Amazon.com essential video

This completely absorbing three-hour documentary follows the lives of two inner-city African American teenage basketball prodigies as they move through high school with long-shot dreams of the NBA, superstardom, and an escape from the ghetto. Taking cues from such works as Michael Apted's 35 Up, director Steve James and associates shot more than 250 hours of footage, spanning more than six years, and their completed work actually moves like an edge-of-the-seat drama, so brimming with tension, plot twists, successes, and tragedies that its length--170 minutes--is never an issue. Yet, what makes the film more impressive is how James moves his scope beyond a competitive sports drama (although the movie has plenty of terrific, nail-biting basketball footage) and addresses complex social issues, creating a scathing social commentary about class privilege and racial division. The film opens by introducing William Gates and Arthur Agee, two Chicago hopefuls, as they are being courted and recruited by various high schools to play ball, and continues until the pair are college freshmen. James allows the audience the experience of not only watching their journeys and daily routines (it's a sobering portrait of inner-city life), but also witnessing their maturation. Each takes a separate path along the way, stumbling over several obstacles (William suffers injuries, Arthur fails to meet his coach's high expectations); but James takes particular care to stress the importance and strong commitment of each character's family along the way, giving the film a essential center. The parents and siblings emerge with as much depth and complexity as the two main "characters," and turn Hoop Dreams into an unforgettable film experience. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Great Documentary
I turned on ESPN and saw this and I soon got entranced by it.
It follows the stories of two High School Basketball prodigies.
Being a fan of all the prospects I knew I must watch this movie. The two kids William Graves and Arthur Agee were both guards from the Inner City Chicago and they were both many of the basketball prodigees. I turned in to see there Freshman years William was one of St. Josephs school and was a starter something that even Isiah Thomas was not at the same school.
The other guy was Agee who was the starter for the Freshman team. He ran into his problems with the school and by the time they both entered there sophomore year Agee was having trouble with the School and had to transfer to a Inner City School.
Graves was called the "Next Isiah" by many folks in Illinois.
in 1985 his brother Corey was compared to Michael Jordan but his career did not pan out. By there Junior year William had a serious knee injury and Arthur had school and team troubles. He worked hard to help his team out. By this time William had a daughter Alicia. By the time of the start of there Senior season William was invited to the prestigious ABCD Basketball camp presented by Nike. This tournament is the very best High School players by there year. His year just happened to be the class of 1991 a class that had the Fab 5 in it and also had the likes of Glenn Robinson and others. 1991 was a great year. William was injured again over the summer and was blasted by the coach of his school. Artur Agee had to get his life in line. Arthur was being scouted by many schools but chose Marquette. Arthur chose a Junior College in Missouri. There senior years were different the top team St.Josephs had a succesful but disapointing season and Arthur's school won city championships including a win over the number one team in the Nation. They would loose in the state quarters.After High School they both graduated college and Arthur played in the ABL
and William had a brief stint with the Wizzards in 2001.

HOOP DREAMS STILL ALIVE
Simply put, this is the best basketball movie ever made... and in my opinion, the best documentary ever.
I am looking forward to the follow-up sequel to see what happened to Arthur and William.
This movie is absolutely brilliant, and couldn't have been better if it was written.Everyone should view it, if not own it.
FIVE STARS.

Follow Up Film in the Works
For those who enjoyed this film, the New York Times has reported that Criterion is backing the film-makers in creating an entirely new film that follows up on the lives of these two men.

Wonderful documentary
'Hoop Dreams' is one of the best documentaries ever made, in fact it may be one of the best films ever made.

It follows the stories of two young African American men (William Gates and Arthur Agee) and their families as they attempt to realise their dreams and escape the ghetto through basketball. The documentary follows the boys through four years of High School and on to college.

It is a moving, sometimes heartbreaking film that allows you to accompany the boys on their journey and on the way provides great insight into the wider issues. In many ways Hoop Dreams is a classical documentary - the filmmakers shot hours footage and then edited it down to the three hour film. There is very little editorial, they simply show us the edited highlights of what they recorded and allow the viewers to draw their own conclusions. This approach allows the filmmakers (and us) to examine not just high-school basketball but also the wider racial and social issues.

I am not sure that it is possible to spoil the plot of a documentary but if you want it to be a surprise, read no further....

The story beings with St Joseph's - an up market high school - recruiting both boys on partial scholarships. William is an instant success - even from the brief clips it is obvious he has an amazing talent for basketball - he makes the school first team as a freshman (very uncommon) and looks to have a professional career in front of him. Arthur is a different story. He has talent but he seems to lack the maturity to utilise it and he is kicked out of school at the end of his freshman year for unpaid school fees. William, the potential star, has been found a personal sponsor who pays the rest of his tuition ensuring that he can stay in school, there is a strong implication that if Arthur had been a better player sponsorship would have been found for him as well. The school emerges with no great credit over their treatment of Arthur as over the next few years they ruthlessly pursue his family for the money, withholding his school records to make life very difficult for him at his new school. Sadly things turn sour for William as well, he gets injured and then re-injured playing when he should not. Although his physical injuries heal he is never the same player again.

Even from the start, the extent to which their families are pinning all their hopes on the two boys is terrifying and heartbreaking (we know the odds are stacked against them). They both live in a very poor and dangerous neighbourhood - with the other members of their family working at minimum wage jobs to try to keep the family afloat - basketball is their only way out, their only chance to live the American dream. William has an older brother, Curtis, who had the talent but not the temperament to make it as a basketball player; he now lives vicariously through William, simply adding to the pressure. Arthur's dad has problems with drugs and domestic violence that tear his family apart.

There can be few more tragic scenes ever filmed than the segment showing Arthur shooting hoops at the local playground while his Dad scores drugs in the background. Equally unforgettable is the scene where Arthur, just before he leaves for college, plays basketball with his Dad and the years of repressed anger explode. In many ways the most memorable moment from the whole film is the line uttered by William at the end; it seems to sum up the predicament of these boys. "People say, 'When you make it to the NBA, don't forget about me.' I feel like telling them, 'Well, if I don't make it, make sure you don't forget about me.' "

This is a fabulous film - watch it you can find it - you will not be disappointed. The only disappointment is that the DVD does not provide an update to what happened to the two boys and their families

Best sport...Best Film
I, too, have long waited for this DVD to come out. I have a grainy copy of the film off of our local PBS station, as well as the reunion show that PBS had several years after the movie was out. Hopefully, this DVD would have more recent news on the boys. Agee had subpar hoop skills but was so doggone focused on making it to the pros, he could not/would not accept/realize the truth when it was slapping him right on the face, that though his love for the game was immeasurable, his skills were limited. And you need skills to make it in Division 1 colege hoops and more so in the NBA. To be used by a USBL team hoping to ride his coattails and signing him, that was sad. Yet through it all, Agee believed he belong. In contrast, Gates had superior hoop skills but tore his ACL and frankly had better things to do then being eslaved by the game as Agee was. I think Gates' decision making and accepting reality spoke volumes about the kid's character. He knew where his priorities lie, as husband, as a father, as a son. Finally, I think Agee's mother was a strong force in this film as well, and in her family's life. Her story of how she empowered herself, to better herself, within the challenging environment she was in was simply inspirational. Her story had nothing to do with hoops, but it was a strong storyline in the film. This is absolutely the best basketball movie ever made. Bar-none. It's amazing that people still think that "Hossiers" is the best hoops movie ever made, even professional ballplayers think this! You simply cannot beat REAL LIFE. Amazing movie, hopefully, even more amazing DVD. ... Read more

