Goldfinger

Starring:Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert FrÃ¶be, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Harold Sakata, Bernard Lee, Martin Benson, Cec Linder, Austin Willis, Lois Maxwell, Bill Nagy, Michael Mellinger, Peter Cranwell, Nadja Regin, Richard Vernon (II), Burt Kwouk, Desmond Llewelyn, Mai Ling, Varley Thomas
Director: Guy Hamilton
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

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The Man with the Golden Gun: The British superspy with a license to kill takes on his dark underworld double, a classy assassin who kills with golden bullets at $1 million a hit. Roger Moore, in his second outing as James Bond, meets Christopher Lee's Scaramanga, one of the most magnetic villains in the entire series, in this entertaining but rather wan entry in the 007 sweepstakes. Moore balances the overplayed humor of the film with a steely performance and Lee's charm and enthusiasm makes Scaramanga a cool, deadly, and thoroughly enchanting adversary. --Sean Axmaker

Goldfinger: To own Goldfinger (1964) on DVD is to have at your fingertips the proof that Sean Connery is the definitive James Bond. No one but Connery can believably seduce women so effortlessly, kill with almost as much ease, and then pull another bottle of Dom Perignon '53 out of the fridge. Goldfinger contains many of the most memorable scenes in the Bond series: gorgeous Shirley Eaton (as Jill Masterson) coated in gold paint by evil Auric Goldfinger and deposited in Bond's bed; silent Oddjob, flipping a razor-sharp derby like a Frisbee to sever heads; our hero spread-eagle on a table while a laser beam moves threateningly toward his crotch. Goldfinger's two climaxes, inside Fort Knox and aboard a private plane, have to be seen to be believed. --Raphael Shargel

The World Is Not Enough:Bond 5.0, Pierce Brosnan, undercuts his usually suave persona with a darker, more brutal edge largely absent since Sean Connery departed. Equally tantalizing are our initial glimpses of Bond's nemesis du jour, Renard (Robert Carlyle), and imminent love interest, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), both atypically complex characters cast with seemingly shrewd choices, and directed by the capable Michael Apted. The story's focus on post-Soviet geopolitics likewise starts off on a savvy note, before being overtaken by increasingly Byzantine plot twists, hidden motives, and reversals of loyalty superheated by relentless (if intermittently perfunctory) action sequences.--Sam Sutherland

Diamonds Are Forever: Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a battle with a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game with a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Connery retired again after this one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 years later. --Sean Axmaker

The Living Daylights: Timothy Dalton made his 007 debut in the lean, mean mode of Sean Connery, doing away with the pun-filled camp of Roger Moore's final outings. This James Bond is ruthless, tough, and romantic. The Living Daylights, set during the thaw of the cold war, begins with the defection of Russian KGB General Koskov (Jeroen Krabb) and his revelation of a Soviet plot to eliminate Britain's secret agent force. Assigned to eliminate Koskov's Soviet boss (John Rhys-Davies), Bond uncovers a conspiracy involving Koskov and an American arms dealer (Joe Don Baker). Veteran series director John Glen's action scenes have never been better--especially the show-stopping mid-air battle on the net of a speeding cargo plane--and he returns the series to the smart, rough, high-energy adventures that made the Bond reputation. --Sean Axmaker

A View to a Kill: Roger Moore's last outing as James Bond is evidence enough that it was time to pass the torch to another actor. Beset by crummy action (an out-of-control fire engine?) and featuring a fading Moore still trying to prop up his mannered idea of style, the film is largely interesting for Christopher Walken's quirky performance as a sort-of supervillain who wants to take out California's Silicon Valley. Grace Jones has a spookily interesting presence as a lethal associate of Walken's (and who, in the best Bond tradition, has sex with 007 before trying to kill him later), and Patrick Macnee (Steed!) has a warm if brief bit. Even directed by John Glen, who brought some crackle to the Moore years in the Bond franchise, this is a very slight effort. -- Tom Keogh

Thunderball: James Bond's fourth adventure takes him to the Bahamas, where a NATO warplane with a nuclear payload has disappeared into the sea. Bond (Sean Connery) travels from a tiny health spa (where he tangles with a mechanized masseuse run amuck) to the casinos of Nassau and soon picks up the trail of SPECTRE's number-two man, Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), and his beautiful mistress, Domino (Claudine Auger), whom Bond soon seduces to his side. Equipped with more gadgets than ever, 007 escapes an ambush with a personal-size jet pack and takes to the water as he searches for the undersea plane, battles Largo's pet sharks, and finally leads the battle against Largo's scuba-equipped henchmen in a spectacular underwater climax. This thrilling Bond entry became Connery's most successful outing in the series and was remade in 1983 as Never Say Never Again, with Connery returning to the role after a 12-year hiatus. --Sean Axmaker

Die Another Day: The 20th James Bond adventure, Die Another Day succeeds on three important fronts: it avoids comparison to Austin Powers by keeping its cheesy humor in check, allows Halle Berry to be sexy and worthy of a spinoff franchise, and keeps pace with the technical wizardry that modern action films demand. Pierce Brosnan is paired with American agent Jinx (Berry) in chasing a genetically altered North Korean villain (Rick Yune) armed with a satellite capable of destroying just about anything. John Cleese and Judi Dench reprise their recurring roles (as "Q" and "M," respectively); they're accompanied by weapons-laden sports cars, a hokey cameo by Madonna (who sings the techno-pulsed theme song), and enough double-entendres to keep Bond-philes adequately shaken and stirred. Die Another Day makes you welcome the familiar end-credits promise: James Bond will return. --Jeff Shannon

The Spy Who Loved Me: The best of the James Bond adventures starring Roger Moore as tuxedoed Agent 007, this globe-trotting thriller introduced the steel-toothed Jaws (played by seven-foot-two-inch-tall actor Richard Kiel) as one of the most memorable and indestructible Bond villains. Jaws is so tenacious, in fact, that Moore looks genuinely frightened, and that adds to the abundant fun. This time Bond teams up with yet another lovely Russian agent (Barbara Bach) to track a pair of nuclear submarines that the nefarious Stromberg (Curt Jürgens) plans to use in his plot to start World War III. The Spy Who Loved Me is a galaxy away from the suave Sean Connery exploits of the 1960s, but the film works perfectly as grandiose entertainment. From cavernous undersea lairs to the vast horizons of Egypt, this Bond thriller keeps its tongue firmly in cheek with a plot tailor-made for daredevil escapism. --Jeff Shannon

License to Kill: Timothy Dalton's second and last shot at playing James Bond isn't nearly as much fun as his debut, two years earlier, in the 1987 The Living Daylights. This time Bond gets mad after a close friend (David Hedison) from the intelligence sector is assassinated on his wedding day, and 007 goes undercover to link the murder to an international drug cartel. Robert Davi makes an interesting adversary, but as with most of the Bond films in the '70s, '80s, and '90s--and especially since the end of the cold war--one has to wonder why we should still care about these lesser villains and their unimaginative crimes. Still, Dalton did manage in his short time with the character to make 007 his own, which neither Roger Moore did nor Pierce Brosnan did. --Tom Keogh

