One, Two, Three

Starring:James Cagney
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
Hardly ever mentioned in the category of lightning-paced comedies--the His Girl Friday and Preston Sturges kind--is this breathless cold war farce from the great Billy Wilder. Adapted from a one-act play by Ferenc Molnár, Wilder and collaborator I.A.L. Diamond's hilarious screenplay is a whirlwind collection of one-liners, gags, and double-entendres, anchored for the cameras by Jimmy Cagney's cagey and frenetic performance (one of his best), and, under Wilder's direction, executed with diamond-like precision. The gangster-movie icon plays a Coca-Cola executive in West Berlin (the film's 1961 release put it squarely in the middle of the world's laserlike focus on East vs. West tensions) who has parlayed expanding American consumerism into a chance to break through the Iron Curtain and sell "the pause that refreshes" to thirsty comrades. But when his Atlanta boss's visiting 17-year-old daughter (Pamela Tiffin), a boy-crazy Southern tornado, reveals that she has secretly married an American-hating German Commie (Horst Buchholz), Cagney's big-American-fish-in-a-European-pond lifestyle is threatened, especially once Daddy hops a plane to Germany. As the plot accelerates, the lines literally spit out of the cast's mouths--the title refers to Cagney's character's rapid-fire rattling off of lists of tasks--and Wilder's penchant for urbane nastiness is perfectly measured by the order of the whole crazy circus. This movie takes gleeful potshots at both sides of a conflict that terrified audiences in its day, but has aged beautifully to become a fascinating time capsule, an exhilarating litany of zingers and a potent blueprint for razor-sharp political satire. Cagney would retire after this movie for 20 years (returning for 1981's Ragtime), and it's hardly any wonder: he has the energy of 10 performances in this one film. --Robert Abele
Description
James Cagney gives one of the richest, funniest, most breathlessly paced performances of his career (The New York Times) in this Billy Wilder comedy that defrosts the Cold War with gales of laughter! C. R. MacNamara (Cagney), a top-ranking executive stationed in West Berlin, is charged with the care of his boss visiting daughter. But when he learns that she's gone and married a fierce young communistand that his boss will be arriving in town in 24 hoursMac must transform the unwilling beatnik into a suitable son-in-law or risk losing his chance for advancement! Before you cansay one, two, three, his plans have spun out of control and into an international incident that could infuriate the Russians, the Germans and, worst of all, his own suspicious wife (Arlene Francis)!

Average customer rating:

Waiting for Remastered Version

Great transfers - lousy packaging

FINALLY I can see the entire episode!

Star Trek The Original Series

The ultimate gift for a trekkie

Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Seasons 1-3
Starring: Star Trek Original Series
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Seasons 1-4

ASIN: B0002JJBZY
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Product Description

Space. The Final Frontier. The U.S.S. Enterprise embarks on a five year mission to explore the galaxy. The Enterprise is under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. The First Officer is Mr. Spock, from the planet Vulcan. The Chief Medical Officer is Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. With a determined crew, the Enterprise encounters Klingons, Romulans, time paradoxes, tribbles and genetic supermen lead by Khan Noonian Singh. Their mission is to explore strange new worlds, to seek new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

System Requirements:

Running Time 4117 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

The facts have become legend. Star Trek, the NBC series that premiered on September 8, 1966, has become a touchstone of international popular culture. It struggled through three seasons that included cancellation and last-minute revival, and turned its creator, Gene Roddenberry, into the progenitor of an intergalactic phenomenon. Eventually expanding to encompass five separate TV series, an ongoing slate of feature films, and a fan base larger than the population of many third-world countries, the Star Trek universe began not with a Big Bang but with a cautious experiment in network TV programming. Even before its premiere episode ("The Man Trap") was aired, Star Trek had struggled to attain warp-drive velocity, barely making it into the fall '66 NBC lineup.

The series' original pilot, "The Cage," featured Jeffrey Hunter as U.S.S. Enterprise captain Christopher Pike--a variation of the role that would eventually catapult William Shatner to TV stardom. Filmed in 1964, the pilot was rejected by NBC the following year, but the network made a rare decision to order a second pilot. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was filmed in 1965, and only one character from the previous pilot remained--a pointy-eared alien named Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), whom Roddenberry had retained despite network disapproval. The second pilot was accepted, and production on Star Trek began in earnest with the filming of its first regular episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver."

Never a ratings success despite a growing population of devoted fans, Star Trek was canceled after its second season, prompting a letter-writing campaign that resulted in the series' third-season renewal. It was a mixed blessing, since Roddenberry had departed as producer to protest the network's neglect, and Star Trek's third season contained most of the series' weakest episodes. And yet, the show continued to "to explore strange new worlds…to seek out new life and new civilizations…to boldly go where no man [a phrase later amended to "no one"] has gone before."