Description

On March 31,1985, the Wrestlemania legacy was born atMadison Square Garden in New York City.This sold-out event is the originof what has become the greatest sports-entertainment franchise inAmerican history.WrestleMania has dazzled millions of fansover the past 20 years by showcasing the greatest WWE Superstars of alltime in marquee matches and featuring celebraties from music,sports andentertainment.The Legacy continues with WrestleMania 21, live on Pay PerView Sunday April 3,2005 at 7pmEST.WrestleMania 21"Goes Hollywood" in abig way with this special 4-hour extravaganza, live from Los Angeles'Staples Center .The 3-disc Collectors Edition includes complete 4 hourWrestleMania 21,plus behind-the-scenes interviews and the WWE Hall ofFame induction ceremony featuring Hulk Hogan,"Rowdy" Roddy Piper,TheIron Shiek and more. ... Read more

Reviews (202)

wrestleRIPOFF
This year's addition of Wrestlemania was average.Not great...average.This might be good to watch once or twice but not too many times.Here are the matches worthy of being mentioned and their ratings:

Eddie Guerrero v. Rey Mysterio
This match was pretty good.Don't expect a Halloween Havoc 97 repeat.
***

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
As a long time Jericho fan, I feel he is being screwed out of his right to be champion.As of now, he is currently going under a heel change and expect him to be in the title hunt.This match was very good.Shelton Benjamin definitely stole this match.Benoit did a very good job of selling the arm injury.Too bad WWE let that backturning Edge win.Edge screwed matt people.EDGE SCREWED MATT.
****

Women's title match
CRAP.CRAP.CRAP
1/2*

Angle v. HBK
This match STOLE THE SHOW!!!Incredible
*****

akeboner v big show
just like the womens title match
1/2*

cena v jbl
this match absolutely sucked.it was boring and nothing happened.cena sucks and so does jbl.if you're going to blow this match, at least think of the other 50 titles you didn't put on the line tonight.BOOORRRRIIINNNNGGG!!!
*

HHH V BATISTA
ALL OF THIS HYPE AND WE GOT....one of the biggest let downs of the night.I did anyway.people liked this match but if you go into the history of wrestling and into the depths of wrestling like i do and especially if you know what goes into making a good match, you know that this didn't have it.batista HHH 2 was better than this and now they're going to push a 3rd match?this is asinine.draft hhh to smackdown please!actually, draft hhh off of wwe and into the garbage.
**

wwe wrestlemania XXI
Eddie Guerrero VS Rey Mysterio-pretty good opening match, eddie didnt seem to pleased with it after the match. But still a good match 4/5

Money In The Bank Ladder Match-Great Ladder match, every man did great in this. Shelton really shines in this as well 5/5

Randy Orton VS undertaker-WOW. amazing match. Even with the couple of botched spots, it still was great. Randy even turned a chokeslam into a RKO! AMAZING!!! tied for Match Of the night!5/5

Christy Hemme VS Trish Stratus womans title-just a plain bad match, skip it. 1/5

Kurt Angle VS Shawn Micheals-another great match. a little slow but still great. this is the other match of the night! 5/5

Akebono VS Big Show-sumo match-dud 0/5

John Cena VS JBL wwe championship - not that bad, but it still should have had more time,finally JBL lost his title, but to john cena? why? 3/5

Batista VS HHH-world title-good main event, hhh gets extremely bloody again. it was a good way to end a great Wrestlemania !!!

wrestlemania 22
everybody must agree that at wretlemania 22 the wwe should make a match between john cena and randy orton for both of the world titles or they should make a match between randy orton and kurt angle. comon everbody agree with me!

not wcw halloween havoc 97 more like wwe wm 21 by Joe Brown
Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero

da contest between da two is underrated however i agree that it is not on da same level as their 97 clasic but da match did contain a few unique moves that won't seen n their other moves together and they was only give under 15 mins 2 shine at da biggest stage of them all y not give them an additional 10 mins 2 have made this match as almost good as owen and bret a 11 yrs earlier y not no way near that level either this match is still very solid what bothered me a little was when rey mask kept on looking like it was about 2 come off and rey kept on fixing da mask while it may sound kind of funny it gets annoying after a while u c just watch da match other than that mistake i give this match a good ****star rating it deserves because this match is between 2 of best workers n da wwe and most fans have 2 keep n mind da both rn't getting any younger eddie is approaching 38 yrs old and rey still has a little more time at 31 yrs old just thouhgt that would b of any help

WWE Wrestlemania XXI
Eddie Guerrero VS Rey Mysterio-Pretty good opening match, not the best that these men can do though. (7.5/10)

Money in the bank ladder match- good ladder match that shjould have had more time, shelton really shines in this match(8.5/10)

Randy Orton VS Undertaker- OMG!! wat a match. this is by far the match of the night. this should have been higher up in the card. Unbelievable!(10/10)

Trish Stratus VS Christy Hemme- Christy doesnt do too bad for it being her first match, but it still was the worst match on the show(5/10)

Kurt Angle VS Shawn Micheals- great match,not as good as orton/taker, but still great, some great spots in this one also. (9.5/10

Akebono VS Big show- dud, cant review it


John Cena VS JBL- not bad, but not good either, The ending was horrible though, Cena is a horrible worker and shouldnt diserve the title yet. (6/10

Triple HHH vs Batista-pretty good main event, a great way to end wrestlemania(8/10)






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Description

A collection of 20 different moves that will leave your opponent standing. Each move is detailed and shown at match speed and in slow motion. What appears to be complex is made easy for players of all ages and abilities. Plus, in this easy to learn system you get to see World Class players putting the moves on their opponents. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

20 Moves - 20 Reasons to Own This DVD!
This DVD delivers as advertised. It is very attractively put together and altogether well-done. They show each move many times in different ways before going on to the next move so you can really see. From front, side, with/without defenders, etc. Just about every single move features very nice footage showing some world class player putting this move on someone at full game speed and it's actually very exciting to watch. Makes you want to press pause and go out and start trying right away yourself. And, of course, you can. Honestly, in some ways I find this VCR/DVD instruction superior to a soccer camp (I attended two when I was younger). The camps were excellent, but after five days, just a memory. You get to keep the DVD, it never gets tired of showing something you're having difficulty with, etc. An excellent value in my opinion for anyone wanting to learn about the game of soccer.