Goldeneye: The 18th James Bond adventure was a runaway box-office success when released in 1995, thanks to the arrival of Pierce Brosnan as the fifth actor (following the departure of Timothy Dalton) to play the suave, danger-loving Agent 007. This James Bond is a bit more vulnerable and psychologically complex--and just a shade more politically correct--but he's still a formally attired playboy at heart, with a lovely Russian beauty (Izabella Scorupco) as his sexy ally against a cadre of renegade Russians bent on--what else?--global domination. All in all, this action-packed Bond adventure provided a much-needed boost the long-running movie series, revitalizing the 007 franchise for the turn of the millennium. -- Jeff Shannon

Live and Let Die: Roger Moore was introduced as James Bond in this 1973 action movie featuring secret agent 007. This film marks a deviation from the more character-driven stories of the Connery years, a deliberate shift to plastic action (multiple chases, bravura stunts) that made the franchise more of a comic book or machine. If that's not depressing enough, there's even a good British director on board, Guy Hamilton (Force 10 from Navarone). The story finds Bond taking on an international drug dealer (Yaphet Kotto), and while that may be superficially relevant, it isn't exactly the same as fighting supervillains on the order of Goldfinger. --Tom Keogh

For Your Eyes Only: After a ship sunk off the coast of Albania, the world's superpowers begin a feverish search for its valuable lost cargo: the powerful ATAC system, which will give its bearer unlimited control over Polaris nuclear submarines. As Bond joins the search, he suspects the suave Kristatos (Julian Glover) of seizing the device. The competition between nations grows more deadly by the moment, but Bond finds an ally in the beautiful Melina Havelock (Caroline Bouquet), who blames Kristatos for the death of her parents. The non-stop action includes automobile chases, thrilling underwater battles, and even a breathtaking tour over razor-sharp coral reefs. But all of this is merely a prelude to 007's cliffhanging assault of a magnificent mountaintop fortress. -- Robert Lynch

From Russia with Love: Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, the second James Bond spy thriller is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose latest mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by a lovely assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. From Russia with Love is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics, and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. --Jeff Shannon

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Australian model George Lazenby took up the mantle of the world's most suave secret agent when Sean Connery retired as James Bond (although Connery returned in Diamonds Are Forever before leaving the role to Roger Moore). In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 007 leaves the Service to privately pursue his SPECTRE nemesis Blofeld (played this time by Telly Savalas), whose latest master plan involves a threat to the world's crops by agricultural sterilization. Lazenby hasn't the intensity of Connery but he has fun with his quips and even lampoons the Bond image in a playful pre-credits sequence. Former editor Peter Hunt makes a strong directorial debut, deftly handling the elaborate action sequences with a kinetic finesse. --Sean Axmaker

Dr. No: Released in 1962, this first James Bond movie remains one of the best, and serves as an entertaining reminder that the Bond series began (in keeping with Ian Fleming's novels) with a surprising lack of gadgetry and big-budget fireworks. In his first adventure James Bond is called to Jamaica where a colleague and secretary have been mysteriously killed. With an American CIA agent (Jack Lord, pre-Hawaii Five-O), they discover that the nefarious Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) is scheming to blackmail the U.S. government with a device capable of deflecting and destroying U.S. rockets launched from Cape Canaveral. Of course, Bond takes time off from his exploits to enjoy the company of a few gorgeous women, including the bikini-clad Ursula Andress. This is Bond at his purest, kicking off a series of movies that shows no sign of slowing down. --Jeff Shannon

You Only Live Twice: The film boasts the best of the Bond title songs (this one sung on a dreamy track by Nancy Sinatra), but the movie itself is one of the weaker ones of the Sean Connery phase of the 007 franchise. The story concerns an effort by the evil organization SPECTRE to start a world war, but the not-so-super villain behind the plot is the awfully civilized Donald Pleasence. The thin script is by Roald Dahl (shouldn't we have expected a better Bond nemesis from the creator of mad genius Willy Wonka?), and direction is by British veteran Lewis Gilbert (Alfie). But the movie can't hold a candle to Dr. No, From Russia with Love, or Goldfinger. --Tom Keogh

Octopussy: Roger Moore was nearing the end of his reign as James Bond when he made Octopussy, and he looks a little worn out. But the movie itself infuses some new blood into the old franchise, with a frisky pace and a pair of sturdy villains. Maud Adams--who'd also been in the Bond outing The Man with the Golden Gun--plays the improbably named Octopussy, while old smoothie Louis Jourdan is her crafty partner in crime. Two Bond films were actually released in 1983 within a few months of each other, as Octopussy was followed by Sean Connery's comeback in Never Say Never Again. The success of both pictures proved that there was still plenty of mileage left in the old license to kill, though Moore had one more workout--A View to a Kill--before hanging it up. And that title? The franchise had already used up the titles to Ian Fleming's novels, so Octopussy was taken from a lesser-known Fleming short story. -- Robert Horton

Tomorrow Never Dies: Pierce Brosnan returns for his second stint as James Bond (after GoldenEye), and he's doing it in high style with an invigorating cast of costars. It's only appropriate that a Bond film from 1997 would find Agent 007 pitted against a media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) who's going to start a global war (beginning with stolen nuclear missiles aimed at China) to create attention-grabbing headlines for his latest multimedia news channel. It's the information age run amok, and Bond must team up with a lovely and lethal agent from the Chinese External Security Force (played by Honk Kong action star Michelle Yeoh) to foil the madman's plot of global domination. Luckily for Bond, the villain's wife (Teri Hatcher) is one of his former lovers and 007 finds ample opportunity to exploit the connection. Armed with the usual array of gadgets (including a remote-controlled BMW), Brosnan settles into his role with acceptable flair, and the dynamic Yeoh provides a perfect balance to the sexism that once threatened to turn Bond into a politically incorrect anachronism. He's still Bond, to be sure, but he's saving the world with a bit more sophisticated finesse. --Jeff Shannon

Moonraker: This was the first James Bond adventure produced after the success of Star Wars, so it jumped on the sci-fi bandwagon by combining the suave appeal of Agent 007 (once again played by Roger Moore) with enough high-tech hardware and special effects to make Luke Skywalker want to join Her Majesty's Secret Service. This time Bond is up against a criminal industrialist named Drax (Michel Lonsdale) who wants to control the world from his orbiting space station. Bond thwarts this maniacal Neo-Hitler's scheme with the help of a beautiful, sleek-figured scientist (played by Lois Chiles with all the vitality of a department-store mannequin). Despite Moore's passive performance (which Pauline Kael described as "like an office manager who is turning into dead wood but hanging on to collect his pension"), Moonraker had no problem attracting an appreciative audience, and there are even a few renegade Bond-philes who consider it one of their favorites. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

The Ultimate Bond is the Ultimate.......2007-06-27

If you love James Bond movies, wait, even if you just plain like Bond movies, get this collection. The movies look great and it is fabulous to watch how the character of Bond and the movies themselves evolve. Great for a film class or just someone who wants a lot of fun action adventure movies around. Plus at Amazon prices, you can't go wrong.

wonderfully restored movies!.......2007-06-27

We bought this set after reading a lot of reviews that said how nice the movies looked (restored). We were pleasantly surprised that the restored movies exceeded our expectation. The movies are very clean and there are absolutely tons of extras on each DVD.

There are only 2 annoying things. 1) they don't come in chronological order. We just rearranged them, but then you can't quite see the entire title from inside the box. 2) the slim cases were cheaply made. For the price it seems like they should be a little more sturdy.

Because of the slim cases, they don't take up very much room (for 20 DVD's plus extras). We are very happy with the set.