There were milestones along the way. The first interracial kiss on network primetime TV (between Shatner and series co-star Nichelle Nichols) furthered a richly positive and expansive view of a better, nobler future for humankind. The series offered a timelessly appealing balance of humor, imagination, and character depth. And at least one episode (Harlan Ellison's "The City on the Edge of Forever") ranks among the finest science fiction stories in any popular medium. Beloved by long-time fans in spite of its cheesy sets and costumes, and the now-dated trappings of late-1960s American culture, "classic Trek" has aged remarkably well, and its sense of adventure and idealism continues to live long and prosper. --Jeff Shannon

The three 2004 DVD sets collect all 79 episodes of the show, including "The Cage" in both a restored color version and the original, never-aired version that alternates between color and black and white. Each set is supplemented by over an hour of featurettes incorporating new and old interviews with Shatner, Nimoy, other cast members, and producers, and there's also some vintage footage of Gene Roddenberry. Accompanying the 20-minute seasonal recaps ("To Boldly Go...") are a number of interesting featurettes: "The Birth of a Timeless Legacy" examines the two pilot episodes and the development of the crew; "Sci-Fi Visionaries" discusses the series' great science fiction writers; Nimoy debunks various rumors in "Reflections of Spock"; "Kirk, Spock & Bones: The Great Trio" focuses on the interplay among Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley); and, in what is probably his last Star Trek appearance, James Doohan (Scotty), slowed by Alzheimer's but still with a twinkle in his eye, recalls his voiceover roles and his favorite episodes. As they've done for many of the feature-film special editions, Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda provide a pop-up text commentary on four of the episodes filled with history, trivia, and dry wit. It's the first commentary of any kind for a Star Trek TV show, but an audio commentary is still overdue. The technical specs are mostly the same as other Trek TV series--Dolby 5.1, English subtitles--but with the welcome addition of the episode trailers. The plastic cases are an attempt to replicate some of the fun packaging of the series' European DVD releases, but it's a bit clunky, and the paper sleeve around the disc case seems awkward and crude. Still, the sets are a vast improvement both in terms of shelf space and bonus features compared to the old two-episode discs, which were released before full-season boxed sets became the model for television DVDs. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Waiting for Remastered Version.......2007-07-03

Another reviewer pointed out the flaws in the video and sound. I too agree and will wait for the remastered version to purchase - then I'll be happy.

Great transfers - lousy packaging.......2007-06-10

It's wonderful to get the originals and not the new edited, 'improved' versions. I like the originals; the bad back drops, BAD lighting and, yes, the same planet even - it's great to have the series that started it all.

Why they ever designed these really CHEAP and CLUMSY padkages I'll never know. They're impractical, awarkard and, well, cheap.

FINALLY I can see the entire episode!.......2007-05-23

I've been a fan for many years, so I know that, as lovely as the re-mastered episodes on cable television are, there are numerous key scenes that are chopped out. I bought these DVDs mainly to see the episodes in their entirety, and I wasn't disappointed. So glad I got them!

Star Trek The Original Series.......2007-05-15

Space, the final frontier...you know the rest. This set of DVDs contains all the original Star Trek episodes. The image transfer is excellent and the sound track is in 5.1. The episodes are presented in the order they were broadcast. This is a must for any Star Trek fan. What more can be said?

The ultimate gift for a trekkie.......2007-05-13

If you are a fan of the original Star Trek series like I am, then this is the ultimate gift for you. Since receiving this gift over a month ago, a night does not go by without my watching an episode or two. Nothing has or will ever replace the original series and cast members of Star Trek. It still amazes me how much the show still appeals to people young and old. It is certainly better than many of the current shows we're getting on television these days.

Average customer rating:

Yay! I got it!!
Best Show Ever
AN EXCELENT PRODUCT
Amazing
Entertainingly mindless soap opera

The L Word - The Complete Seasons 1-3
Director: Rose Troche , Tricia Brock , Burr Steers , Ernest R. Dickerson , and Jeremy Podeswa
Manufacturer: Showtime Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000GTJSTY
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Description

This 3 pack includes the first 3 seasons of Showtime's popular series The L Word. The hit show, The L Word, follows a group of friends - both gay and straight - through stories of career, family, inner struggle, friendship and romantic relationships. Stars Jennifer Beals, Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Katherine Moennig, Sarah Shahi, Rachel Shelley and Pam Grier.

Customer Reviews:

Yay! I got it!!.......2007-06-19

WOW.. got this today, a week earlier than expected!!
now... in pajamas, a bowl of popcorn, and a whole alot of time.??
finally its getting to feel like a nice vacation from everything else.!!
thanks

Best Show Ever.......2007-03-29

"The L Word" is like "Sex in the City" with better characters and a much higher IQ. The girls are glam, but hey, it's TV. Plenty of social issues and real dilemmas are addressed to make up for all the girls looking like they walked out of "Vogue" (and forgot to eat for a few weeks).
However, if you're homophobic it's not the show for you. You might want to stick to "Full House" or something equally bland as not to upset your fragile sensibilities.

AN EXCELENT PRODUCT.......2007-03-23

These three seasons are wonderful for me. It has a good history and with excelents artists. I love the L word... And amazon service was good.
Thank you.

