, and the season begins with Jack paying a visit to Salazar in jail.

At the same time, a mysterious van drops off a dead body at a National Health Services facility in Los Angeles. The body had been infected with a weaponized virus, and the delivery is clearly a signal that terrorists are threatening to unleash havoc in L.A.

Are these two events connected? Jack has to find out, but he is struggling with an incredible burden that may affect his job performance. As in the previous seasons, Kiefer Sutherland again is exceptional, and easily worthy of the awards he's earned for his performance in 24.

The third season brings back a few characters from Season Two, and introduces many new ones. Tony Almeida is back, and is running CTU side by side with Jack. Michelle Dessler, another CTU worker that was Tony's love interest in Season Two, is also back, and by the second half of Season Three, Michelle becomes a very important character. Reiko Aylesworth, who plays Michelle, really shines as her character takes on new importance and new responsibilities. And finally, Dave Chappelle, a by-the-book guy from "Division", returns from Season Two. Chappelle has the authority to oversee CTU, and usually disapproves of Jack's unorthodox methods. Chappelle played a minor role in Season Two, and does again in Season Three, except that he becomes the center of a particularly thrilling episode late in the Season.

Season Three also sees the return of Nina Myers and Sherry Palmer, the two villians we love to hate. Nina's entrance into the storyline is too coincidental to be plausible, but you quickly forgive the writers for this, because her storyline is very good. If you are familiar with Jack and Nina's history, you will find the climax of Nina's storyline in Season Three to be thrilling. Both of these women are complex characters, and their relationships with their "men" (Nina to Jack and Sherry to the President) are complex and interesting.

Jack's daughter Kim is back, and is now working at CTU as a computer geek. It seems that Jack got her the job so that he could keep an eye on her and insure that she wouldn't get stuck in any mountain lion traps. The writers mostly avoid the mistakes they made with Kim's character in Season Two.

There are new characters, I will only mention two. Jack has a new, young partner named Chase Edmunds. Chase is a young version of Jack, highly competent and willing to step over the line to get results. Chase also idolizes Jack, though events during Season Three will put their relationship to the test.

The other new character is a young computer expert named Chloe. She has no social skills (she is frequently and unintentionally rude to her co-workers, and after a while this behavior gets to be a running joke), but Chloe makes up for it with exceptional skill at her job. There are many times when Jack, Tony, or Chappelle give her a near impossible task that would ordinarily take hours, but they need it done in minutes. Chloe always rises to the occasion.

That's as much as I can tell you without giving anything away.

Now, as to the quality of Season Three: There are some truly great episodes, and the plot has some really neat twists and turns. However, like most critics, I believe that Season Three is more uneven than Seasons One or Two, and has more episodes that are just "okay" rather than truly great. Still, Season Three is well worth watching, and I really respect the writers for reinventing "24" every season - they don't repeat the same formula every year, they work hard to come up with something new and different and exciting, and for the most part, they succeed.

Another reviewer here said the season finale was lackluster. I respectfully disagree, I thought it was as good as the finale to Season Two. In order to appreciate the very last scene, you need to remember all the trauma that Jack has been through in this long day; viewers who didn't see every episode, or didn't remember everything, probably cannot feel the impact of the final scene. But if you watch Season 3 on DVD, you can see all the episodes without waiting a week or more between episodes, so you will remember everything and really enjoy the final scene.

However, I agree with that reviewer's disappointment over the fact that Season Three brushes off major plot points from Season Two without satisfactorily explaining them - namely, the assassination attempt on President Palmer, and Jack's relationship with Kate. Clearly, the writers decided to abandon these storylines and wanted to wrap them up with minimal effort on their part.

The Most Compelling Season yet!
I think about all that has happend and it's a lot. Jack races against time to stop a deadly virus from being spread. He has to make huge decisions to stop the virus from spreading and some are pretty contriversal. However you understand he's just doing what has to be done so millions don't die. President Palmer has to make huge choices as well in-order to save the careers of him and his brother.

He also has to deal with a dangerous terrorist in-order to keep the virus from spreading. One is to have a CTU member killed. He has no choice to deal with the terrorist because he already knows what he's capable of after the virus is let loose in a motel building. 24 season 3 is the most unpredictible season yet. You never could predict who would live and who would die. When the seasons do end, none of them end with a happy ending. In season 1, Jack found his wife dead. In season 2 President Palmer passes out after getting some sort of flesh eating virus. So compared to those endings, seasons 3's ends a lot less shocking but still it's a fitting ending when you think about all Jack went through that one day.