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES - TO BEAT AND GET PAST YOUR OPPONENT
I PURCHASED THIS VIDEO FOR A 13 YEAR OLD,SHE LIKED THE VIDEO.SHE VIEWS SECTIONS OF THE VIDEO A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK.THEN TAKES A BALL AND GOES PRACTICE.MANY PEOPLE HAVE ADMIRED HER NEW MOVES AND HAVE NOTICED A VAST IMPROVEMENT ON HER FOOTWORK.IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF THE VIDEO THAT HAS TAUGHT HER MANY NEW THINGS

Kids love it
Taking bunch of over excited kids to soccer practice is always a challenge. I started playing "All the right moves" in the car and it got them engaged from start. They are pumped up when they reach the field and they try to practice the routines at home. Producers have done good job at keeping kids engaged while showing them the techniques.

My Kids Love it!
We got this DVD a couple months back, and my kids have watched it dozens of times. They practice the moves in front of the TV, then they go in the yard and prctice on each other for hours on end. Great Job guys! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Packing a whopping 22 hours of content on five double-sided discs, Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History is a treasure trove for fans of the purple and gold.In fact, even the ambitious title doesn't do the set justice, as the opening 2002 documentary traces the franchise to its Minnesota roots and a vintage 1953 feature shows the game's first dominant big man, George Mikan, in action.The glitzier West Coast years--Wilt, West, Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, et al.--are the primary focus, of course, and this set, one of the first two entries in the NBA Dynasty series (along with the slightly less-substantial Chicago Bulls: The 1990s), collects seven of the highlight videos that were released on VHS (2000 and 2002 were also on DVD), which provide a time-capsule look at each of the championship seasons.

The real joy of the set, however, is nine NBA playoff games presented as they were originally broadcast and almost in their entirety.They last about 90-100 minutes with TV introductions and post-game interviews, but minus halftime, commercials, and some slower moments.The games include such absolute classics as the game in which rookie Magic Johnson started at center in place of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the 1987 "baby hook" game against the Boston Celtics.If you're used to watching current NBA games you might be tempted to just skip to the end, but it's surprisingly rewarding to watch the game develop, to watch the game's superstars strut their stuff (or see a couple of 1972 reserves named Phil Jackson and Pat Riley), and to observe how radically the sport has changed over the years.Variable picture quality and technical glitches are unavoidable (even the 2002 game looks washed out), but this is the first time complete or nearly complete NBA games have been available in the home-video era, and they probably still look better than the VHS tapes you've been saving over the years.Yes, it'd be easy to argue about which games from the Lakers' long history should have been included, and the highlight videos don't have a ton of replay value, but the NBA Dynasty series is a major milestone in archived sports.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (18)

excellent dvd, but is not perfect
if you're a laker fan or a basketball fan, this dvd is worth buying, and it is not too highly priced, but it is flawed.

1. why is kobe bryant not pictured anywhere, yet rick fox and derek fisher are? i love fish and fox, but it seems odd that kobe wouldn't be pictured.

2. where is chick hearn? they should have included a history of chick and a game that he announced (along with stu lantz...chick 'n' stu)

3. i'm glad to get the game, but i know they could have found the whole games (ask laker fans, i know some who have them, including myself).

4. a complete list of everyone who has ever been a laker and when they were a laker would have been nice.

5. where is game 7 of the 2000 western conference finals vs. portland?

ok, i'm done. if i could give this dvd 41/2 stars, i would have. even with the flaws i mentioned, it's still a great dvd. i'm very happy with it. it's nice to watch the 1972 game and see pat riley and phil jackson playing (among countless others).

It's All Good -- But Where's Kobe?
Finally! The 2000-2001 Championship DVD was NEVER released on DVD (only on VHS) until now! You get all the recent 'back-to-back-to-back' championship dvds as well as the early years. The Showtime Dynasty was incredible. To relive those fabulous years by watching this DVD is so nostaligic. My only rant is -- where's Kobe? His picture is not ornamated anywhere on this DVD, yet there's a pic of DFish and Rick Fox. Is there some sort of conspiracy with Kobe not being mentioned on the DVD covers? And not mentioned as a Laker great? I sincerely hope Warner Bros and the Lakers organization have a good explaination for this. Kobe is a cornerstone of the current Lakers dynasty as much (and if not more) than Shaq.

Fun compilation, but not a "complete" history
This set is certainly desirable for any die hard Lakers fan, and basketball fans who remember how great the game became after Magic and Larry Bird paved the way for unselfish play will surely enjoy it.

The edited games are great. The finals games featured between the Lakers and the Sixers are mindblowing because of how fast paced they were. It's pure fast break basketball at its best. The games between the Lakers and the Celtics are intense and you also realize what an excellent job Dick Stockton did for CBS when he was the play-by-play man. In retrospect, even Stockton's color man partner seems pretty balanced, even though he was a Celtic great and even though he had the incredibly irritating habit of placing the subject of his sentences at the very end, Tom Heinsohn.

No set is going to be perfect, but I think where the box set is a bit of a letdown is in the "history" aspect. It's really just a compilation of all the NBA films that they do at the end of each year for the champion. And while they are all pretty good and I rented them all years ago, they don't really tell the history of the team. They tell the history of the champtionship seasons.

If you're looking for history, Disc 1 is probably the best, with old footage and more recent interviews. But there's no description of the Lakers of the '70s and how they got Kareem and what the team was like before Magic and how the Lakers drew about 11,000 fans per game. I think that is missing from this and I would have liked to have seen more of that. Also too bad someone couldn't dig up more interviews with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West talking about how frustrating it was to lose all those years to the Celtics, although there is a good feature on Rod Hundley and Tommy Hawkins talking about the '85 Lakers win.

Two other criticisms: (1) On the whole the editing of the games is very good, but on the early games is a bit choppy. We lose the last few minutes of the 71-72 Lakers championship, which was the team's first and there's no footage of West running off the court with Pat Riley. It should have been there. (2) Not enough about Chick Hearn and his role with the Lakers. He's featured prominently as the narrator on the '87 overview, but there should have been more devoted to him. Also, it would have been nice if they could have taken one or two of the games and replaced the network commentary with Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz.

Still, any Lakers fan should have this.

Not Complete
Well when i got the DVD i thought it would be the complete history of the Lakers even the years they didnt win the title. The DVD was just a compilation of the Lakers Championship Videos and had 9 of the games from championship years. The DVD was good but I was expecting more. If you want a complete history of the World Champion Lakers then I highley recomend it.

PS: They should make a Dynasty Series DVD for the Celtics

Greatest Franchise of All Time
Guess we were a little premature in predicting a 15th championship for the Lakers this year. Oh well, it just makes this set an even more fitting collectible for all Laker fans out there. After all it might be a few years before we see them win another one, so it puts some closure to the dynasty for now. Til they win another one, we can always check out these DVD's and revisit happier times with the Lakers!
P.S. All you Boston fans out there seem to be suffering from mass amnesia. Sure they have more championships but the Celtics havent been relevant for more than a decade! Are you guys pretending the last 18 years didnt happen? Since 1986 the Celtics have exactly ZERO championships. The championship drought is approaching 20 years and it doesnt look like its gonna end anytime soon. ... Read more

Description

You can now own the complete bestselling James Jensen "Pro Tennis Lessons" 10 DVD BOXED SET instructional series featuring over 12 Hours of Professional Tennis Instruction for only $299.95! You SAVE $200.00 with this sensational Offer! Act Now and SAVE! This Pro Tennis Lessons COMPLETE 10 DVD BOXED SET $299.95 Special is for a limited time only and may end without notice! Improve Your Game by Ordering TODAY!