Amazing.......2007-03-16

I am a huge fan of the L Word and when I found out I could get the first three seasons together through Amazon and a much lower rate then to buy them all seperately I was extremely happy. I got the shipment withtin a week and have been extrelemely satisfied with the procees Amazon uses. I absolutely love and recommend this purchase for anyone who loves the L Word you will not be disappointed.

Entertainingly mindless soap opera .......2007-03-13

I bought all three seasons of the L word to watch while I was on a week long "bed rest". It was the perfect choice. Certainly this is a work of fiction, since those Lesbians sleep with anyone and anything. They trade each other around too! The drama was exciting and it's slightly intelligent, yet dumb enough to just watch without much strain. Some of the scenes were a little unsettling for my palette. I did not care for the trans-gender character.

My husband did not care for it at all. He found the Lesbians somewhat disgusting. I think this is better for a homosexual man or a straight woman. Lesbians might not care for it, since it does not make their lifestyle seem too fun. Bottom line, perfect show for a "I'm going to do nothing and stay in bed day".

Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Seasons 1-4

Average customer rating:

Is it an Asian import?
I loved it!
AVOID DROP SHIPPERS!!!
It is what it is
Life Before James T. Kirk...

Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Seasons 1-4
Starring: Star Trek Enterprise
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000AOEMXM
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Product Description

Set in the 22nd century, a hundred years before James T. Kirk helmed the famous starship of the same name, ENTERPRISE takes place in an era when interstellar travel is still in its infancy. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) has assembled a crew of brave explorers to chart the galaxy on a revolutionary spacecraft: Enterprise NX-01. As the first human beings to venture into deep space, these pioneers will experience the wonder and mystery of the final frontier as they seek out new life and new civilizations.

Customer Reviews:

Is it an Asian import?.......2007-07-01

Caveat emptor / buyer beware!

This is just a note to people considering buying "Star Trek: Enterprise The Complete Seasons 1-4" on DVD from certain Amazon sellers.

If you see the Star Trek: Enterprise DVD collection in a single box rather than in four separate boxes (one box per season), it's likely an Asian import edition rather than from the studio.

Especially beware the appellation "the Chosen Collection" which was copied from the complete collector's edition of Joss Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Buffy "Chosen Collection" is official while the Star Trek: Enterprise "Chosen Collection" is not.

Furthermore, if the DVD set mentions it's region free, then it almost certainly is an Asian import, because the studio does not have a region free version of Star Trek: Enterprise on DVD (at the time of this review).

It's true the Asian import edition will be considerably cheaper, and as I mentioned region free, but there are drawbacks as well. For example, the audio and video quality suffers relative to the regular edition. Also, if there's a scratch or other slight defect on one of the DVDs, most of the sellers won't refund the buyer's money or replace the DVD(s). Some might, but it could be tricky (and perhaps despite their claims to the contrary). Not to mention that purchasing an Asian import means the money goes to the Asian distributor and its affiliates rather than to, say, the cast or crew or anyone else on the actual production team -- which in turn could presumably be funneled into bringing back Star Trek (although it's debatable).

And please make sure to read Oren D. Applequist's helpful comment below regarding World Express Mail Service (EMS).

Anyway, obviously people are free to do what they like, but I'm mentioning all this so buyers can at least be aware of the risks.

I loved it!.......2007-06-11

I loved the series. I only wish they had made more after season 4. I thought the crew worked well together personality wise and the story lines were great. I especially liked the relationship between Trip and T'pol. It's about time they allowed a romance between crew members. Does anyone know if their planning to make series 5?

AVOID DROP SHIPPERS!!!.......2007-06-09

Drop shippers are easily identified - If a seller lists EMS as a shipping meathod - They are a drop shipper - And you never know what you're going to receive or if you'll receive it at all - Because your order can get locked up in CUSTOMS for several weeks - And worse you may not be able to get a refund for the item. Always ask your seller if their product is being shipped with EMS. If so, don't buy - it's better to pay a little more and receive your product, rather than take a chance on not getting it at all.

It is what it is.......2007-05-29

I have been through the first three seasons already and have not seen any glitches, bugs, or problems with the product. It came when it was estimated and is great condition. Thank you amazon

Life Before James T. Kirk..........2007-05-26

Of all the ST series, I'd rank this as one of the best. While the original ST (a/k/a the Kirk and Spock show) was groundbreaking in many ways, it was more "sociological" SF without enough science to satisfy techno-SF nerds like me (I'm a computer jock by trade, and old enough to have seen the original series when it was shown for the first time). I thought STNG was better, liked STDS9 best of all, and never really got much into ST Voyager... but THIS series is great. In ST Enterprise, there's no great all-encompassing Federation (at least not yet), and we Earth people are still looked upon as a bunch of neobarbs who somehow managed to stumble into space.

The series draws on the lore of four other series and a whole string of movies, but it also goes into a lot of little nooks and crannies that haven't been explored yet. Did you know, for example that humans smell bad to Vulcan? But of course, Vulcans discipline themselves to ignore such things -- and also use a chemical agent to block the smell if they have to be in the presence of humans for very long.