By Far The Most Intense Season By Far
Season 3 starts the way season 2 ended. We are stuck in a plot that is completely unknown, and pointless. Half-way through the day, the action starts to really pump up and explode, and who cares that it has cornball plotting? Even before the day ends, 24 delivers more of it's unexpected formula, including a outbreak of a deadly virus killing nearly 1,000 people, which is shown very graphicly, and the final episode will leave your heart pounding. This season alone makes up for what season 2 failed in. This season finished with all barrels blazing. 24 is spectacular.

The Best Season Yet
I haven't acutally bought the DVD so I don't know what the special features are but I own the other two seasons and saw the third season on television and I have to say that this is by far the best season yet, the relationships and action are much better than the other two, you will really start to love tony and michelle, if you havnen't already. This season also only focuses on one problem that CTU faces this year: an airborne virus, and this problem keeps you watching for the whole season!

Why isn't it coming?
I loved 24 season 3. it was one of the best shows i watched all year. i hope it comes out on DVD, because it will make alot of money. I know a lot of people who watch this show. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Wonderful Series!
I haven't read the series yet, but being very fond of historical dramas involving period-wear, uniforms, and swordsmanship, I gave this a try. My curiosity was originally piqued by the mentions of Sharpe surrounding Sean's character in Lord of the Rings. So after discovering it was a completely me series to watch, I went hunting for the dvds. Even Ebay was selling them for around $200 a pop, so I went the smart route and went through amazon.uk, where you'll save about $150 if you have a multi-region dvd player as they are Region 2. I was NOT disappointed.

Sharpe may be a low budget series by some accounts, but it delights regardless. In fact, that very aspect lends a particular earthiness and a more authentic feel to the series. The stories are good and the historical aspects wonderful. The folk songs of John Tam were particularly delightful and I fully plan on getting the soundtrack. I came to love all the Chosen Men and wanted to fight for them when snobbery or betrayal reared their ugly heads. Harper is both reliable sidekick and comic relief with his wit and good Irish sensibility. Sean Bean IS Sharpe, he truly makes you believe in the rough'n'ready soldier, capable of doing what needs to be done, yet completely honorable, often showing he is a better man than those considered his 'betters'.

It will truly be wonderful to now go find the novels and hear in my head Sean's rich voice as Sharpe, the lovely brogue of Sgt. Harper, and the myriad of other accents involved. I would definitely recommend this series if you enjoy period-piece dramas, military/historical dramas, or just a helluva good time with action, adventure, and a dash of romance.

Through Flanders, Portugal, and Spain
Expensive? Sure. But if you're not impatient, you'll find a good price. Is the wooden crate important? No, of course not. But you'll probably love it even if it doesn't fit on your DVD shelf.

Price and production values are not what Shape's about. There are heroes and terrible villians, high lords and lowlifes, horseguard and rifemen, buffoons and ballads. It's about the stories! Wonderful stories you'll enjoy seeing again and again. Follow Sharp's climb through the ranks, through dangerous, impossible missions, and you'll end up caring about every ragtag rifleman in his company, even Isaih Tongue. And every time you hear these lyrics, you'll be so glad you bought it:

Ore the Fields, and Ore the Maine
Thru Flanders Portugal, and Spain,
King George commands, and we obey.
Over the hills and far away

Too little, for too much $$, and way too late.
I am a big fan of the entire Napoleonic historical fiction genre, and of the Sharpe's book series in particular. (I actually saw the entire film series before I cracked one of the books.)

These movies are LOW budget TV efforts, but they do allow you to put a face, or a uniform, or a tactic in a new perspective, and to understand a little more about history. Sean Bean is a perfect choice for Sharpe. He manages to convey just the right mix of jaded, seen-it-all expert, with the fish out of water bumpkin, and then layers on a "screw-you-guys,-I'll-do-it-anyway" vibe to top it all off.

The movies deviate significantly and unnecessarily on many of the major plot points. Sharpe's Gold in particular is a dissappointment, doing away with the books plot entirely and substituting something that plays like a bad, back-fitted Star Trek episode.

However, my big complaint is with the pricing point for the series. There are 14 installments (the 15th DVD is apparently a montage-type review of the whole series) of about 9-100 minutes each of low-budget, TV-quality viewing, or only about 23 hours. Plus these movies are already pretty old. I don't think you can name another similar vintage TV offering that is asking for this kind of cash/hour. (Heck, the Monty Python set has older material, twice as much stuff, almost the same number of DVD's and all