007- Bond, James.......2007-06-26

Simply..........Amazing! I am glad I waited to collect the series...They are Bigger & Better than the original in all facets.....My only complaint if I were to have one, is that they are not in order. Besides that one flaw I am Super Happy with this Awesome James Bond Collection.......

Michael from Minneapolis

Picked up whole collection in one pack - great deal.......2007-06-14

Really good deal for the big time Bond fan.

The Ultimate For The 007 Fan.......2007-06-09

Anyone who grew up with or loves James Bond Movies will enjoy this fine collection of films. If you are a fan and you don't have all the movies but want them, this is the collection to purchase. The Box Set and Art Work on the case's is quality along with every single disk.

James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 1 (The Man with the Golden Gun / Goldfinger / The World Is Not Enough / Diamonds Are Forever / The Living Daylights)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous Restoration Makes Bond Collection a Must!
James Bond Vol. 1
Thank goodness for these sets
Finally, sets that do the Bond legacy justice
I Was VERY Skeptical Of This Collection But...

James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 1 (The Man with the Golden Gun / Goldfinger / The World Is Not Enough / Diamonds Are Forever / The Living Daylights)
Starring: Roger Moore , Christopher Lee , Britt Ekland , Maud Adams , and Hervé Villechaize
Director: Guy Hamilton , and Michael Apted
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ultimate Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / Licence to Kill)
James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 4 (Dr. No / You Only Live Twice / Octopussy / Tomorrow Never Dies / Moonraker)
James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 3 (GoldenEye / Live and Let Die / For Your Eyes Only / From Russia With Love / On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Never Say Never Again

ASIN: B00000BLFI
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Description

Disc 1: *Goldfinger (1964) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Guy Hamilton Audio Commentary Featuring Cast and Crew

Disc 2: **Goldfinger Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Sean Connery From the Set of Goldfinger Screen Tests On Tour With the Aston Martin DB-5 Honor Blackman Open-Ended Interview 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Goldfinger The Making of Goldfinger The Goldfinger Phenomenon Original Publicity Featurette MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 3: *The World Is Not Enough (1999) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Michael Apted Audio Commentary Featuring Peter Lamont, David Arnold and Vic Armstrong

Disc 4: **The World Is Not Enough Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes and Alternate Angles With Introductions by Director Michael Apted Alternate Angle, Expanded Angle Scene: The Thames Boat Chase James Bond Down River - Original 1999 Featurette Creating an Icon: Making the Teaser Trailer Hong Kong Press Conference 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The World Is Not Enough The Making of The World Is Not Enough Bond Cocktail Tribute to Desmond Llewelyn Garbage 'The World Is Not Enough' Music Video The Secrets of 007 MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailer & Photo Gallery

Disc 5: *Diamonds Are Forever (1971) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Guy Hamilton and Members of the Cast and Crew

Disc 6: **Diamonds Are Forever Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes Sean Connery 1971: The BBC Interview Lesson # 007: Close Quarter Combat Deleted Footage - Oil Rig Attack Satellite & Explosions Test Reel Alternate & Expanded Angles 007 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Diamonds Are Forever Inside Diamonds Are Forever Cubby Broccoli - The Man Behind Bond MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 7: *The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) **The Man With The Golden Gun Bonus Disc Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Guy Hamilton and Members of the Cast and Crew

Disc 8: DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Roger Moore and HervÃ(c) Villechaize - The Russell Harty Show On Location With The Man With the Golden Gun Guy Hamilton: The Director Speaks Girls Fighting American Thrill Show Stunt Film The Road to Bond: Stunt Coordinator W.J. Millian Jr. 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The Man With the Golden Gun Inside The Man With the Golden Gun An Original Documentary Double-O Stuntmen: A Look at the Greatest Stunts and Stunt Performers in the Bond Films MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 9: *The Living Daylights (1987) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen and Members of the Cast and Crew

Disc 10: **The Living Daylights Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes With Introduction by John Glen Happy Anniversary, 007 Silver Anniversary Featurettes Timothy Dalton: The New James Bond/Vienna Press Conference Timothy Dalton: On Acting Dalton and d'Abo Interviews The Ice Chase Outtakes - Deleted Footage With Director John Glen Narration 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The Living Daylights Inside The Living Daylights Ian Fleming: 007's Creator a-ha 'The Living Daylights' Music Video The Making of 'The Living Daylights' Music Video MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Restoration Makes Bond Collection a Must!.......2007-06-09

Although 'Deluxe' Bond editions have appeared, in recent years, the new 'frame-by-frame' restorations make "James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 1" ESSENTIAL, if you are a fan of the 007 films!

The title selections may be head scratchers, but the pristine quality of each film offers a look and sound that is breathtaking!

"The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974), Roger Moore's second outing as 007, suffers from the decline into campiness that would plague many of his films; targeted by hit man Christopher Lee, Bond journeys to Asia to track him down, aided by annoying Britt Ekland and ridiculous redneck sheriff Clifton James. While Maud Adams is lovely, and Thailand, breathtaking, Hervé Villechaize is silly, and the attempt to incorporate the kung fu craze, while amusing, turns 007 into a joke. Add an awful theme song, and you have a major disappointment! (2 stars out of 5)

"Goldfinger" (1964), for many fans, the 'perfect' Bond film, kicked off the 60's worldwide 007 craze; piggy meglamaniac Gert Frobe plans to nuke Fort Knox, and it's up to 007 Sean Connery, at his sexiest, to stop him. Fabulous women (Honor Blackman and Shirley Eaton), a superhuman henchman (Harold Sakata), an unforgettable theme song (sung by Shirley Bassey), and spectacular action makes this one solid gold. (5 stars out of 5).

"The World Is Not Enough" (1999), Pierce Brosnan's third 007 outing, is, arguably, his best; assigned to protecting sexy oil heiress Sophie Marceau from terrorist Robert Carlyle, Bond discovers nothing is as it seems! Offering Judi Dench's finest performance as M, and more plot twists than usual, one can almost forgive buxom Denise Richards' one-note portrayal, and the series' decline into derivativeness. (4 stars out of 5).

"Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), best-known as Sean Connery's 'comeback' as 007 after a one-film hiatus (and his final Eon Bond film), the film marks the beginning of the 'comic' Bond films of the '70s. Villain Charles Gray, as a sly, droll Blofeld, launches a diamond-powered laser satellite to blackmail the world. Shot largely in Las Vegas, Connery is graying and paunchy, Jill St. John, sexy, but ditzy, and one-liners and brainless action dominates the plot. Funny, but quite a letdown from "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". (3 1/2 stars out of 5)

"The Living Daylights" (1987), Timothy Dalton's debut as 007, is best remembered, today, as the film Pierce Brosnan would have starred in, had NBC not renewed "Remington Steele". The silliness of Moore's Bond is gone, as a more serious Dalton falls for cellist/would-be assassin (Maryam d'Abo), and uncovers an arms plot involving three villains (Jeroen Krabbé, Joe Don Baker, and Andreas Wisniewski). An Afghan/Soviet war subplot 'dates' the story, and the film, released in the same year as "Lethal Weapon" and "Batman", would not be a hit, but time has proven it to be a superior 007 outing. (4 stars out of 5).

Even if you've seen these films, I recommend this new collection; Bond films have never 'looked' better!