The James Jensen "Pro Tennis Lessons" 10 DVD BOXED SET includes all the current titles in Pro Jensen’s Bestselling Series! Regarded as the worlds best and most complete instructional series ever presented on the game of Tennis each valuable DVD has been designed to immediately improve the skills and techniques of all level PLAYERS!

The "PRO TENNIS LESSONS" COMPLETE 10 DVD BOXED SET, Starring USPTA Pro James Jensen Includes:

1. ULTIMATE FOREHAND
2. ULTIMATE BACKHAND
3. ULTIMATE SERVE
4. ULTIMATE VOLLEYS AND NET GAME
5. ULTIMATE KILLER ANGLE SHOTS
6. ULTIMATE LOBS AND DROP SHOTS
7. ULTIMATE RETURN OF SERVE, Strategy and Tactics
8. ULTIMATE SINGLES, Strategy and Tactics for Men & Women
9. ULTIMATE WINNING DOUBLES, Strategy and Tactics for Men & Women
10. ULTIMATE FAULTS & FIXES, Over 100 tips Designed to immediately improve your all court game!

Note: For a complete content description of each James Jensen "Pro Tennis Lessons" DVD see all 10 titles on Amazon.com.

Owning this sensational instructional Library gives you over 12 Hours of top notch Professional Tennis instruction you can view time and time again in the comfort of your own home! Praised for his easy to understand presentation of technique USPTA Pro James Jensen will become your personal coach helping to bring your game to a higher level quickly. Start WINNING more, club and tournament matches by ordering this valuable high quality DVD instructional series today for the low price of ONLY $299.95! You SAVE $200.00! Hurry offer is for a limited time only! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Best Tennis Instruction!
I have been playing tennis and buying books and videos for over the past 20 years but none of the material I have collected can compare to the teaching and techniques on the James Jensen's Pro Tennis Lessons DVD's! Everything is unbelievably well explained on the proper techniques, etc. I have his complete teaching library and refer to them regularly for keeping my game sharp and solid. I am sure everyone looking to improve their skills will benefit from James Jensen's teachings as much as I have. I highly recommend them to all tennis enthusiasts.

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Description

Hosted by Darryl Dawkins, this incredible 6-disc set takes you beyond the court and through the glory days of this thrilling team. From Cunningham to Iverson, relive the intense moments with legendary ball players that epitomize the sport. Including championship seasonhighlights, Allen Iverson?s previously released The Answer DVD, and for the first-time ever the greatest games in the 76ers history, its a must-have for every Philly fan! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Pretty good selection of games...but
Where is at least one game from the '77 Finals against Portland with the great Walton/Erving matchup? Very surprised they didn't have at a game from the great 1980 Final against LA. But overall it looks like a good compilation especially the Lakers and Celtics rivalries of the early to mid 80's. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This set of 22 episodes constitutes the second broadcast season of Rumiko Takahashi's gender-tweaking slapstick comedy. The many combat scenes are executed in slightly fuller animation than in the OAVs, and there's a little more nudity in the bath scenes, including a shot of Ryoga's bare buns. But the freewheeling mixture of mayhem, metamorphoses, and martial arts continues--with just a touch of sentiment to leaven the insanity. When Ranma and Akane have a run-in with a pair of champion figure skaters, they reduce the rink to a wading pool, with a little help from the geographically challenged Ryoga. Shampoo the Chinese Amazon returns with her wizened Great-Grandmother Cologne, who teaches the cast a variety of ancient fighting techniques. Ranma and Ryoga battle kendo champion and gasbag Kuno, his twisted sister Kodachi, ninja Sasuke, and Happosi in their frantic search for a Japanese Nan'niichuan (Enchanted Drowned Man Spring)--only to discover it's a franchise that's gone out of business. Even the redoubtable Ranma has a weakness: he's afraid of cats. But he breaks through his fear and demonstrates his mastery of the recherché technique of "Cat-Fu." Ranma often acts like a jerk, but he assuages Akane's hurt feelings by eating the cookies she baked, even though he knows ptomaine will follow. At a time when many American animated series are imitating live action, Ranma 1/2 is a zany reminder of the special fun only animation can provide. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and up: Slapstick violence, nudity, mildly risqué humor. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (24)

MUSABESU KAKUTO RANMA NIBUN NO ICHI!!
Ranma 1/2 never looked better. The transition to DVD is now at its fullest. The original video masters from KITTY TV were used, ensuring the highest animation quality possible. However it is not perfect. There is some level of graininess, and line inconsistency, also their is some color bleeding, especially in the intro.

But, the consistency of the animation, far makes up for this. Unlike the first boxed set, the animation is high quality on every single episode. The outlining is crisp and the colors are vivid and distinct. I've never seen Ranma 1/2 look so good.

This is a must buy for all Ranma 1/2 fans. The pacing of the story has quickened in the second season. Takahashi's characters are now fully developed. And my look how they shine! You'll love it. And you'll be begging to see the next season.

It Gets Weirder, Folks.
If you thought Season One of Ranma 1/2 introduced you to some strange but loveable characters, you, to quote the vernacular, "ain't seen nothin' yet."
From a skating competition to rescue Akane's pet P-chan (Ranma's rival Ryoga in a cursed form), to the return of Amazon warrior Shampoo, now fully aware of Ranma's curse, and carrying one of her own, things get weirder and weirder.
We also get to meet the man who founded the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, the pint-sized pervert Happosai. He'll go after anything female, even girl-type Ranma.
And Shampoo is accompanied by her Great-Grandmother, a skilled warrior who knows techniques that can make Ranma a more powerful martial artist, or leave him broken in the hands of his rival, Ryoga.
And tremble in fear as tomboy extrodinaire Akane Tendo prepares a meal. (and thank whatever diety you believe in that you don't have to eat it.)

Ranma 1/2 is a strong series all the way through. If you like Season One, then you know that this transgender martial arts comedy is the most hilarious thing on the market.

Just sit back and enjoy.

Ranma 1/2 is by far the best anime around, and this is why..
If you dont know the story of Ranam 1/2 its about a boy named...Ranma Saotome who went training with his father (Genma) in Jusenkyo, China. This training ground is cursed and has Springs of drowned SOMETHINGS, While training Genma falls into Spring of drowned Panda, so when splashed with cold water, Genma turns to a panda and splashed with hot water turns back to a man. And ranma...well he fell in spring of drowned girl. so you gessed it, he turns into a girl.

This season (2) Kicks of with the introduction of Azusa and Mikido a odd skating duo, Whats this? Mikido kisses someone, but who can it be?

Shampoo send ranma a cat from china, what relation ship does this cat and Shampoo have in common, and why is Ranma acting very odd near cats?

Some old lady starts attaking Ranma...she seems to be Shampoos Great Grandmother, and she will stop at nothing to make Ranma Shampoos husbend...