Oh, yeah... lots of tasty little details here that will titillate the True Trekkie. And of course, it answers the BIG question: was there really life before James T. Kirk?

I've gotten through the first couple of seasons so far, and my only regret is that the series didn't last more than four. Of course, I could be wrong and it could fumble and stumble in the third and fourth years... but I think that in the first couple seasons alone, I got my money's worth.

Besides... T'Pal has GOT to be the best-looking Vulcan you're ever going to see...

The Sopranos - The Complete First Five Seasons

Average customer rating:

Sopranos First Five Seasons
Excitement Galore
The Sopranos is the best tv show ever made
Great Series Bad Price
Unbelievable

The Sopranos - The Complete First Five Seasons
Starring: Sopranos
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0007YMVY2
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Amazon.com

The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home, chronicling a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood. The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, James Gandolfini's Tony is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings.

In its second season, The Sopranos repeatedly defies formula to let the narrative turn as a direct consequence of the characters' behavior, letting everyone in this rogue's gallery of Mafiosi, friends, and family evolve and deepen. That gamble is most apparent in the rupture of the relationship that formed the spine of the first season, the tangled ties between Tony and Livia, whose betrayal makes Tony's estrangement a logical response. Filling that vacuum, however, is prodigal sister Janice (Aida Turturro), whose New Age flakiness never successfully conceals her underlying calculation and opportunism. Soprano's relationship with therapist Melfi also frays during early episodes, as she struggles with escalating doubts about her mobbed-up patient. At home, Tony contends with wife Carmela's ruthless ambitions on behalf of college-bound Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler), as well as son Anthony Jr.'s (Robert Iler) sullen adolescent flirtation with existentialism--the sort of touch that the show handles with a smart mix of sympathy and amusement.

In the brutal and controversial third season, The Sopranos justified its 11-month hiatus with some of its best, and most hotly debated, episodes. It continued to upend convention and defy audience expectations with a deliberately paced, calm-before-the-storm season opener that revolves around the FBI's attempts to bug the Soprano household, and a season finale that (for some) frustratingly leaves several plot lines unresolved. "Employee of the Month," in which Dr. Melfi is raped and considers whether to exact revenge by telling Tony of her attack, earned Emmys for its writers, and is perhaps Emmy nominee Lorraine Bracco's finest hour. Other story arcs concern the rise of the seriously unstable Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) and Tony's affair with "full-blown loop-de-loo" Gloria (Emmy nominee Annabella Sciorra). Plus, there is Tony's estrangement from daughter Meadow, his wayward delinquent son Anthony, Jr., Carmela's crisis of conscience, bad seed Jackie Jr., and the FBI--which, as the season ends, assigns an undercover agent to befriend an unwitting figure in the Soprano family's orbit.

Though for some the widely debated fourth season contained too much yakking instead of whacking, and an emphasis on domestic family over business Family, in most respects The Sopranos remains television's gold standard. The season garnered 13 Emmy nominations, and subsequent best actor and actress wins for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco as Tony and Carmela, whose estrangement provides the season with its most powerful drama, as well as a win for Joe Pantoliano's psychopath Ralph. Other narrative threads include Christopher's (Emmy nominee Michael Imperioli) descent into heroin addiction, Uncle Junior's (Dominic Chianese) trial, an unrequited and potentially fatal attraction between Carmela and Tony's driver Furio, and a rude joke about Johnny Sack's wife that has potentially fatal implications. Other indelible moments include Christopher's girlfriend Adriana's projectile reaction to discovering that her new best friend is an undercover FBI agent in the episode "No Show," Janice giving Ralph a shove out of their relationship in "Christopher," and the classic "Quasimodo/Nostradamus" exchange in the season-opener, which garnered HBO's highest ratings to date. Freed from the understandably high expectations for the fourth season, heightened by the 16-month hiatus, these episodes can be better appreciated on their own considerable merits. They are pivotal chapters in television's most novel saga.

From the moment a wayward bear lumbers into the Sopranos' yard in the fifth-season opener, it is clear that The Sopranos is in anything but a "stagmire." The series benefits from an infusion of new blood, the so-called "Class of 2004," imprisoned "family" members freshly released from jail. Most notable among these is Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi, who directed the pivotal season 3 episode "Pine Barrens"), who initially wants to go straight, but proves himself to be something of a "free agent," setting up a climactic stand-off between Tony and New York boss Johnny Sack. These 13 mostly riveting episodes unfold with a page-turning intensity with many rich subplots. Estranged couple Tony and Carmella (the incomparable James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) work toward a reconciliation (greased by Tony's purchase of a $600,000 piece of property for Carmela to develop). The Feds lean harder on an increasingly stressed-out and distraught Adriana to "snitch" with inevitable results. This season's hot-button episode is "The Test Dream," in which Tony is visited by some of the series' dear, and not-so-dearly, departed in a harrowing nightmare.