James Bond Vol. 1.......2007-05-19

The first James Bond movie that I saw was "Goldfinger". It was great. I wanted to see them all. Now I can with these great box sets. A lot of people don't like them because they're not in order. I like them that way. It gives you a good mixture. Let's get on to the reviews for all the movies in Vol. 1.

Goldfinger- This is the first James Bond movie that I saw. It is great. Sean Connery IS James Bond. If you've never seen a James Bond movie, watch this one first. 5 stars

Diamonds Are Forever- This one is great. It returns Sean Connery as James Bond. 5 stars

The Man with the Golden Gun- This one is pretty good. It stars Roger Moore as James Bond. I've always wanted to see this one. Now that I have, I am very happy. 5 stars

The Living Daylights- This has a weird title, but it is still good. It is the first James Bond movie with Timothy Dalton playing Bond. He is pretty good. 5 stars.

The World is Not Enough- This one is really good. I always like Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. He is excellent in his second to last movie as James Bond. 5 stars.

Overall, this recieves 5 stars.

Thank goodness for these sets.......2007-05-15

These four JB sets are the perfect way to get your Bond fix in enormous doses. The special features are great and the quality of the picture is unbeatable. My only small quibble is that the setup of the DVD menus is sort of obnoxious, but that seems to be the way of DVDs these days. If you are a Bond fan, or if you have a Bond fan in your home and want to give him an amazing gift (I did), these aren't to be missed.

Finally, sets that do the Bond legacy justice.......2007-03-31

James Bond Ultimate Collection.

INTRODUCTION:
When it comes to film franchises, very few measure up to Ian Fleming's legendary secret agent, James Bond. For decades this series has never failed to entertain. With girls, guns, gadgets, and everything in between, the series rarely fails to please. The franchise has been through many highs and lows in its several-decade history, and numerous collections of the films have been released over the years. In 2006, MGM released four Ultimate Collections.

OVERVIEW:
The James Bond Ultimate Collection consists of four box sets, each including ten discs - five films and a bonus disc for each. The boxes' content are as follows:
-Volume One (Gold): Goldfinger (1963), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), The World Is Not Enough (1999)
-Volume Two (Blue): Thunderball (1965), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), A View To A Kill (1985), Licence To Kill (1989), Die Another Day (2002)
-Volume Three (Red): From Russia With Love (1963), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Live and Let Die (1973), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Goldeneye (1995)
-Volume Four (Silver): Dr. No (1962), You Only Live Twice (1967), Moonraker (1979), Octopussy (1983), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Note that these are sets of the official EON productions films. As such, non-EON productions such as the David Niven/Peter Sellers version of Casino Royale and Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again are not included.

REVIEW:
I'm not going to go through and review each individual film (that's what the movies' individual Amazon pages are for), I'm just gonna focus on the box sets and their execution here. Here is a list of the pros and cons for every set.

-THE GOOD-
-ALL TWENTY FILMS READILY AVAILABLE ON DVD AGAIN. It's been a long time since we've been able to get the movies on DVD, and it's about time they got reissued. Finally, this shortage has reached its end.
-A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO COMPLETE YOUR BOND COLLECTION. You could hunt down each individual film, and spend a lot more money and do a lot more searching. Or you could just get these four sets. Much quicker and easier.
-A BONUS DISC OF MATERIAL FOR EVERY MOVIE! If you're a Bond fanatic, you're going to get a kick out of all the extra material MGM gives you in these sets. Deleted scenes, trailers, interviews with cast and crew, these bonus discs are pure gold for you if you're a Bond die hard like me.
-REMASTERED. VERY WELL. Normally I don't mention remastering of movies in my reviews, as it's usually a rather shoddy job that does little to improve the picture quality. NOT THIS TIME. MGM has given us the films with FRAME BY FRAME RESTORATION. If you thought earlier issues of Bond films on DVD had crappy picture quality, MGM redeems themselves here. This is, hands down, THE GREATEST FILM REMASTERING JOB I HAVE EVER SEEN. Even Dr. No, the first Bond film, has stunningly beautiful picture quality! My hat goes off to MGM here. This is reason alone to buy the sets, even if you own the older boxes.
-SUPERIOR TO THE OLD DVD BOXES OF THE SERIES. Everything they did, these sets do better. Picture, extras, you name it, this set does it better.

-THE BAD-
-STILL NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. This has been under hot debate from Bond fans as long as boxes of the films have been on the market. MGM clearly wants to make a few bucks. Let's face it, if all of the Connery films were in one set, everyone would buy that set and no others. Rather than getting the films in chronological order, we get uneven and scattershot mixes. For instance, the fourth box set features Dr. No and You Only Live Twice, two of the masterpieces of the series. But the set is dragged down by two of the major stinkers in the series, Moonraker and Octopussy. With every set it's this same "balancing act" phenomenon, with great films and weak ones alike. I must admit, a rather ingenious marketing strategy on MGM's part, but not what fans want (of course, you can do like I did and buy all the sets and make your own box and put them in order.) Fortunately, this is the ONLY major flaw of these sets.

OVERALL:
When it comes to the Bond films on DVD, "Nobody Does It Better" than MGM with these box sets. Beautiful picture and sound, extras galore, and all twenty films readily available again, there's no reason not to own these if you're a Bond fan. Even if you already have a few films on DVD or some of the older sets, these are still worth getting for the picture quality and bonus features alone.

EDITION NOTES:
These sets are all readily available. Any major DVD retailer should have them available.

I Was VERY Skeptical Of This Collection But..........2007-03-15

Before buying this collection, I was very skeptical. Being a long time James Bond fan, I invested plenty of money in the best VHS version of all these films. When DVD came out, I re-bought about half of the collection again. I must admit that the DVD releases of these films are some of the most disappointing DVDs in my collection.

My major complaints about the ORIGINAL DVD RELEASES were:
1.) Audio Mix -- The first release of the Bond DVDs featured only the original 2 channel audio mixes. The result was a disaster. The spoken dialog was BURIED under the soundtrack... resulting in me having to dive for the remote every five minutes. On top of the poor dialog / score mixing, the audio lacked definition and served as a constant distraction from watching the movie. There were no distinct lows, or distinct highs, just a lot of bland sounding audio.

2.) Picture Quality -- I suppose I couldn't complain too too much about this one. Given the age of many of these movies, I accepted the washed-out, often grainy image as nothing more than a symptom of the era the movie was made.

All in all, poor audio and poor picture makes for a pretty crappy experience. After having been disappointed by the first couple Bond DVDs I bought, I gave up on the collection. It was with this in mind that the announcement of the newly remastered series left me very skeptical.

The major criticism of this DVD set is that it is another ploy by MGM/UA to drain more money from every Bond fan's wallet. In the past, I had avoided these pathetic attempts at getting me to constantly upgrade versions of things I already owned.

However, let me tell you, this collection DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. The talk about the upgraded audio and video is NOT hype. Painstaking efforts were taken to re-scan the original prints of each film frame-by-frame. Once scanned, the image was digitally enhanced from the original prints. I was amazed at the richness and depth of color this process produced. During most parts, these movies look like they could have been filmed last year. Different color pigments are more noticeable, skin color and tone looks more lifelike, and the special effects look sharper. All in all, one couldn't ask for anything more from the picture quality of these versions. I have yet to a scene where I felt it could have been retouched better.