A new rivel comes in the form of Mousse a master of hidden weapons from china, and he seems to want shampoo as his wife...and he too holds a secret...

Genma and Soan's master (Happosia) awekens from the darkness, and hes one small old DIRTY man, Who likes to steel braws and pantys. But dont be fooled by his perverted ways, this guy is strong...even stronger then Ranma!

Looking for good laughs buy this!
if you're looking for good laughs you should by the Ranma1/2 Series one of the funniest shows in tokyo.this was the 1st ranma season boxset i bought. Other good series are Tenchi muyo, Sailor moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, love hina, and blue seed. But this is the funniest anime series ive ever seen.

Getting better...
Okay, with the second season of Ranma 1/2(or the first, since this in Japan they started a new Ranma series beginning with this season), we can see that the characters are starting to get more in place, and although Akane and Ranma are still slightly out of character from the comic, they aren't treated as bad as they were in the first season. Ranma switches outfits in this season to the one he usually wears(in the comic, although he has a blue shirt instead of a red one). More of the characters are introduced, including Mousse, Happosai, Cologne, and Sasuke, who is an original character(voiced by Shigeru Chiba, who also voiced Raditz in Dragonball Z and Kuwabara in Yu Yu Hakusho). I do feel Sasuke is a bit out of place(I would have preferred Hikaru Gosunkugi from the beginning), but I can adjust. The animation gets a bit screwy at times, but it's pretty good, more or less. The dub actors seem to be getting a bit more in tune with the characters, although Ranma at times sounds really screwed up, like when he screams, "I'm REALLY angry!," at Mikado. But, the series is getting improved. Well, on to season 3! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The entire history of the world's favorite game? It's an extraordinary challenge that could go have gone horribly wrong, but History of Soccer: The Beautiful Game is a class act. It boasts top-drawer production values, including narration by Terence Stamp, access to everybody who has really mattered in the game, ever, plus loads of famous, rare, and never-seen-before footage, each volume offering a blend of narrative, action, and illuminating interviews. This is a polished product: part celebration, part commemoration, but always with a sharp investigative sense, digging around the misty-eyed, good ol' days tradition, to explore in the company of those interviewed the reality behind some of soccer's myths and legends.

The breadth of enquiry is naturally impressive, as is the narrative structure, but it's the deft handling of the subplots that really sets this apart, including: analysis of the dominant club sides such as Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Milan (volume 2); the evolution of Brazil (volume 3); the superstar casualties, like Maradona and Garrincha (volume 5); football as an agent of social control in Victorian England (volume 1); the revolution in French football that created the 1998 World Champions (volume 4); and the failure, so far, of Africa to fulfil Pele's famous World Cup prediction (volume 6). There's so little material here that isn't memorable that it's difficult to pick highlights, but action aside (and it's hard to think of an historically important game that isn't featured), an emotional Maradona exposing the "conspiracy" that fixed the 1990 World Cup final (volume 2) is an unforgettable slice of soccer culture.

History of Soccer on DVD comes complete with a heap of extras (between 33 and 54 minutes' worth per volume) including, across the set, every single goal from every World Cup Final game; extended interviews with the likes of Pele, Maradona, Zidane, and Bobby Charlton; loads of "first-ever-recorded-on-film" material including the 1907 England-Scotland game; text-only biographies of the major interviewees; extended tournament highlights of past European Championships, African Nations Cups, World Club Championships, Asian Cups, and, of course, World Cup Finals. The picture itself is presented in widescreen, and there's a Spanish-language track plus an Easter egg of additional hidden material in every volume. --Alex Hankin ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A GREAT ALL IN ALL WRAP UP OF SOCCER
This series is great but I didn't buy the dvd as I can just watch it on tape which I taped from foxtel.I have a question for all soccer(football) fans. Did soccer use to be alot more entertaining than it is now because of more defensive tatics in games these days?Please write back on Amazon so I can get your opinion, Thanks and se ya later

Worth every penny
This set is loaded with excellent documentry.
Each disc has two volumes, and extras.
Very well edited...
Roots of how football/soccer began...
History of FIFA, UEFA, and club history, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester United, Celtic, Milan, etc...
Tons of game action, World Cup and other competitions.
Interviews of Pele, Maradona, George Best, Malidini, Zindane, Ronaldo, Paolo Rossi just to name a few.

There is no other soccer documentry that comes close.

Excellent
It is very good and gives you a good history of the sport. Soccer is the best sport in the world. Believe it or not. Ronaldo is the best soccer player alive and que Viva Las CHIVAS.

SUPERB!!!
A lavish production by people who clearly love Soccer, this is probably the best sport documentary series ever produced and worth every cent.
The DVD box set contains a 13-episode documentary series exploring various aspects of Soccer's development and cultural significance as well as its greatest moments, and a whole slew of extras featuring *hours* of match highlights, extended interviews, more featurettes, biographies and even some easter eggs, little silent documentary films showing various regions' passion for the game. The production values are absolutely fantastic, equaling any of the Ken Burns documentary series. The range of interviews is staggering - lengthy and utterly engrossing chats with the likes of di Stefano, Maradona, Pele, Menotti, Sandro Mazzola and Jurgen Klinsmann to name just a few.
Absorbing, fascinating, well made and well worth it. Five out of five.

Lopsided
Less a history of soccer than the title would suggest, this documentary on DVD is more a chronologically-minded discussion of football topics and polemics rather than pure history, and one that manages to say very little over the course of seven discs. Jarringly repetitive, it will, for instance mention a topic or event on several episodes, each time going a different level of depth into the topic, leading to a feeling of deja-vu for the viewer. I kept wishing this were done by Ken Burns. Then we'd get a feel for the personalities of the sport, something which this cold, distant HOS series fails to do, as well as good highlights, another thing HOS gives in surprisingly little amounts.
Along with an annoyingly Anglo-centric view of the game (Britain seems to be brought up one way or another in every episode, even for the most tangential of references), there is also a strange preoccupation with Indian football. India gets two whole segments in this series, over twenty minutes of airtime for a nation that isn't anywhere close to challenging anyone for anything in world football.
The extras amount to nothing but unnarrated, oftentimes confusing footage collected under a specific heading, but otherwise viewable elsewhere in the series.
Also, if a team didn't reach a major final, they aren't talked about. There is no mention of the Bulgarians at USA 94.
No mention of Steaua Bucharest's unlikely penalty shootout win over Barcelona in 86. Many other quality events like this are missing. Instead the series focuses on topics that are often boring, such as devoting an entire hour to the bureaucratic history of FIFA. Yawn.
Overall, somewhat of a disappointment. Not worth the price. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This HBO documentary is based on a highly original idea: tell the storyof baseball from the Great Depression era through the late 1950s using footagefrom home-movie cameras shot by fans and players. The result is a marvelous lookat baseball in America as seen from the ground--the culture of stadiums, theritual of afternoon games, the spiritually sustaining rivalries. Among the trulyunexpected sights is color footage of the 1938 World Series, not only frominside the stadium walls but from the street as traffic cops, crowds, andvehicles amassed. It also covers World War II's impact on the game, and, ofcourse, the heroes, often caught in relaxed, unselfconscious moments.