Customer Reviews:

Sopranos First Five Seasons.......2007-01-04

I bought this as an anniversary gift for my husband, who loves the series. (I refuse to watch it.) He was thrilled!

Excitement Galore.......2006-09-12

I think that this is about the best "series" I have ever watched. It grips you from the first and doesn't let go. Once you start watching the Sopranos, you're hooked. Enjoyed every moment. James Gandolfini makes this series.

The Sopranos is the best tv show ever made.......2006-06-02

I started watching the Sopranos this year. I was hooked after one episode and bought the whole series. I was always an HBO Sex and the City fan but didn't think much of the Sopranos - I thought it was only about killing, cheating, gangs and strippers. I was wrong. This show is so complex and dynamic, with outstanding character plots and realistic family dramas, worth every penny! Tony Soprano is one wiseguy you are sure to love or love to hate! The packaging of these sets is excellent and the dvds are high quality. I am only hoping that HBO comes out with a gift collection of the series when it coms to an unfortunate end like they did for Sex and the City!

Great Series Bad Price.......2006-05-07

Buy the series, but buy it separatley and save about $125. What gives with the pricing on the complete set?

Unbelievable.......2006-04-22

I never thought TV could be this good or produce anything like this. I have been ignoring the Sopranos for years, finally saw one episode on HBO in a hotel and bought the first five seasons set. I am hooked. These episodes are better than 95% of the movies that are released and are excellent in many dimensions. It helps that I grew up in North Jersey and am just a little older than Tony and his contemporaries (though not Italian). Terrific show, terrific DVDs.

Average customer rating:

One of the Best Forensic Shows on TV
The best cop show on TV

C.S.I. Miami - The Complete Seasons 1-4
Starring: C.S.I.-Miami
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation - Seasons 1-6
C.S.I. New York - The Complete Second Season
C.S.I. New York - The Complete First Season
C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete Sixth Season
C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete Fourth Season

ASIN: B000H7JCEQ
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Description

This pack includes the first 4 Seasons of CSI Miami. Join lead criminalist Horatio Caine (David Caruso) and his state-of-the-art forensics team as they investigate hot and steamy Miami crimes using cold hard facts.

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best Forensic Shows on TV.......2007-04-02

I have been a fan of all three CSI shows, for some time, because I love Forensics. I began to watch CSI Miami, more than the others, because I became so interested in the characters. I couldn`t believe how compassionate the Medical Examiner (Khandi Alexander) was, with her "charges". It also became a mystery to me about the complicated plots, and how they figured out the truth!The reason I bought the DVDs, besides being able to see them whenever I wanted, was because I missed quite a few shows, and had to watch re-runs. During some of the re-runs, things were mentioned, that I had no idea what they meant, and I was intent on finding out the answers. Thanks to the DVDs, I can find out all the answers. I think the CSI Series are some of the best shows on TV.

The best cop show on TV.......2007-03-08

This is abssolutley the best cop show on TV. The whole team makes it all look so easy you wonder why the bad guys sometimes win in real life. Highly recommended for those who like interesting characters and exciting plots

Average customer rating:

Take this A Train
Cooltastic
Train Thriller That Roars into Action
Terrific "Diehard" type film, but it is not a 2 hour movie.
NYC subway hijack

Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Starring: Walter Matthau , Robert Shaw , Martin Balsam , Hector Elizondo , and Earl Hindman
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Three Days of the Condor

ASIN: 0792843649
Release Date: 2000-02-29

Amazon.com essential video

Dog Day Afternoon. Annie Hall. Taxi Driver. In the pantheon of classic New York films, these three take pride of place. But there are, of course, others, some of which have fallen through the cracks over the years, criminally overlooked and unjustly relegated to commercial-riddled Saturday-afternoon TV broadcasts. Joseph Sargent's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is just such a picture. This taut 1974 thriller about four armed men who highjack a New York City subway train and hold it and its passengers for ransom may be hopelessly dated (it's loaded with ethnic stereotypes, impossibly wide neckties, and bad hairdos--and there are no explosions!), but that's part of the fun. A gruffly sardonic Walter Matthau heads a fine cast that includes Jerry Stiller, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam, and a perfectly villainous pre-Jaws Robert Shaw. Think you'll find a better film that depicts a nearly broke city led by an inept mayor forced to deal with armed terrorists? Fuhgeddaboutit! --Steve Landau

Customer Reviews:

Take this A Train.......2007-04-23

I was turned on to this movie after hearing David Shire's soundtrack from Jim Aquino's "Fistful of Soundtracks" internet station -- so I came to the movie wanting to get more music. I noticed that Hollywood is currently recycling the soundtrack for some goofy new crime movie (as of April 07) -- but here I get the music set to the original images.

One reviewer here compared it to the Diehard movies -- a good comparison. I told my wife it was it was Diehard without the action, more of a psychological test. The movie is extremely enjoyable for how it depicts criminals, the law, and the people caught inbetween -- specifically how New Yorkers circa the mid-70s were. There are many goofy jokes about gender and race that just reek of the movie's time (fortunately the film, at places, shows the ability to criticize itself for having those biases).