If the image quality isn't enough to make this collection worth buying, the new 5.1 DTS mixes seal the deal. Gone are the days of me fidgeting with volume during every other scene! The balance between dialog, ambient sounds, and score is perfect. I never would have imagined that movies made in the 60's and 70's could sound so good. Unlike the previous DVDs, these Ultimate Edition DVDs utilize my home theater to its maximum potential. Explosions rumble through my sub and the dialog comes clearly through my center channel; every word is audible. I own other DVDs from films made over the last couple of years that wish they could sound this good! Utilizing the DTS is a MUST!

Finally, while I consider myself fairly discriminating when it comes to audio and video clarity, I am by no means an audio or videophile. So, I don't think you need a $25,000 home theater setup to enjoy the enhancements these DVDs offer. I wrote this review based off of the following hardware:
32" Winbook 720p LCD HDTV
Up-converting Samsung DVD Player (connected via DVI)
Sony 7.1 (7x100w) Surround Receiver
Matching 5.1 MTX Surround Sound Speaker System

Hopefully, this will help clear up some confusion or doubt as to the value this collection offers.

Average customer rating:

Goldfinger
loved it
Good But Not Great Version
the BEST Bond movie IMHO
Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer

Goldfinger
Starring: Sean Connery , Honor Blackman , Gert Fröbe , Shirley Eaton , and Tania Mallet
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000M53GMC
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com essential video

Dry as ice, dripping with deadpan witticisms, only Sean Connery's Bond would dare disparage the Beatles, that other 1964 phenomenon. No one but Connery can believably seduce women so effortlessly, kill with almost as much ease, and then pull another bottle of Dom Perignon '53 out of the fridge. Goldfinger contains many of the most memorable scenes in the Bond series: gorgeous Shirley Eaton (as Jill Masterson) coated in gold paint by evil Auric Goldfinger and deposited in Bond's bed; silent Oddjob, flipping a razor-sharp derby like a Frisbee to sever heads; our hero spread-eagle on a table while a laser beam moves threateningly toward his crotch. Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore is the prototype for the series' rash of man-hating supermodels. And Desmond Llewelyn reprises his role as Q, giving Bond what is still his most impressive car, a snazzy little number that fires off smoke screens, punctures the tires of vehicles on the chase, and boasts a handy ejector seat. Goldfinger's two climaxes, inside Fort Knox and aboard a private plane, have to be seen to be believed. --Raphael Shargel

Amazon.com

To own Goldfinger (1964) on digital video disc is to have at your fingertips the proof that Sean Connery is the definitive James Bond. Dry as ice, dripping with deadpan witticisms, only Connery's Bond would dare disparage the Beatles, that other 1964 phenomenon. No one but Connery can believably seduce women so effortlessly, kill with almost as much ease, and then pull another bottle of Dom Perignon '53 out of the fridge. Goldfinger contains many of the most memorable scenes in the Bond series: gorgeous Shirley Eaton (as Jill Masterson) coated in gold paint by evil Auric Goldfinger and deposited in Bond's bed; silent Oddjob, flipping a razor-sharp derby like a Frisbee to sever heads; our hero spread-eagle on a table while a laser beam moves threateningly toward his crotch. Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore is the prototype for the series' rash of man-hating supermodels. And Desmond Llewelyn makes his first appearance as Q, giving Bond what is still his most impressive car, a snazzy little number that fires off smoke screens, punctures the tires of vehicles on the chase, and boasts a handy ejector seat. Goldfinger's two climaxes, inside Fort Knox and aboard a private plane, have to be seen to be believed. --Raphael Shargel

Description

From the opening bomb blast outside a steamy nightclub to a last-minute escape from the president's personal jet, James Bond's third screen adventure is an exhilarating, pulse-pounding thrill-ride! Sean Connery takes command as Agent 007 and faces off wit

Customer Reviews:

Goldfinger.......2007-06-27

Armed with clever gadgets, good looks, and considerable wit, could Connery's martini-swilling Agent 007 be any smoother? Actually third in the series, Hamilton's "Goldfinger" dispensed with the earnest conventions of the spy flick for something cheekier and loads more fun: arch quips, cartoonish enemies, luxury sportwear, and exotic femme fatales. (Still, his most iconic image has to be actress Shirley Eaton--naked, gold-plated,and sprawled lifeless across a bed.) "Goldfinger" also introduces Bond's tricked-out Aston Martin and his inventive helpmate, Q, played by the wonderful Desmond Llewelyn, while Frobe, Sakata, and "Avengers" alum Blackman prove to be among the most formidable nemeses in the Bond franchise.

loved it.......2007-06-14

One of my favorite Bond films, a classic.

Good But Not Great Version.......2007-06-04

This is an all-time great movie achievement. The film, made against considerable constraints of budget, accomplishes a sustained mood which is hard to match.

My concern is this DVD production. The film itself has not been fully restored; you see scratches and "blips" which are no longer acceptable in our era of restoration techniques.

And also the commentaries are not as good as we've come to expect. While they are fairly informative, they suffer from a degree of hyperbole which detracts from their credibility. Yes, it is a great movie, all right, but some comments assert that "in all cinema history..." which sounds more like hype.

Which this movie does not need. To say it's the "best of all the Bonds" would not be hype in my view - just something like the truth. You gotta have it...

the BEST Bond movie IMHO.......2007-04-14

I'll make this short and sweet - this is by far the BEST Bond movie of them all, IMHO. Excellent work by Connery and the rest of the cast.

Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer.......2007-04-11

This is the version to get -- it doesn't contain the extras that the multi-movie box set includes, but I found those extras rather cheesy for Goldfinger, so don't fret about it.

The video starts off rather grainy in the first night scene, but seconds after that, the 1.66:1 picture is a revelation in restored video, with crisp, vibrant colors and high-quality resolution (for standard DVD).

Average customer rating:

To understand people who are different, you have to be one
Increasing Probability
Stand and Deliver "stands and delivers"
Stand and Deliver
A wonderful affirmation of both individual human worth and the value of knowledge

Stand and Deliver
Starring: Edward James Olmos , Estelle Harris , Mark Phelan , Virginia Paris , and Mark Eliot
Director: Ramón Menéndez
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305161917
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Amazon.com

Based on a true story, this inspiring American Playhouse production stars Edward James Olmos as a high school teacher who motivated a class full of East L.A. barrio kids to care enough about mathematics to pass an Advanced Placement Calculus Test. Not exactly a variation of To Sir, With Love, the film concerns itself with assumptions and biases held by mainstream authorities about disadvantaged kids, and Olmos's efforts to keep his students coolheaded enough to prove them wrong. Olmos, virtually unrecognizable as the pudgy, balding instructor, gives a career performance in this fine piece directed by Ramón Menéndez, and written by the director and Tom Musca. --Tom Keogh

Description

Edward James Olmos's Oscar-nominated performance energizes this true-life story of a Los Angeles high school teacher who drives his students on to excellence at calculus.

Customer Reviews:

To understand people who are different, you have to be one.......2007-06-08

Along with Music of the Mind, Dangerous Minds and Radio and others, this is the message. Real people are making real differences and it is on DVD. Play this at home, often. It has enough threat of violence to meet the average American mind, then slips the fact that an effort invested pays great social dividends;

Increasing Probability.......2007-04-17

'Stand and Deliver' is a ground-breaking true-life tale of determination and innovation. The film is based on Jaime Escalante (James Edward Olmos), a financially successful man who trades his profession to teach school in L.A. Not accepting failure, he earns the trust of his students whose cynicism is unmatched by everyone except the teachers. Using colorful tactics, toughness, and humor, he wins his mostly hispanic classes by bridging the gap between what they can learn and what they've despaired of ever learning. Using his own dedication to build confidence, he catalyzes his students to use the educational ticket out of despair and poverty.