Arguably more defined and even more lyrical than its predecessor, When It Wasa Game 2 moves from a general celebration of baseball culture in America toa specific focus on various facets of the game's history, including the specialrelationship between game announcers and fans and the farm-team system duringthe 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Brooklyn's assimilation of the Dodgers into theircommunity identity is covered quite winningly as is the heartbreak of the team'sdesertion to California. Last, the film takes us on a tour of some of the game'slegends and presents a touching tribute to the extraordinary Babe Ruth. --TomKeogh

When It Was a Game 3 focuses on the 1960s, a time of change for all ofAmerica.Through sharp, incredibly clear color footage of players and fans, thefilm shows how Major League Baseball slowly but surely evolved from pure sportto moneymaking entertainment. Covering the mighty Yankees, the western expansionof both leagues, the increasing inclusion of black players, and the rise of freeagency and increased salaries, the film shows the growth of baseball fromadolescence to adulthood. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (2)

When it was a game-3 pack
I have been an avid baseball fan since 4 yrs. old. (1951) I am a collector of baseball sports memorabilia going back to late 20's. The series, "When it was a game" was an absolute delight. It finally placed faces to names I have collected for over 50 yrs. The 8 and 16 mm made the viewing even more spellbounding. It made me feel like I actually took the photos. It is refreshing to see my hero's in everyday circumstances; snapshots of the best of the best as ordinary people. The movies were well-done, I was not able to stop viewing until I have watched all three DVD's. This is the best collection of home movies of hall of famers I have ever seen. I would recommend this collection to any baseball fan who truly wants to reward himself with the very best footage of his favorite leaguer. I will cherish the entire set.

Baseball History on DVD
The when it was a game series is one of the best baseball documenturies that I have ever seen. The extreamly rare footage of baseball's greats with commentation is a very good mix. You'll love to relive the history and remember those great days "when it was a game." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Snatch the pebble from my hand...
The third and final series of the greatest show of the '70's is coming! David Carradine unexpectedly walked out of the show at the end of this season, he's a man of many interests so he couldn't be tied down to the one show for too long. At least we have close to a hundred episodes of this tv classic as his legacy. These final episodes are:

1. "Cry of the Night Beast" (Prod #166251) October 19, 1974 - Caine hears a baby buffalo crying (supernaturally) and stops a hunter from killing its mother. But when mother and baby get separated, Caine must find a way to keep the baby alive until he can reunite them. This is connected in flashbacks to a connection the young Caine felt with an unborn baby.

2. "My Brother, My Executioner" (Prod #166252) October 12, 1974 - Caine tracks down Danny but doesn't get the kind of reception he expected from his brother. Soon thereafter a gunfighter arrives saying that this Danny Caine had been a very fast gunfighter with a different name just three years previously and he wants to see which one of them is faster.

3. "The Valley of Terror" (Prod #166253) September 28, 1974 - When Caine learns a young woman has visions of the signs of the dragon and the tiger that are burnt on his arms, he rescues her from those who are trying to return her to an insane asylum.

4. "A Small Beheading" (Prod #166254) September 21, 1974 - While he is working for a woman on a ranch near a coastal town, a sea captain (married to the sister of the Emperor's*1* nephew, whom Caine killed) delivers to Caine a pardon if he returns to China. The catch, according to the captain, is that Caine must allow the 'beheading' of the little finger of his right hand.

5. "The Predators" (Prod #166255) October 5, 1974 - Caine needs a man to return with him as a witness to the fact that he didn't kill a sheriff. But the witness is one of a gang of hunters seeking Apache scalps and an Apache, who Caine has befriended, has had a vision to kill the whole gang.

6. "The Vanishing Image" (Prod #166256) December 20, 1974 - Caine seeks out a dying photographer (Lew Ayres: nominated for an Emmy for the performance) who might be able to identify Danny in a group photograph. Meanwhile, Caine is tracked down by another Chinese assassin and the old man is tracked by an Indian who believes the camera has stolen his spirit.

7. "Blood of the Dragon", Part I & 2 (Prod #166257-8) September 14, 1974 - Caine shows up in Gurneyville, on the California coast, knowing (supernaturally?) that his grandfather died there the night before. As Caine tracks down what happened to his grandfather, he is being tracked by three agents of The Imperial Guards of the Dragon Throne's Order of the Avenging Dragon which needs to kill Caine to end the shame of having failed to protect the Emperor's nephew (showing that the hunt for Caine won't end with the Emperor's death in 1875*1* - though, the Dowager Empress*1* might have continued anyway).

8. "The Demon God" (Prod #166259) December 13, 1974 - In flashforwards Caine is stung by a scorpion and faces again a hallucination that he first experienced when, as a young student, he was poisoned by a Mandarin's son who wanted to learn from the temple student what awaited his dying father in the land of the dead.

9. "The Devil's Champion" (Prod #166260) November 8, 1974 - In China a strange challenger shows up at the temple gates to challenge Master Kan to ritual combat to the death. Caine, who is having visions, must find out who or what is behind the situation.

10. "The Garments of Rage (Prod #166261) November 1, 1974 - After the events in "The Demon God" (#47 the last episode set in the present), Caine is left battered with his clothes torn, and he is taken in by railroad workers. The railroad is being harassed by a Shaolin master who has also fled China. This former teacher offers Caine clothes that had belonged to his nephew who died in a railroad accident. (At first Caine refuses to wear the clothes which might symbolize that he would help sabotage the railroad, but later Caine accepts the clothes and wears them for the rest of the series).

11. "Besieged", Part 1: "Death on Cold Mountain" (Prod #166262) November 15, 1974 - In China Master Po and Caine are dispatched to rescue the survivors of another Shaolin temple which has been destroyed by the warlord Sing Lu Chan. One of the survivors happens to be a girl.

12. "Besieged", Part 2: "Cannon at the Gates" (Prod 166263) November 22, 1974 - In China Master Po and Caine are dispatched to rescue the survivors of another Shaolin temple which has been destroyed by the warlord Sing Lu Chan. One of the survivors happens to be a girl.

13. "A Lamb to the Slaughter" (Prod #166264) January 11, 1975 - Caine goes to a village on the coast of Mexico to pay a debt the priest owes to a man whose father died saving his father. But the only payment the man will accept is for Caine to teach him fighting/killing skills.

14. "One Step to Darkness" (Prod #166265) January 25, 1975 - Caine comes to the rescue of a woman and for his trouble is arrested by her army officer husband. The woman turns out to be addicted to a Chinese drug (opium?) and she introduces Caine to a mystical world where he meets a demon who claims the priest's life for a wish the very young Caine had made while sick with typhoid.

15. "The Thief of Chendo" (Prod #166266) March 29, 1975 - Master Po and the young Caine visualize what it will be like when Caine leaves the temple. The two imagine (?) in a 'flashforward' (?) that Caine, now a priest, has been sent to help a duke. The young priest "finds royalty everywhere" as he runs into a prince of thieves who wants to help a princess.

