Description

He's got it all, a loving wife, good friends, a successful career, a good home... What could go wrong for Larry David?CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM stars "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David as himself in an unsparing, cinema verite depiction of his life.Featuring real life celebrities playing themselves, the episodes are improvised by the actors from storylines by David. ... Read more

Reviews (164)

Season 2 coming soon?
The only bad thing about this DVD set is that with only 10 episodes, you are left wanting more. The show truly got funnier as it went into the second season, and many of the well-known classics are from season 2. Season 1, however, is packed full of the humor that has made this show an instant classic.

Essentially, as most of you know, Curb Your Enthusiasm is Seinfeld with the "F" word. When you first watch this show you realize exactly how integral Larry David was to Seinfeld. That same sort of humor completely permeates all these shows. Will they ever run out of uncomfortable situations for Larry to find himself in? It sure doesn't seem like it.

This disc is a great value. Each episode has a little description and preview to it (a mini-trailer, so to speak), and some of them have commentaries, which are often hilarious. There is also an extended interview with Bob Costas. This is terrific - many clips from season two are shown and a great deal of insight is revealed as to how the show is written, produced, and filmed. And lastly, there is the one hour documentary that started it all - the special that HBO originally did with Larry David that spawned the show. The only negative thing - there isn't a "play all" option on the DVD, where you just hit one button and let it play through all episodes. This would be helpful for me, since I often put it on in the background while I'm working, and I don't like to stop after each episode and scroll to the next one.

If you have seen this show and even remotely enjoyed it, buy it immediately - it will grow on you with each episode. If you haven't seen it but liked Seinfeld and aren't easily offended, I can recommend purchasing it - it's worth the risk. You'll not only laugh yourself silly, you'll also find a stimulating new use for Tabasco sauce.

One of the finest TV-to-DVD Sets
(...)
What happens when you mix Charlie Brown, Woody Allen, Ziggy, and Los Angeles? You get Larry David's "Curb your Enthusiasm." The DVD of Season one is out, and packs a walloping 360 minutes of content on 2 discs.

Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, stars as, well..., himself: Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, whose daily life is more bizarre and absurd than anything he could possible write about. Cheryl Hines plays Cheryl David, a remarkably patient and wife to Larry. Jeff Garlin plays Jeff Greene, Larry's agent and long-time friend. Other cameos in the series include Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and multiple recurrences of Richard Lewis, all who play themselves.

The series is shot on digital video, in a documentary, hand-held style that emphasizes realism. Another unique quality is that the scripts are based on improvised dialogue; the scenes sometimes contain exceptionally long takes which feel utterly real and unscripted. The two discs span season one, encompassing 10 episodes which remarkably work well on their own, and even better in sequence, as some storylines connect from show to show. Standout episodes include "The Pants Tent", a show that will have some of us men re-evaluating our wardrobes, "The Bracelet", an episode which explores helping out those in need, and the final episode of year one, "The Group" which can be described as watching a train wreck in slow motion. There is no nudity or violence to speak of, but there is an occasional profanity as the dialogue is naturalistic. Some of the shows also deal with mature themes (see "The Group", "Porno Gil", "Affirmative Action"), but in a funny, real, and honest way. This is very much like Seinfeld, just with a PG-13 rating.

The series is presented in Full screen (TV ratio) format, and is a suitable transfer. Since it was shot on digital video, and transferred to DVD, there are no artifacts to speak of, but the typical garish colors, occasional blown highlights, and slight fuzziness that are associated with video are present here, but overall, it looks good. Sound is presented in an archaic 2.0 format, but for a show like this, it's not expected to shine in this area. The audio is clean and crisp, but you won't obviously use this as a demo for your new surround system.

The special features include a one-hour comedy special, in true "mockumentary" style, that follows Larry David as he negotiates with HBO to produce a stand-up comedy show. There is also, disappointingly, only one commentary track - Episode one, "The Pants Tent", which teams up Larry David, Cheryl Hines, and Jeff Garlin, who banter back and forth from the hilarious "We decided the night before we wouldn't have kids in the episode because we'd have to put stuff on the fridge", to the serious, where Jeff Garlin reveals at the end of the episode how his stroke had effected his speech.