But the movie really works because, unlike the Diehard movies, you get this very local, very New York feel. Not only are the people racist or sexist -- they just about hate everyone they work with -- the antipathy every character shows makes this movie about a hijacked subway car work. People here do not lie down when pushed, and all of the characters (except for Shaw's brilliant British merc) have a ironic edge to most of what they say. Matthau and Stiller here work great together as a pair of transit detectives. And did I say the score is awesome?

Cooltastic.......2007-01-21

This movie is not for those who like to hear the f-bomb a lot. It's pretty funny and creative though! Great ending!

Train Thriller That Roars into Action.......2006-11-16

Despite its being dated, espeically with regard to such political incorrectness as making yellow-man fun of a Japanese business delegation, this thriller is an extraordinary example of how storytelling can overcome its own defects. From a beginning that feels harsh and over-the-top, and a set of New York characters you'd RUN to avoid, the momentum builds to a frantic 3-way intercut chase that will leave you glued to the screen and breathless--a masterpiece of directing that clearly influenced Tarantino in more than just the "Mrs" "White" and "Green."

Terrific "Diehard" type film, but it is not a 2 hour movie........2006-07-24

I am writing this review having just viewed this DVD. I noticed on the DVD package that the running time is supposed to be 124 minutes. But when playing the DVD, the actual runtime was 104 minutes. I am curious if anyone knows if there actually was a longer version or if this is really a typo. Robert Shaw is the Hans Gruber character - European with lofty ambitions, Another bad guy is the one with the knowledge of the system, another is a blood hungry trouble-maker. Walter Matthau is the perfect anti-hero John McClane character as the befuddled Subway detective. This movie is a great portrait of how New York works, as well an insight into the workings of the Subway system. I saw a man in NYC wearing a t-shirt that said "Let me drop everything I'm doing and help you with your problem", which kind of sums up the attitudes of the major players in this race-against-the-clock hostage drama. I give it a 7 out of 10.

NYC subway hijack.......2006-04-16

The Joseph Sargent directed "Taking of Pelham One Two Three", with a terrific cast and filmed on the streets of New York had all the earmarks to be a top flight thriller. It however ultimately fizzles as the plot drags on and cannot be saved by a fine array of actors.

A four man crew headed by ex-mercenary Robert Shaw and featuring a deviant Hector Elizondo and ex-subway conductor Martin Balsam hijack a NYC subway train. They demand a one million dollar ransom to be delivered in one hour (don't laugh because the subway fare was 35 cents) to release the eighteen hostages they hold. Transit police lieutenant Zachary Garber played by the gruff and often disheveled Walter Matthau directs a task force while remaining in communication with Shaw.

As the deadline arrives a bankrupt city lead by a hated mayor played by a flu suffering Lee Wallace scrounges together the ransom. An army of cops desperately attempts to deliver the money to the hijackers in time. The real conundrum becomes the means by which the crew will escape with their spoils.

Matthau tries to keep a cool head in his dealings with Shaw but is egged on by star of the film, TV veteran character actor Dick O'Neill playing the cantankerous Frank Correll head of the Transit Authority.

The drama plays out but lacks any real feeling of tension and suspense as the characters often appear to just be going through the motions.

A Bit of Fry and Laurie - The Complete Collection... Every Bit!

Average customer rating:

Soupy Twist

A Bit of Fry and Laurie - The Complete Collection... Every Bit!
Starring: Hugh Laurie , and Stephen Fry
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Jeeves & Wooster - The Complete Series
House, M.D. - Season Three
The Gun Seller
The Paper Soldier
The House That Hugh Laurie Built: An Unauthorized Biography and Episode Guide

ASIN: B000P0J0G0
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Amazon.com

If terms like "pimhole" and "lesbotic tendencies" reduce you to a fit of giggles, you've already discovered the daffy pleasures of Fry and Laurie. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie have gone on to other successes in film and television (not only did they gain acclaim and adoration as the title characters of Jeeves & Wooster, Laurie has become a household name in the U.S. as the star of House), but their comedy collaborations from the 1980s and '90s have earned them a place in the pantheon of British humor, somewhere between Monty Python and Ricky Gervais. They specialize in "linguistic elasticity," amazing flights of verbal lunacy ranging from overwrought poetry criticism to inventing their own swearwords to protest censorship. A Bit of Fry & Laurie: The Complete Collection... Every Bit! includes all four Fry & Laurie seasons, broadcast between 1987 and 1995. Conservatism is a regular target--an early sketch about a father protesting his son being taught biology is startlingly current--but politics generally takes a back seat to ridiculousness. Fry impersonates Michael Jackson; a doctor prescribes cigarettes; an exceedingly gracious jewelry salesman woos a customer with candied sweets; Fry and Laurie, with righteous indignation, castigate their audience for laughing at serious matters like alcoholism and genital fungus. The fourth series isn't as inspired, overall, but it does feature sparkling moments, such as a version of It's a Wonderful Life starring Rupert Murdoch. Armed with a startling array of false facial hair (and, as the seasons progress, an increasing amount of drag), Fry and Laurie introduce notions like screaming lettuce, a synchronized losing team, and the Omar Sharif Comedy Hour. It's divine silliness; any fan of British comedy will delight in "Every Bit" of Fry and Laurie. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Soupy Twist.......2007-05-23

OK, this is based off the UK release, so I can't give you any details on features, etc. Instead, I'll focus on the series.