16. "Battle Hymn" (#166267) February 8, 1975 - While chasing Caine for the reward, a man falls from his horse and is killed. The useless death leads Caine to shaving his head. Then he undertakes to return the dead man's belongings including, it turns out, a treasure map to the man's wife in Sovalo. On the way he runs into a pair of traveling musicians who are going the same way.

17. "The Forbidden Kingdom" (Prod #166268) January 18, 1975 - While fleeing the Imperial troops after killing the royal nephew, Caine tries to escape into Tibet. And in the process he is helped, betrayed and loved by Po Li. (She was the mother of the son who turns up in the sequel movie of 1986 "Kung Fu: The Movie".)

18. "The Last Raid" (Prod # 166271) April 26, 1975 - On his way to Lordsville to answer a summons from Serenity Johnson (which he does in the following episode "Ambush" even though it seems "Ambush" was originally broadcast first), Caine visits old friends from "The Well" just as their son is kidnapped by former Confederate raiders who continue to fight the Civil War.

19. "Ambush" (Prod #166272) April 4, 1975 - Serenity Johnson from "Dark Angel" & "The Nature of Evil" sends for Caine and then lies about how sick he is to get the priest to help him claim a $2000 debt. While with Serenity in Arizona City, Caine is shown a poster with information on the whereabouts of his brother, Danny.

20. "Barbary House" (Prod #166269) February 15, 1975 - The poster from #58 "Ambush" leads Caine to an establishment outside San Francisco. Danny has left but the owner is holding Danny's son, Zeke, and Caine is forced to become a prize fighter to stay with his nephew. (This is the first of a four part story line.)
21. "Flight to Orion" (Prod #166270) February 22, 1975 - Caine, Zeke and Zeke's mother try to find Danny before the search party which plans to find/kill him for a $10,000 reward (strange how both brothers turn out to have the same price on their heads).

22. "The Brothers Caine" (Prod #166273) March 1, 1975 - Zeke sells himself to his grandfather so that he can acquire information to help Kwai Chang find and warn Danny. Meanwhile, Danny is told that Kwai Chang is an assassin hired to kill him.

23. "Full Circle" (Prod #166274) March 8 or 15, 1975 - Finally the journey ends but then again it doesn't and won't until, as Caine says, "it comes full circle at my death."

Enjoy!

... Read more

Reviews (2)

Just awesome!!!!
I really enjoyed this movie because it shows what distance runners go through. Highly recommended for those who enjoy long distance running. If you're planning to run an ultramarathon one day, this is a good movie to watch. It's interesting as well as motivating. Rock it out!!!

Who'd've thought WATCHING people run would be so watchable!!
We're runners and would usually prefer to BE running, than to WATCH running. But, this is an excellent film. It's well-done and kept our interest throughout. It was painful to watch at times as these folks suffered along trying to do 135 miles, but yet, we couldn't take our eyes off. Highly recommended if you are a runner of any distance. ... Read more

Description

Live the excitement of the last 25 years of the NBA Championships and the seasons leading up to each big game in a 5-disc collector?s set. The program features all the drama and highlights of the championship team's drive to the NBA Finals and takes you up close and into the huddles and locker rooms during the most exciting moments of the NBA season. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Most have already been released
First of all, let's get one thing out of the way, this is not really a new DVD. The majority of the team videos in here have already been released on VHS, and the ones for Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Antonio 2003, and Detroit 2004 have been released on DVD as well.

It's great to have since they are all in one place, but repetitive if you have the Bulls, Lakers, and Celtics sets. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Over the course of 15 hours on four double-sided DVDs, Chicago Bulls: The 1990s documents the Bulls' incredible run of six NBA championships in eight years led by the game's greatest-ever player, Michael Jordan.Like the earlier DVD release Ultimate Jordan, it collects a number of programs originally released on VHS, in this case the yearly highlight videos that summarized each of the six championship seasons, plus a five-minute introduction that covers the franchise starting in the 1960s and ending with its drafting of Jordan.

Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials.Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career.Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah.You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others.Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (14)

This is what all TRUE Bulls Fans have been waiting for!!
As a true blue Chicago Bulls fan (until Krause lost his mind and broke up the dynasty of Jordan and Company)this DVD set is simply the best! I can put it on and relive some of the best basketball there ever was with Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, Paxon, and the rest of the greatest team in NBA history. The sound and picture are superb and this is one DVD set that plays well on a big screen TV! I say it is a "slam dunk" for those who are Buls fans and fans of NBA at its best!

A true dynasty.
From 1991 through 1993, and 1996 through 1998 red and black were the colors of royalty in the NBA. No other franchise during the sports-media-frenzied '90's dominated its game like Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Yes, Michael Jordan. The most fabeled athlete of our time. Other great dynasties dominated with a collection of greats like the Russell, Cousy, Havlicheck Celtics of the '60's, and the Bird, Parrish, McHale Celtics of the '80's. The Chamberlain, West, Baylor Lakers of the '70's, the Magic, Kareem, Worthy Lakers of the '80's, and the Shaq, Kobe tandem of the early twenty-first century. But unlike the '90's Bulls, those teams were dynasties within lasting legacies. They were also dominated by big men, great front lines. And yes, that is the way championships are traditionally earned. Not Jordan and the Bulls. All great NBA championship teams before or since dominated the game inside then out. In possibly the most difficult era to dominate (the era of free agency) Jordan's Bulls dominated outside then in. UNHEARD OF! As you will see in this fantastic compilation of highlights and actual game footage (entire games!!!) Jordan is the one constant. Keeping everything together in times of need, and in the process making everyone around him better. The Bulls were a team unlike any other in an era unlike any we have seen before or since. A true dynasty in every sense of the word.

Description:
Disc 1, side A
The History of the Chicago Bulls.

Learning to Fly: 1991 NBA Champions.
Untouchabulls: 1992 NBA Champions.
Three-peat: 1993 NBA Champions.
Disc 1, side B
Unstop-a-bulls: 1996 NBA Champions.
Chicago Bulls: 1997 NBA Champions.
Unforgettabulls: 1998 NBA Chamions

Disc 2, side A
Game 5 1991 NBA FInals.
Disc 2, side B
Game 1 1992 NBA Finals.

Disc 3, side A
Game 6 1993 NBA Finals.
Disc 3, side B
Game 6 1996 NBA Finals.

Disc 4, side A
Game 5 1997 NBA Finals.
Disc 4, side B
Game 6 1998 NBA Finals.

Who doesn't wanna be like Mike? (eat your heart out, Shaq)
Haven't seen the whole set yet - but there's no question that it's a MUST HAVE for EVERY CHICAGO FAN - so we can remember the last time one of OUR teams won the whole enchilada. We all were a little happier back then - I planned my life around the Bulls' games - not wanting to miss ANY of it - Chicago fans KNOW the good stuff never lasts. I hope Bob Costas' best comment EVER is on this set: At the start of Game Three against the Jazz: "There's Karl Malone. In Game Two, he scored only two points more than a dead man."