Another extra, a 30 minute interview with Larry David conducted by Bob Costas is included, but contains sparse substance or insight. Curiously and regrettably absent are any real behind the scenes outtakes, bloopers, or improv sessions. Discs similar such as "Office: Season One" contain such gems and they really enhance the show for fans and viewers alike.

Great comedy has been described as "ordinary people in extraordinary situations", and that is this series. Woody Allen trademarked neurotic behavior and modern improv acting in cinema, and Larry David follows in his footsteps. As a fan of "Seinfeld", as well as BBC's "Office" series, "Spinal Tap", and Christopher Guest's other improv offerings "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", and "A Mighty Wind", I consistently find this type of humor and acting refreshing - and often brilliant. The writing is painfully razor-sharp, the acting is magical, and the whole series plays as one hilarious tragic real-life situation after another. The cast, top to bottom, make the show go, with Larry's wife an incredibly talented co-lead. Even the side characters, including Mike Meyer's wife, are more than solid. The shows including Richard Lewis, in a hilarious turn as himself, are my favorites, "Pants Tent" and "The Bracelet".

I find some insider jokes in this series, but the everyday/everyman storylines dominate more often than not. If you love truly smart, sometimes subtle, sometimes controversial humor, this is for you. I haven't shown it to anyone who hasn't enjoyed it one way or another. I buy few TV series on DVD and I consider this one of my finest. Highly Recommended. Purchase it now, thank me later, and please guys - Watch for the "Pants Tent".

Curb Your Enthusiasm with the Larry David
Funny show. But not better than Seinfeld.

The Absolute Best Show in the History of Television
Curb Your Enthusiam is by far the funniest show I have ever seen. I have never laughed so much in my life. Larry David is a comedic genious,some of the situations he gets himself into are unbelievable. Some people say it is like Seinfeld,I say its ten times better and I loved Seinfeld. Without a doubt you should buy this dvd.

Dull
An incredibly dull man does dull things for what seems like most of your life. Makes you understand how Bin Laden recruits ... Read more

Amazon.com

A toast to A&E Home Video for releasing this three-volume boxed set of vintage episodes from the fourth season of The Avengers. The Avengers debuted in Great Britain in 1961 (predating the James Bond films), but it was not until the late 1960s that it found a welcome home in the United States. Unlike other baby-boomer-era series, The Avengers was not widely syndicated nor officially released on videocassette. This may be one reason why these rarely seen episodes seem as cool as when they first aired. Another reason, of course, is Diana Rigg in her signature role as the ravishing Emma Peel, partner to Patrick Macnee's urbane, umbrella-toting spy John Steed who is every bit his equal in dispatching villains or engaging in provocative banter. What makes this collection of particular interest is that these episodes introduced Mrs. Peel. Steed and Mrs. Peel were the Mulder and Scully of their time; they investigated extraordinary goings-on in the most ordinary locales, such as a seaside town populated by sinister imposters, in "The Town of No Return" (included on volume 1), or a department store that has been rigged with a nuclear bomb, in "Death at Bargain Prices" (volume 2).The second volume also contains "The Cybernauts," which was the first Avengers episode to be broadcast in America. It is representative of the series' best with its automated assassins and a colorful madman who plots to install an electronic dictatorship. Volume 3 contains the haunting "Castle De'ath" and "The Master Minds." All are in glorious black and white and highly recommended. Each volume is also available separately. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Steed calls for help - Emma delivers
These first six episodes of the Diana Rigg era rank as some of the best of the series. The highlights of this set are the fan favorites "The Cybernauts" and "Death at Bargain Prices", both in volume two. Featuring Diana Rigg as the quintessential Avenger girl Emma Peel. So hold on to your hat, and get your boots on, your in for some jolly good fun. This set is a must-have!