First, if you don't already know, A Bit of Fry and Laurie is a collection of sketches divided by mock interviews with the "British public" (always Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie). At times these sketches are of characters, whilst other times they are of the stars as themselves.

Vox pops abound in every series of A Bit of Fry and Laurie, but there is a lack of regular, recurring characters (unless you count Fry and Laurie), unlike in Little Britain. In series one and two, there are Tony and Control of MI6, and the promotors of Uttoxeter, and the like, but if you've seen those two series, you'll understand why they were dropped from three and four. (I won't go into too much detail on one and two; I'll assume you've already seen them.)

Series three introduces Mr Music (Hugh Laurie) who plays out the credits as Stephen Fry mixes up a strange, often disturbing, concoction. This bit, thankfully survives in the final series. Series three also marks a spike in music sketches (even Fry contributes his bit, as frightening as it seems in "You, You, You", etc.), including the popular "There Ain't But One Way", in which Laurie plays a Johnnie Cash-like singer with his brother Oren. I don't think you'll ever see Stephen Fry in a more unsophisticated role. By and large, this is my absolute favourite series, and my friends agree. Three hours just flew by.

Series four is... a tad awkward. Apparently, the programme was moved from BBC2 to the more restrained BBC1 (I may be wrong on the channels), where creative control was hampered by the station. They introduced (often) unnecessary guest stars who did not do much -- most of the funny sketches were done without them. Thankfully, Mr Music and Fry's disturbing concoctions are back, and even more disturbing than before. And for you fans of Hugh Laurie, he does a music sketch every episode, including "Little Girl" and the "Be Nice" rap.

All in all, this is a must for fans of Fry and Laurie, and an excellent introduction for new fans who are just discovering their comedy.

Average customer rating:

One of the best!
Crackling Cold War Farce
The jokes still work
Great Comedy
Typical!!!

One, Two, Three
Starring: Chris Allen , Leon Askin , Klaus Becker , Lois Bolton , and Horst Buchholz
Director: Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Avanti!
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ASIN: B00005JKH5
Release Date: 2003-07-15

Amazon.com essential video

Hardly ever mentioned in the category of lightning-paced comedies--the His Girl Friday and Preston Sturges kind--is this breathless cold war farce from the great Billy Wilder. Adapted from a one-act play by Ferenc Molnár, Wilder and collaborator I.A.L. Diamond's hilarious screenplay is a whirlwind collection of one-liners, gags, and double-entendres, anchored for the cameras by Jimmy Cagney's cagey and frenetic performance (one of his best), and, under Wilder's direction, executed with diamond-like precision. The gangster-movie icon plays a Coca-Cola executive in West Berlin (the film's 1961 release put it squarely in the middle of the world's laserlike focus on East vs. West tensions) who has parlayed expanding American consumerism into a chance to break through the Iron Curtain and sell "the pause that refreshes" to thirsty comrades. But when his Atlanta boss's visiting 17-year-old daughter (Pamela Tiffin), a boy-crazy Southern tornado, reveals that she has secretly married an American-hating German Commie (Horst Buchholz), Cagney's big-American-fish-in-a-European-pond lifestyle is threatened, especially once Daddy hops a plane to Germany. As the plot accelerates, the lines literally spit out of the cast's mouths--the title refers to Cagney's character's rapid-fire rattling off of lists of tasks--and Wilder's penchant for urbane nastiness is perfectly measured by the order of the whole crazy circus. This movie takes gleeful potshots at both sides of a conflict that terrified audiences in its day, but has aged beautifully to become a fascinating time capsule, an exhilarating litany of zingers and a potent blueprint for razor-sharp political satire. Cagney would retire after this movie for 20 years (returning for 1981's Ragtime), and it's hardly any wonder: he has the energy of 10 performances in this one film. --Robert Abele

Description

James Cagney gives one of the richest, funniest, most breathlessly paced performances of his career (The New York Times) in this Billy Wilder comedy that defrosts the Cold War with gales of laughter! C. R. MacNamara (Cagney), a top-ranking executive stationed in West Berlin, is charged with the care of his boss visiting daughter. But when he learns that she's gone and married a fierce young communistand that his boss will be arriving in town in 24 hoursMac must transform the unwilling beatnik into a suitable son-in-law or risk losing his chance for advancement! Before you cansay one, two, three, his plans have spun out of control and into an international incident that could infuriate the Russians, the Germans and, worst of all, his own suspicious wife (Arlene Francis)!