Comparing Olmos performance to real videos of Escalante, the actor hit the nail on the head. All the young performers bring such likable and identifiable students that they make us forget the groundbreaking nature of "The Sweat Hogs" (from TV's 'Welcome Back Kotter'). Endearing from start to finish, the story and characters are especially lovable. Even the hard-boiled shell of students like Angel are particularly charismatic. (Lou Diamond Phillips became an overnight sensation for his performance here.) Similar movies like 'Freedom Writers' today wouldn't have been conceivable without it.

Stand and Deliver "stands and delivers".......2007-04-10

I like this movie because it reminds me of AP Calculus and how hard that test was. I got a 5, but only because I took Algebra II, Geometry, Precalculus in the years previous to that. I can't imagine having to basically learn all the way from remedial algebra to Calculus in a 2 year span.

I was in a pretty low-income area too, but luckily the school wasn't so bad, and just as the movie suggests, Calculus is the key to move on to bigger and better things, and more interesing schoolwork, like University Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, etc.

It also gives you ability to improve your SAT Math score because you reinforce all the algebra trickery you may have missed in the previous years, because they are used in calculus too.

Even if you don't get credit for it at your college, having gone through the class helps to breeze through it in college. Even if you are not going to major in math and science, at least this will take care of any math requirements for your major, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you know way more (in terms of analytical skill and thought process) than the college remedial algebra they would otherwise place you in.

I highly recommend this to anyone in high school or eigth grade. When in doubt as to whether to take the AP class versus the Honors level class, I ALWAYS recommend to choose the AP level course; but take that with a grain of salt, that's just my humble opinion, and your situation may be different.

However, I think if the school's paying for the test, you may as well save the time and money in college it would require to take the course, and if it's too hard you can always not take the AP Test until next year.

Stand and Deliver.......2007-01-25

I remember reading several years ago of a schoolteacher, new to a school, who was given a list of all her pupils' names. Next to each name was a number. These numbers were high ones, and assuming that they were a list of her new pupils IQ's, the teacher realised that she was to be teaching exceptionally bright young minds.

She upped her teaching accordingly. The students all responded and received exceptionally high marks at the high level set for them. It was later revealed that they were only average students, and what the teacher had taken to be IQ's were their locker numbers.

Stand and Deliver reminded me of this story. I think it is a fine film, the `true' story being beautifully acted by a talented cast. They are all good but Edward James Olmos deserves special praise as the teacher. If there were more teachers like him we should all rejoice.

If you sometimes think that the human condition is beyond saving see this uplifting account of triumph over adversity.

A wonderful affirmation of both individual human worth and the value of knowledge.......2007-01-22

Although there are many movies and television series set in high schools, lamentably few celebrate the joy of learning and the sense of empowerment and achievement that it can generate. As much as any film ever made, STAND AND DELIVER does precisely that. Based on the true story of Jaime A. Escalante, the film toys, as most biopics do, with many of the details of Escalante's actual story, but it definitely gets at the heart of his story. The film implies that Escalante instantly began teaching college AP Calculus to his students, whereas in fact he had been teaching at Garfield High School for almost a decade. But timing aside, he is justly celebrated as one of America's best known educators, helping the students of largely Hispanic Garfield enjoy exceptional success in its math program.

Despite the liberties the film takes in the story of Escalante's story, this is easily one of the great films about education ever made in the United States. It is also a deeply subversive film, because it essentially argues that race and class is not a genuine impediment to academic success. It demonstrates that kids from remarkably poor households can excel in school if given both the opportunity and a teacher who cares. The overall story in the film is simple: Jaime A. Escalante arrives at Garfield High School and begins to teach math. Against all odds, he finds students who turn out to be high achievers despite the obstacles placed against them. Most of the narrative focuses on his 1982 class, in which 18 students passed the AP Calculus exam, but 14 were asked to retake the exam following accusations of cheating. 12 of the 14 did and passed a second time.

What makes this such a wonderfully rich film are the strong performances by the central characters. Edward James Olmos, who I have long considered one of the finest actors in America, won a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Escalante (he lost to Dustin Hoffman in RAIN MAN). The rest of the cast centers on the young actors who portray his 1982 class, the best-known being Lou Diamond Phillips. Most of the kids were and are unknowns (with a couple of exceptions), but all do a great job. But Olmos dominates the film, just as his Escalante dominates his class.

By the way, fans of the Sci Fi Channel should notice not one but three familiar faces from staple shows from that network. Edward James Olmos has, of course, for the past three years starred in the critically acclaimed BATTLESTAR GALACTICA as Admiral Bill Adama. Fans of that show might, however, have missed in STAND AND DELIVER Olmos's real life son Bodie, here playing Escalante's young son. On BATTLESTAR he appears as the Viper pilot Hot Dog. The school principal is played by Carmen Argenziano, who is familiar to fans of STARGATE SG-1 as Samantha Carter's father, Jacob Carter.

Average customer rating:

Redd Foxx stole the show , well part of it....
Hilarious
Harlem Nights is critic proof.
Don't read the Amazon review, this movie was great!
one of the funniest movies ever!!!

Harlem Nights
Starring: Danny Aiello , Thomas Mikal Ford , Redd Foxx , Michael Goldfinger , and Jasmine Guy
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005U5AC
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Amazon.com

This is a supremely disappointing film, especially considering the talent involved. Indeed, the cast would seem to be the summit of African American comedians, starring the three most influential standups of the modern era: Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy. Murphy obviously was paying respect to his elders when he cast them as his father and grandfather in this story of Harlem in the 1930s. Written and directed by Murphy, the plot involves gangsters and rival nightclub owners but doesn't add up. What's a particular shame is that, with three comics as funny as Murphy, Pryor, and Foxx, there are so few laughs and so much misogyny. Do you really want to watch Della Reese get shot in the foot to shut her up? That's the level of the humor here. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Redd Foxx stole the show , well part of it...........2007-03-03

Very funny movie with a very funnny cast...Not a great storyline but neither was Titanic and that boring nonsense won an award...Redd Foxx was at his best and Eddie's sly wit with the parakeet was just genuis..I just wish Robin Harris had more lines as well as Charlie Murphy...But it was still a very funny flick...I wonder how funny the deleted scenes and outtakes were..It a shame they're not in the DVD....

Hilarious.......2007-01-31

This movie does have a lot of bad language, so you wouldn't want your kids to watch, but for adults it's hilarioius througout. It has a great cast including Della Reese who will keep you laughing. It's one of those older movies that you want to make sure you have in your collection.