Volume one contains the first Emma Peel episode "The Town of No Return", and the delightful "The Gravediggers". Both are highly reccomended. In "The Town of No Return", Steed and Emma are sent to Little Bazely (by the sea) to investigate odd goings on, where the question arises: Where have all the people gone? This haunting episode has a wonderful atmosphere, with plenty of avante garde imagery, such as the introduction in which an agent pops up out of the sea in a giant bag. Also features plenty of cute little touches, such as Steed's bottomless bag on the train. The highlight is Emma's introduction scene, where she and Steed have a sword fight in her apartment while discussing the mission. In "The Gravediggers", Britian's radar systems are being jammed, so Steed and Emma investigate at a hosptal for ailing railway men. This episode is classic Avengers, featuring Steed fighting aboard a miniature steam engine, while Emma has been tied to the track. Many winning moments such as the eccentric Sir Horace Winslip with his train simulator, and the hospital staff conducting a seemingly normal operation, until the surgeon calls for a blow-torch.

Volume two contains two classic episodes, the sci-fi caper "The Cybernauts", and the wonderful "Death at Bargain Prices". In "The Cybernauts", cybernetic assassins are popping off businessmes bidding for shares in a new cercuit element to replace the transistor. Probably the most memorable Avengers episode ever, "The Cybernauts" features a sharp script, great performances, and masterful direction. One might call it the definitive Avengers episode, and you wouldn't be far wrong. In "Death at Bargain Prices", a department store receipt is the only link to an agents murder, so the Avengers shop for clues, and discover an atomic plot to wipe London off the map. A truly great episode, with Brian Clemens' best script of the series, and outstanding direction from Charles Chrichton. Featuring some of the most memorable dialogue of the series, one of the best end battles of the series, and a whallop of a climax. I can't reccomend it enough!

Volume three features the creepy "Castle De'ath", and the somewhat less astounding "The Master Minds". In "Castle De'ath", Steed and Emma investigate at a Scotish castle, to discover the means by which an unknown faction are creating a fishing crisis. An episode with a haunting score, sumptously errie visuals, and some delightful Steed/Emma interplay. Also, watching Emma wander around in her nightgown is a sight not to be forgotten. "The Master Minds" is a pretty average episode, in which eggheads are being hypnotized into taking part in the most dubious of schemes. While the premise seems interesting, this episode suffers from an average script, average direction, and a dull introduction and tag scene, but it does have those lovely set pieces. Still worth it though, for some pretty snappy Steed/Emma interplay.

As I said before, this is a must-have set, for any Avenger fan. Every episode is reccomended, each being unique and quite entertaining. If your just getting into the series, and are looking to buy a set, buy this. You won't regret it!

Emma Peel Volume One
Although somewhat campy at times, The Avengers was an intellectual show, featuring puzzling mysteries, witty dialogue, bits of comedy, and an incredibly suave, cool agent in John Steed. With the introduction of Emma Peel, this great show became a phenomenon sure to remain a part of our culture for decades to come. Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel is mesmerizing. Here we have a beautiful woman who is a brilliant scientist, a martial arts master, a great detective, and a special agent second to none. While most female television characters of the time tended to their families, Mrs. Peel busied herself in safeguarding her nation. Steed himself is no match for her in terms of intellect, but together they make an unbeatable team, with a magical chemistry that is readily apparent from the very start.

This set contains the first six Emma Peel episodes. Mrs. Peel quickly evolves from Steed's helper to Steed's equal. It took a little while to flesh out the new character, I believe; thus, these episodes seem to get progressively better as they go along. "The Town of No Return" is rather a weak story to my mind, but Mrs. Peel does show us her combat skills, which at this point seem rather contrived. "The Gravediggers" is much more interesting, witty, and satisfying. It is in fact one of my favorite episodes. Beginning with problems with the nation's defense system, the story features cemeteries, doctors of an uncommon sort, and a brilliantly funny eccentric old gentleman with an overpowering love of trains--the train ride he shares with the visiting John Steed is priceless; it ends with Mrs. Peel tied up to a railroad track and almost killed by a miniature locomotive. This is The Avengers at its best. "The Cybernauts," while good, is of great importance because it is the first episode ever shown in the USA and because it spawned two later "sequels." "Death at Bargain Prices" features some of the best dialogue between Steed and Mrs. Peel, full of the sexual tension many reviewers like to point to. Only The Avengers could take the idea of a department store in London housing a nuclear bomb and make it work for audiences. "Castle De'ath" is a dark tale of history, treachery, and dungeon torture. Although the true purpose of the bad guys did not make complete sense to me, the story is very strong , succeeding in disproving my own suspicions (as well as Mrs. Peels') as to the identify of the culprit. Finally, "The Master Minds" rounds out this set with the story of an intellectual society whose members are unwittingly prompted to commit crimes against the Crown.