Customer Reviews:

One of the best!.......2007-06-05

Classic Cagney plus Billy Wilder's directing make this is a gem!

Crackling Cold War Farce.......2007-02-26

James Cagney took a 20 year sabbatical from films before returning in "Ragtime" in 1981. This should have been his last flick because his work here is nothing less than sublime. Cagney chews on the juicy dialogue provided to him by director Billy Wilder and co-scripter I.A.L. Diamond like a hungry bulldog. He's matched(almost) word-for-word by Horst Buchholz as his Red adversary. Wilder and Diamond offer astutely comical observations about Capitalism and Communism that are both succinct and side-splitting. This film probably packed more of a punch during the Cold War but 45 years on has lost none of it's luster. This and "Dr. Strangelove" would make an excellent double-bill in understanding (and laughing at) the absurdity of the Cold War.

The jokes still work.......2007-01-31

My wife is Russian, and grew up under Communism... this film left both of us laughing so hard we had to keep pausing the DVD to catch up. The dialogue skewers both Capitalist and Communist equally, and uses that split to make fun of marriage, European aristocracy, Germany in the aftermath of WW2, and everything else that strays onto the screen.
Make sure to hit the bathroom before you start watching this film, because you won't want to get up once it starts.

Great Comedy.......2007-01-08

If you like fast past comedy, this is the movie for you. This is an all time classic. Cagney gives a great performance. I wasn't much a fan before, but after seeing him in this movie, I sure am now.

Typical!!!.......2007-01-05

This movie can only be totally understood by someone who understands both the German psyche, and the American psyche ( just as Billy Wilder could !), and who did experience at least a little the Cold War time period. If the viewer happens to be familiar with Post-WWII Berlin, all the better. Unless the movie is used for study purposes, I am not sure if a less than 50 year old viewer will appreciate the movie to the fullest. In fact the younger the viewer, the less he'll be able to enjoy all the subtilities.

Touched By An Angel (Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3: Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

I Am Touched

Touched By An Angel (Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3: Volume 1)
Director: Michael Shultz , Terrence O'Hara , Timothy Bond , Stuart Margolin , and Nancy Malone
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Touched By an Angel - The Third Season, Vol. 2
Touched by an Angel - The Fourth Season, Vol. 1
Highway to Heaven - Season One
Highway to Heaven - Season Three
Highway to Heaven - Season Two

ASIN: B000BYRCFG
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Product Description

A trio of angels Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese), and Andrew (John Dye) are dispatched from heaven with a special mission: to inspire people facing sometimes unseen crossroads in their lives. Monica, an angel who at times still needs some guidance with her earthly assignments, reports to Tess, her tough, wise and always loving supervisor. Also on hand is Andrew, who, in addition to his duties as the Angel of Death, now helps out as a caseworker on carious assignments. Gloria, an angel for the 21st century, continues to seek guidance from Monica performing her angelic duties. While the angels may not bring solutions to every problem, they always deliver a message of hope.

Customer Reviews:

I Am Touched.......2007-01-04

Every episode is a delight and leaves me with a warm and fuzzy! Where are the rest of the season's episodes CBS. There are many who are looking for more, I assure you! what a great series. Thanks Martha!

South Park - The Complete First Five Seasons

Average customer rating:

I <3 Southpark, BUT......
South Park Rocks!
Price gouging!
Great!
Great Show, Buy the Seasons Separately Though

South Park - The Complete First Five Seasons
Director: Matt Stone
Manufacturer: Comedy Central
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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South Park - The Complete Sixth Season
South Park - The Complete Seventh Season
South Park - The Complete Eighth Season
South Park - The Complete Ninth Season
South Park - Bigger, Longer & Uncut

ASIN: B0006Z2L38
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Customer Reviews:

I <3 Southpark, BUT.............2007-04-19

I know prices on amazon change quite often, but it could save you $50 to look. I found this 5 season set for $175.00, but by buying each season individually it's around $125. Just a heads up.

Still 5 Stars, because you can't really put a price on hours of laughter.

South Park Rocks!.......2007-04-10

These shows are wonderful, but you can buy the first five seasons on iTunes cheaper.

Price gouging!.......2006-11-21

$174.99 is ridiculous! You guys keep upping the price! I paid $114.99 elsewhere.

Great!.......2006-11-05

I wont say more! ;-) It is a great show and this DVD collection is just what the fan needs! :-)

Great Show, Buy the Seasons Separately Though.......2006-07-26

It ends up that the 1st 5 seasons separately purchased end up being around $20 cheaper than this bundle. This show is amazing, but you could buy the South Park Movie DVD along with the seasons and it'd still be cheaper than this bundle.

DVD:

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Sugihara:Conspiracy of Kindness

Meantime

Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop: Our Special Friends/Shaping Our S

DVD: Troy Cory Show; Prisoner Of Love; VRA4001; VRA TelePlay

The Avengers - Vol. 19 - A Surfeit Of H2O / Superlative Seve