Harlem Nights is critic proof........2007-01-18

One of the excellent barometers to determine the success of a movie was to try to rent it. Back in the day in the african american neighborhoods, if you went to a movie rental store there were two movies that were never available for rent--the first 'Friday' and 'Harlem Nights'. Classics then, classics now. The Arsenio Hall scenes? The Stan Shaw scenes (the stuttering, lisping, high-voiced boxer)?, the fight itself? 'Sunshine'? The phone call ("Yeah listen, I ain't comin' home no more. Take care of yourself")? The scene with Eddie Murphy showing a tied-up Danny Aiello how to breathe in the vault of a dilapidated bank building? The initial reviewer clearly showed not only his ignorance but also his disdain of the african american cinema which has rarely shared its' tastes for films such as this one with the white critics who pander to their audience. But I recall a substantial amount of whites in the audiences the many times I went to see this film so it can only be said that most white critics and some white audiences have a problem with the african american cinema. But its' not going away. And three cheers to Eddie Murphy for winning a Golden Globe for his work in 'Dreamgirls'.

Don't read the Amazon review, this movie was great!.......2006-11-28

Though Amazon.com didn't think highly of this movie, I did, and thank goodness this movie was made!
Both Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx are not with us anymore, but this IS here. This film shows us the comedic talent of both these men, and to have stars like Eddie Murphy, Danny Aiello, and Della Reese is delicious icing on the cake.
Pryor as Sugar Ray and Murphey as Quick try to keep a vicious mobster from taking over their business. As you might think, they turn the tables on the bad buys!
Jasmine Guy stands out particularly as the mobster's girlfriend, and so does Della Resse as the hard-fighting madam with a heart of gold.
Thank-you, Eddie Murphy, for getting all these wonderful comedic talents together for us and prosperity! Because this movie exists we have them all forever.

one of the funniest movies ever!!!.......2006-07-24

This is one of the funniest movies if not the funniest movie ever made. You have got Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy in one film. What more could you ask for? The fight scene with Eddie and Della is hilarious. If you do not like this movie, you must be humorless or a racist.

Average customer rating:

Time to release the rest, too!
I'll wait patiently...
All seasons on DVD-WHEN?.
Designing Women - My Kind of Show
DVD whre are you?

The Best of Designing Women
Starring: Delta Burke , Jean Smart , Julia Duffy , Douglas Barr (II) , and Richard Gilliland
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000A7W13
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com

For a while, Designing Women captured some of the spirit of Hollywood's silkiest and smartest, Golden Age sophistication. Debuting in the fall of 1986, this half-hour sitcom--about four Atlanta belles who either owned or worked for an upscale interior design firm--seamlessly blended an understated glamour with razor-sharp dialogue, polished Southern grace, and a ripened female perspective--a sort of perfumed but unequivocal feminism for college-educated women over 30. The core cast of stage and film veterans--Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Jean Smart--was unusually strong, and their characters' problems and conflicts were unique to adulthood rather than the protracted adolescence common among today's comedies. The five episodes on this disc represent some of the show's strongest material, including season two's "Killing All the Right People," which--for its time--was bold in introducing a character dying of AIDS complications. Also quite witty is "Reservations for Eight," in which the Georgia quartet and their lovers bicker over gender stereotypes. --Tom Keogh

Description

Join Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker along with Mary Jo and Charlene in five of the most popular episodes! Fans have requested these episodes the most: the pilot episode that began it all, "Killing All the Right People" and "Reservations for Eight" from the second season, "Big Hass and Little Falsie" from the third season, and "They Shoot Fat Women Don't They?" from the fourth season. Starring Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, Jean Smart and Meshach Taylor.

Customer Reviews:

Time to release the rest, too!.......2007-06-26

This show was one of the wittiest, most original sitcoms. It dragged on way too long, but the first 4-5 years were very, very good. The syndicated re-runs on TV are heavily edited for time, and unfortunately, most of the funniest moments have not been seen on TV in years.

While we're waiting for the complete DVD collection to be released, this will certainly do! These are some of the most memorable episodes. Watch them again, complete for the first time in almost 20 years, and remember what it was you loved about this show.

I'll wait patiently..........2007-05-09

Thank you, IowaHawkeye "Warren" for your explanation. Yeah, it makes sense that it would be too costly for now. Of all the shows out there, this is one of the few for which I would pay a pretty penny. I taped oodles of episodes with the original cast when I was in grad school. I ended up tossing most of the tapes but kept a few. I've watched the reruns on Lifetime so many times that I know the dialogue in some parts of each episode by heart. The one TiVo'd episode I have is the one where Julia helps Bill reconsider his dilemma about Charlene and his Nancy. I tear up every time. This was such a charming show, well written, progressive, poignant yet downright funny. Just like some others have mentioned, my sister is a big fan of Golden Girls while I love, love, love DW. Yes, the mention of Noel, Consuela and T Tommy Reed does bring a smile to my face. I'll continue to wait for the DVD release...

All seasons on DVD-WHEN?........2007-03-16

I would love to see ALL seaons published on DVD!
Avid fan!

Designing Women - My Kind of Show.......2007-03-08

This DVD is wonderful! These Southern Women ooze charm as well as wonderful humor. I would like to see a set of DVDs made of all the seasons episodes from year one to the final year. I can't get enough!

DVD whre are you?.......2007-03-05

Enjoyed the series on TV.Have been searching where I could buy the series
without much success. TV-shows-on dvd website did mention awhile back
the series might be released soon, but nothing since. I did buy the best of, but this only wet my appetite for more. Once again will the power
that be or not be , please release this little gem.It was funny,it was sad,it tackled controversial and contemporaries issues , in one word it
had the lot.
Millie

Average customer rating:

Great combo
2 Winners, 1 Package

Stand and Deliver/Lean on Me
Starring: Edward James Olmos , Estelle Harris , Mark Phelan , Virginia Paris , and Mark Eliot
Director: Ramón Menéndez , and John G. Avildsen
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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To Sir, With Love

ASIN: B000K2UGZM
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Description

Look at the too-cool-to-cope kids in Jaime Escalante's class at East L.A.'s tough Garfield High, and many will say they see a bunch of losers. Escalante sees scholars. How he cajoles, instructs, challenges and inspires his no-expectations barrio kids to pass the daunting Calculus Advanced Placement Test forms the amazing heart of Stand and Deliver [Side A], starring Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips. Paterson, New Jersey's Eastside High is the setting for Lean on Me [Side B], starring Morgan Freeman as bat-and-bullhorn-toting principal Joe Clark, whose controversial methods turned the failing school around and made Clark a national symbol of tough-love education. His message: Don't lean on excuses, drugs or anger. Lean on yourself and me...and learn. School's now in session with these two true-life tales!

Customer Reviews:

Great combo.......2007-02-07

Great combo of two movies in one. no special features though, but the movies are both great and the quality is good too. If your looking for a no frills look at the movies, this is it.

2 Winners, 1 Package.......2007-01-18

You simply can't go wrong with this DVD containing two outstanding films on educators who inspire their students in two utterly different ways.

In "Stand and Deliver" Edward James Olmos, almost unrecognizable, rightly earned an Oscar Nomination for his portrayal of an idealistic teacher in a run-down school. He makes extraordinary efforts to connect and motivate his students. He is a shining example of that cliche term "No one cares how much you know until the know how much you care." Olmos's character cares more than any teacher I have ever met myself. Awesomely inspiring!

Morgan Freeman's role in "Lean on Me" is typical of the kind of roles he's particularly good at: "My way or the highway." He nearly sinks his own efforts to turn around a failing school by acting as if he ALONE is the only one that can. This is a lesson for every administrator out there: Trust Your Staff/Facutly. Give your staff and facutly the respect they are entitled to and they will work for you and the students much better than if you brow beat them and circumvent their authority as professional educators. It is only when Freeman's character learns this that things begin to go his well-intentioned way.