Mrs. Peel really comes into her own in these last two tales. In the final episode, it is her intellect that allows Steed to penetrate the secretive society and learn its secrets (although Mrs. Peel finds herself participating--albeit without conscious knowledge--in the nefarious plans of the master mind); it is also her slyness that essentially saves Steed's life in the end. However, "Castle De'ath" speaks volumes in my mind in terms of Mrs. Peel's position in the society of the 1960s. All of the men in the episode, include John "McSteed" all wear traditional Scottish kilts. While this is nothing unusual for the locale in which the story takes place, nevertheless the fact remains that the only character who wears pants is Emma Peel. By this time, Mrs. Peel has shed any vestiges of being Steed's helper and has become his unchallengeable equal. The Avengers is intelligent, humorous, decidedly "cool" television that towers above just about everything on the air today.

Steed Takes A New Partner - Emma Crosses the Atlantic
The Avengers was one of the hippest shows of its day, and manages to stand the test of time pretty well. It achieved its maximum popularity in 1965-66, when streamlined for exportation to America, which was when Diana Rigg was hired to replace the departing Honor Blackman. Prior, The Avengers was essentially a weekly live crime melodrama a la Agatha Christie, interspersed with some occasional spy hijinks. Once Rigg was brought aboard, the show's budget increased, it was transferred to film with more location shooting, the music got jazzier and the approach sexier (Emma Peel's name was contracted from "M"an-Appeal), and the stories grew to be more laced with science-fiction. It proved at least as popular in the States as it was in its parent Britain, and a legend was born.

The show was never better than in Rigg's first year, the '65-'66 season, the first six episodes of which comprise this set. "The Cybernauts" - first episode aired in the States (third, in England) - set the tone extremely well for what was to follow in episodes to come. Our hero and heroine, Steed and Mrs. Peel, foil a mad industrialist's plan to create a cybernetic police state, by deactivating his earliest experiment: a killer robot. The English debut episode - first on this set of tapes - is "The Town Of No Return," a fifth-column invasion story of typically (for this series) bizarre means. "Death At Bargain Prices" finds the British supersleuths investigating the disappearance of an atomic scientist in a lavish department store. "The Gravediggers" is about a radar-jamming outfit connected to a local cemetery (and an eccentric's life-size model train collection). "Castle De'ath" is where a foreign power utilizes a secret submarine base to disturb the local ecology, and thus its economy. "The Master Minds" are a MENSA-esque high-I.Q. club who recruit the best brains in Britain to devise top-secret sabotages and burglaries.

The Avengers is long overdue for a renaissance, and thanks to these tapes, its comeback time is here. Whether your tastes run to noir melodrama, spy stories, unusual crime, sci-fi, or even just light comedy, you'll find what you're looking for in The Avengers.

Mrs. Emma Peel could put the hurt on you.
The Avengers (John Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel) were always at the right place at the right time and Mrs. Emma Peel could put an unwanted karate chop on your noggin. This series of videos has a lot of action and caper comedy.