Can't go wrong with this one
It just never gets old watching what had to be the greatest dynasty ever. Sorry Boston, but you just didn't face the same competition in your heyday. Watching game 6 of the '96 series I found myself cheering just as if it were happening live. My only complaint with this set is with all the editing technology that's available, why could they not delete ALL of Bill Walton's commentary? If I have to listen to him make comparisons to Elvin Hayes, Kevin McHale, or anyone else that hasn't played ball since high tops were invented I'm gonna have to mute this. His bias is pathetic.

Dynasty? More like Die-Nasty!!!
Magic on the break, Worthy fills the lane, Magic to Worthy... here comes MJ... and Worthy takes it over MJ for the jam! Facial!.... Half-court set, Magic at point. Back door Coop-a-loop -- over both MJ and Pippen! In their face!! That's what time it is, baby! The Bulls will never be in the same class as the Lakers in their prime. But second best is not too shabby, and the Bulls deserve their props. Just get the Lakers DVDs first. And if a Celtics Dynasty DVD set was available, I'd get that just to see more Lakers games. But no Celts, so the Bulls must suffice. So, this is good stuff. Excellent team, footage, packaging and layout cannot be beat. One thing I'd change; the Bulls disc has 1991 NBA Finals Game 5. I'd prefer to see game 2; where the Bulls, after losing game 1, started to pull away... and MJ did the "I'm gonna dunk, no, think I'll lay it up" move, and looked at the Laker bench like "whassup?!" as he ran back for defense. At that exact moment, all was crystal clear: The Bulls had turned it on and pulled ahead in the game, they would win the series (you could see it), and the Lakers were eclipsed -- quite easily, once the Bulls changed gears. So, game 2 was the changing of the guard. Otherwise, great DVD set. But get the Lakers first, and see the greatest team ever!!! (And good ownership and management too :-)!!!)... And better looking cheerleaders and crowd.... Besides all that, full props to Da Bulls! ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A Matthau Gem... Shall We Say "Diamond?"
The great Walter Matthau (all saggy jowls) plays Buttermaker, an ex-pitcher turned pool cleaner who tools around all day on his jobs in a chop-top station wagon with a cooler of beer in the backseat. A local businessman talks (with money) Buttermaker into coaching a youth-league team of castaways. Seems this is one community that takes its youth league baseball seriously. A little too seriously.

What follows is the familiar plot of a bunch of underdog kids coming together as the "Team Nobody Believed In" and contending for the championship against a team that represents everything that's wrong when parents spoil simple pleasures for their children (the Yankees, coached by Vic Morrow, in a neatly-observed performance). Look, I don't know if "Bears" even did it first, but this movie certainly does it best, and without the labored sentimentality of its progeny.

"Bears" never turns cartoonish. It captures just the right atmosphere- slanting, late afternoon sunlight during the games, the bikes parked behind the dugouts, the post-game chants. The kids, led by Tatum O'Neal and Jackie Earle Haley all perform well, and each has a sharply defined personality. Even Morrow, as Buttermaker's antagonist, isn't portrayed as bad or evil- just a guy with misplaced priorities that make him act like a jerk.

But Matthau makes this movie, conning kids into making martinis for him and cleaning pools while he regales them with increasingly drunken stories of his baseball glory days... until he passes out on the mound in a litter of beer cans. Matthau plays Buttermaker as a modern day loser who discovers (eventually) he still has a better nature.

Bright, smart and funny, "The Bad News Bears" is a joy to watch, full of quick-witted exchanges and even heartbreak. If you've seen one too many "Mighty Ducks" flicks, do yourself a favor and watch this one. It goes down as smooth as one of Buttermaker's ice cold ones on a hot afternoon.

And look for that kid who played Eddie in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" as Morrow's son and the Yankees' star pitcher. He has a ballpark epiphany that's true and heartbreaking. Just another aspect of this marvelous little movie.

Good News for the Bad News Bears
A great movie that hits it mark..unfortunately sprung two terrible sequels. THE BAD NEWS BEARS is a social commentary about when kids are taken out of the sandlot (which is more fun when kids are left to play among themselves) and organized by adults to play little league baseball and the result is chaos. Walter Matthau in one of his signature roles as coach Buttermaker (he even reprised the role in a parody of the film on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, in the now classic and hilarious BAD NEWS BEES sketch). Matthau is hilarious as the drunken, ex-big league ballplayer/pool cleaner hired by one of the parents to coach a bunch of losers in a competetive and elite Los Angeles little league organization. The kids are innocent, but honestly brutal in their depiction. Standout performances from Jackie Earl Haley (BREAKING AWAY)as Kelly Leak, the motorcycle riding punk who is also a great athlete, Chris Barnes as tough little Tanner Boyle (who supposedly takes on the whole seventh grade when he is humilated in the embarrassing first game loss), and of course Tatum O'Neal as the tough girl pitcher whose curve ball breaks 2 feet. All this works on a level of a family movie, but some situations are adult oriented. Watch the film on network television and it is butchered beyond recognition. On DVD and cable, it it way better because you see why some of the situations occur. One example is the scene when pitcher Joey Turner (Brandon Cruz -tv's COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER) throws at the head of batter Engelberg (Gary Lee Cavagnaro) and you'll know why. Actor Vic Morrow continues his string of bad guy roles even in this film as Coach Roy Turner and even the Yankees (a metaphor for elitistism) is used as a name of one of the teams as the arch rival of the Bears. Overall, entertaining and authentic with great casting.

Dear Luper
Dear Luper Ronsogni makes me sick, he cant even pitch nobody thinks we can win, ps I saw a good movie the other night, youd like it. Your friend, tanner boyle

I Loved This Movie!
I remember my mother taking me to see The Bad News Bears when it was playing in movie theaters, I was about 10 1/2 years old and I loved the movie and thought it was a lot of fun to watch and I thought that the cast was great, Tatum O'Neal, Walter Matthau, Vic Morrow, Jackie Earle Haley, etc and when HBO started showing The Bad News Bears I watched it to many times to count. I see some reviewers have complained about bad language but honestly I have heard much worse langague in movies that are being made these days and I still have to highly recommend The Bad News Bears.

Classic, realistic, non-syrupy story of Little League
Don't listen to other reviewers who impose today's political correctness on a movie that came out in 1976. My parents took me to see this film when it came out (I was nine) and it was a good film. It has lessons about winning, losing and sportsmanship. It touches upon characters we all know: the winning coach (played wonderfully by the late Vic Morrow) who values winning above all else - even his own son. A realistic film from the 1970s, reflecting divorced parents, precocious kids, bullies, all of it is in here. Above all, it is a positive statement about self-respect and accomplishment. While Matthau's ways of coaching would probably be protested today (i.e., giving the kids beer after the final game of the season) it was seen as true to his character and one of the funny touches. Some of the material is mature but it may spark some positive conversations in a family. It isn't watered down, squeaky-clean family fare that people expect today, but it does have a good message and is fun. Excellent performances by a great cast, realistic baseball playing (sometimes painful) and great moments. A classic 1970s film that is often overlooked. ... Read more