As a 16 year veteran teacher I love nothing more than inspirational stories about education. Both of these films are now available in one package and definitely worth the purchase! If you are moved by other stories in the same vein, then check out "Mr. Holland's Opus", "To Sir with Love", "The Blackboard Jungle", "Dead Poet's Society", "Take the Lead", and "Akeelah and the Bee."

Average customer rating:

Goldfinger
loved it
Good But Not Great Version
the BEST Bond movie IMHO
Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer

Goldfinger (Special Edition)
Starring: Sean Connery , Honor Blackman , Gert Fröbe , Shirley Eaton , and Tania Mallet
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

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Dr. No (Special Edition)
From Russia With Love
The Spy Who Loved Me
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ASIN: B00000K0E6
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Amazon.com essential video

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Goldfinger.......2007-06-27

loved it.......2007-06-14

One of my favorite Bond films, a classic.

Good But Not Great Version.......2007-06-04

the BEST Bond movie IMHO.......2007-04-14

I'll make this short and sweet - this is by far the BEST Bond movie of them all, IMHO. Excellent work by Connery and the rest of the cast.

Classic Bond with a Great Video Transfer.......2007-04-11

Average customer rating:

Gold Star for Bond
bond sizzles the screen
Should be in American Film Institutes Top 100
I blinked and I missed it???
New 5.1 DTS mix is Very Good

Goldfinger - Ultimate Edition

Manufacturer: MGM/UA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000LY3JF8

Product Description

2 Disc Collector's Edition

Customer Reviews:

Gold Star for Bond.......2007-03-13

"Goldfinger" was the third movie in the Bond series. This movie set the standard for the Bond genre, and is generally regarded as one of the best Bond films, if not the best.

Gadgetry goes high-tech in this movie and will stay with Bond in every film from this point forward (with the exception of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service). In this movie we have a cutting laser; very impressive technology for 1964 when the laser was still a very new device. A lot of poetic license was used for this special effect since even visible light lasers can barely be seen under most circumstances, and high power cutting lasers can not be seen at all.

Sean Connery appears very confident in this film. His style of Bond is well developed by this point and remains the standard by which all other actors playing Bond are measured. Most men at some point in their lives (and perhaps some women too!) want to be the James Bond portrayed by Sean Connery in this movie.

There are very cool gadgets in this movie. The Aston-Martin DB-5 has to be the best. Everyone needs a car with machine guns, a smoke screen and an ejection seat (which only covers a few of the neat features). Apparently, you do not want an Aston-Martin near a Ford Mustang, as Tilly Masterson found out. Oddjob's hat, while low tech, presaged the martial arts movies of the 70's. The cargo plane with the Boeing 747 style front end was very interesting. Goldfinger's model of Fort Knox was very good. Goldfinger also provided the best way to get rid of a body in the 60's. One detail I had missed on previous viewings of this movie was the license plate on Goldfinger's car. How could I have missed that?

The first portion of the movie provides two pieces of information. First, Goldfinger loves gold. Second, Goldfinger has something going, but what? The second portion of the movie begins when it's revealed that Goldfinger plans to attack Fort Knox. Goldfinger would be very brave, or very stupid, to attack Fort Knox. But even that is not the end of the plot. Goldfinger plans on setting off a nuclear bomb in Fort Knox to contaminate the U.S. gold reserves, making Goldfinger's gold even more valuable. I guess you can never be too rich. Fortunately James Bond is in all the right places at all the right times, though he risks death more than once in the process.

The locales become more exotic with each Bond movie. This time we get to go to Switzerland, England, and exotic Kentucky (well, Fort Knox is pretty exotic). Being on location adds a lot of realism to these films.

Added to the film are a variety of extras that you get with this two disk set. Most of the extras are from the two previous DVD releases. As with any of these extras, some you'll find interesting, most not, but they come at no extra charge.

This movie is a lot of fun. Grab yourself a bowl of popcorn, sit back and spend a couple of hours in a world and a time that may feel like long ago, but really isn't.

Enjoy!

bond sizzles the screen.......2007-02-28

The ultimate Bond in this fantastic re-master of Goldfinger sizzles the screen! Trevor Young steps down and Guy Hamilton takes us on a new Bond trip! Hamilton modernizes the series and gives it panache with great twists and turns! There's an involving main villain played brilliantly by the lead actor. The Bond babe 'Pussy Galore' is a mature woman with character and the scenes between the sexy Connery and this sexy woman are classic! The scenes are well edited and the rhythm of the film set a standard for the fans and for future Bond films! One of the best in the series!

Should be in American Film Institutes Top 100 .......2007-02-28

Strangely, the James Bond classics did not make it into the top 100. Goldfinger has it all. The John Barry soundtrack, the interesting set designs, the intro graphics, good photography, good script, good acting etc. These films were new and fresh, there was nothing like it before and have influenced a ton of action films since. There's nothing wrong with the Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, The Sound Of Music, and so on. There're all good in their own kind of way. However, some of these films seem really dated and stale and don't hold up very well and they do not generate the level of continued enthusiasm as the classic Bond films. Who knows, maybe next time around AFI will take a second look and give James Bond a few votes. Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, take your pick.

I blinked and I missed it???.......2007-02-14

What happened to the 2-disk "ultimate" edition of this (and the other) Bond films? One day they were available, the next they're gone! There was no indication that these were a limited edition of any sort, were they pulled from shelves? I guess that I should have placed an order as soon as I saw this edition of Goldfinger (my favorite Bond flick) but I was hoping to give my battered wallet a rest for a couple of months after Christmas! I don't want to order the box set because I'm only interested in the Connery-era Bond films. Why is this 2-disk DVD already unavailable??

New 5.1 DTS mix is Very Good.......2006-12-19

GOLDFINGER has become recognized as a cultural phenomena and the Jams Bond craze started taking off after the release of this film. GOLDFINGER contains a well-balanced level of depth and action leaving one emotionally charged. This is perhaps Sean Connery's finest James Bond film. The golden girl, Oddjob's bowler hat, Goldfinger's lethal laser, the Astin Martin DB5 with modifications introduced by Q, and Shirley Bassey's legendary rendition of the theme song belted out over the titles immediately became an integral part of the James Bond lore and remained in the psyche of the public.

Director Guy Hamilton, screen writers Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn and editor Peter Hunt were able to produce a solid, well balanced, entertaining film based on Ian Fleming's novel that does not rely totally on the spectacle and whimsy that would weaken the subsequent entries in the series. Production designer Ken Adam and art director Peter Murton gave the production a stunning and lavish distinction. The Fort Knox set and Goldfinger's playroom at his stud ranch was a testament to imagination and achievement. John Barry's score is unique in some respects as he continued to finally hone his distinctive style to perfection with this memorable score.

This edition contains a digitally remastered print restored frame by frame and the sound has been remastered in a 5.1 DTS mix. Most impressive is that there is true Front Left and Right stereo separation. I think the technicians had a lot to work with. If you examine the last Laserdisc release of GOLDFINGER it contained an isolated music and sound effects track, so some valuable audio separation existed to work with. The results are impressive on this front and the basic sound of the audio is much more defined and sounds clean and crisp to the ear.

The James Bond Collection, Vol. 1 (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

oh sean,sean,where have you been?
Good