A Good Example of a Great Show
I thouroughly enjoyed this set of videos. I am relatively new to the Avengers, meaning that I have not [yet] seen any other episodes, but nonetheless I found this fascinating. After viewing all three videos several times, I have concluded that The Avengers is a show definitely worth anyone's time and attention. The [sexual] tension between Steed and Peel is captivating, and quite interesting, even to a newcomer. I cannot compare Mrs. Peel to Cathy Gale, or um...that other woman (see?), but as soon as I purchase several more of these videos (and believe me, I will), I will get back to you, the public. ... Read more

Description

From the mining towns of Kansas to the rum-running island of St.Pierre, this extraordinary documentary tells the fascinating story of Prohibition.Narratedby Ed Asner. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Description of the 1920's
This video puts the Prohibiton Era into an easily understood format. It paints a picture of the "Noble Experiment" that engulfed Americans during this post war era. It reallys helps one understand the effects Prohibition had on Americans during the 1920's. ... Read more

Description

Contains 11 adventures, 56 episodes "The Reign of Terror""The Sensorites" "The Time Meddler""The Gunfighters" "The Ambassadors of Death" "The Mutants" "Invasion of the Dinosaurs""The Creature From The Pit" "Horns of Nimon" "The Invisible Enemy" "Meglos" ... Read more

Reviews (10)

11 Tapes at a better value.
This set includes the last ten complete Dr. Who Stories to be released on video; The Reign of Terror, The Sensorites, The Time Meddler, The Gunfighters, The Ambassadors of Death, The Mutants, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Creature From The Pit, Horns of Nimon, The Invisible Enemy, The Creature from the Pit, The Horns of Nimon, Meglos. PLUS you get the Web of Fear/Faceless ones missing episode bonus tape. Looking strictly at the prices, it does not appear that this bonus tape will be included in the American release of the Reign of Terror like it will be England. At the time of my writing this, these tapes are individually priced at $19.50 for a total of 195.00 and it won't even include the Missing Episodes tape. This is a better value. Here are some other facts about this set.

The Sensorites, The Gunfighters, the Reign of terror and Missing Episodes from Web of Fear and The Faceless Ones have been treated with a process called Vidfire to get the studio scenes to look more like their original video broadcast pictures (which I personally think makes the show look like it's on a lower budget but oh well, we've got to be purists about this).

The Ambassadors of Death is a composite of color and black and white footage due to the fact that some of the color footage has been lost. %70 of it is in color and I didn't even notice some of the color/black and white transitions. Also, the first episode of Invasion of The Dinosaurs is Missing in color form. They may have colorized it for this release but I don't know.

I wrote this reveiw to concentrate more on some of the facts of behind the video releases. Not to give episdoe synopsis. Please say it was helpful.

... and the rest.
This collection features all existing Doctor Who material currently not yet released on video. Episodes are: From the First Doctor era; The Sensorites, The Reign of Terror (Special Edition), The Time Meddler, The Gunfighters -- from the Third Doctor Era; The Ambassadors of Death, The Mutants, The Invasion of the Dinosaurs -- from the Fourth Doctor Era; The Invisible Enemy, The Creature from the Pit, The Horns of Nimon, Meglos. In addition, several Second Doctor episodes from incomplete serials will appear with the Reign of Terror set. Great stuff throughout. It will certainly hold you until the DVD release, sometime late next decade.

"Thank you, Mistress, repairs complete!"
Some fans might want to call this The Turkey Boxset, as most titles in this collection are not highly rated. "Sure-cure-for-insomnia" serials like "The Sensorites", "The Mutants", "The Invisible Enemy", "The Horns of Nimon" and "Meglos" don't help discourage this nickname. But, even those titles do have something to offer. One doesn't have to look far for the much anticipated "The Reign of Terror" and the Troughton orphan episodes, all Vidfired. "The Time Meddler", the partially restored "The Ambassadors of Death", the rarely seen b/w episode of "Invasion of the Dinosaurs". Even "The Creature From the Pit" has some laughs to add to the enjoyment. Many stories might not be fan favorites or classics, but they do bring a smile to the face and a feeling of being entertained. Even the ridiculous western, "The Gunfighters", is good for unintentional knee-slapping.

The final 11 stories--and that's the end of the Whoniverse
OK, I've already individually reviewed the final eleven extant stories in the Doctor Who canon that have finally been released on video, but not as a whole. Key, [#]=rating

The Sensorites (1964)--The Doctor and companions have to help Earthmen under mental thrall of the Sensorites, and the latter, a telepathic race who fear the Earthmen exploiting their mineral wealth and who think an encounter with the Earthmen is the cause of a plague from which their race is dying. A good story on trust between different races--[4].

The Reign Of Terror (1964)--In the next story, the Doctor and friends are separated in the France of July 1794. Ian, Barbara, and Susan are captured and sent to prison, where they await a fate with Madame Guillotine. The Doctor tries to rescue them. Episodes 4 and 5 are missing, but are linked by narration from Carole Ann Ford (Susan). This historical drama features Robespierre and Paul Barras, who led a coup against the latter, but the appearance of Napoleon is a historical inaccuracy. This also has Episodes 1 and 3 of the incomplete The Faceless Ones(1967), and Episode 1 of the 6-parter The Web Of Fear (1967)--[4].

The Time Meddler (1965)--The Doctor, Vicki, and Steven land in Northumbria, in 1066, where they encounter Saxon villagers, Viking invaders, and a mysterious monk who seems to recognize the TARDIS. Not purely historical, but interesting nevertheless, with Peter Butterworth scoring as the Monk--[4].

The Gunfighters (1965)--The Doctor, Dodo, and Steven play cowboys in Tombstone, Arizona, where the local authorities happen to be a certain Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, and the dentist Doc John Holliday. Mostly played for laughs and a novelty in the show's history, with Dodo clearly enjoying herself on the saloon piano. And love "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon," sung by Lynda Barron throughout the story--[5].

The Ambassadors Of Death (1970)--This seven-parter is half done in colour, half black and white because some of the original colour segments were unwisely junked by the BBC. A Mars probe is rescued after seven months' absence, but have the astronauts returned safely? And what did they bring back from space? The Doctor's attempts to discover the truth is met with sabotage, delays, and murder. A take on alien invasion on Earth, the space race, and xenophobia--[4].

The Mutants--An underrated six-parter on the evils of empire, apartheid, and administrators who hold out against giving a state independence, the Mutants has the Doctor and Jo helping out the native Solonians under Ky break away from the sadistic Marshal. Also inspired by Gibbons' The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire--[5].

Invasion Of The Dinosaurs--Dinosaurs have invaded London and the Doctor and UNIT have to find out how and where the gigantic reptiles are coming from. Has some mad scientist secretly bred them and they've gotten loose, or is there a more sinister explanation? The bad realization of certain dinosaurs, and the bad bluescreen effects sinks what could have been a very effective allegory on what post-industrial pollution can do to the world--[3].

The Invisible Enemy--K9, the robot dog, is introduced in this story of a virus whose nucleus finds the Doctor, due to his intelligence, as a perfect host to rule the galaxy. "The age of man has ended. The age of the virus has begun." Or so the nucleus wishes. Highlight scene is the trip through the Doctor's brain by clones of the Doctor and Leela--[4].

The Creature From The Pit (1979)--The Doctor and Romana fall afoul of the dictatorial Lady Adrasta, ruler of the verdant jungle world of Chloris and owner of the sole ore mines, who throw those who displease her into a pit, where a monster lives. The Doctor finds out about the monster and gets involved in the politics of the planet--[4].

The Horns Of Nimon (1979/80)--In this twist on the Theseus versus the Minotaur legend, the Doctor and Romana help out the Anethans from being made sacrifices to the Nimon, the benefactors of the Skonnons, a warlike militaristic race on the skids, who want a Second Skonnon Empire--[4].

Meglos (1980)--the Doctor and Romana, en route to Tigella, is intercepted by the shape-shifting cactus-like alien Meglos, who puts the TARDIS in a time loop, while he impersonates the Doctor and goes out to steal the Dodecahedron, the Tigellans' unstable power supply, aided by some rough and tough space mercenaries--[3], due to a lack of desirable characters.

In some cases, it is justifiable to say that the least popular stories were saved for last, e.g. The Gunfighters, The Mutants, Invasion Of The Dinosaurs, The Creature From The Pit, The Horns Of Nimon, and Meglos. However, the first two are severely underrated, and for those like me whose favourite Doctor is Jon Pertwee, it's a relief to finally have the last two stories of his era available.

And that's it, Who fans. Unless some miracle occurs, like some missing episodes from the William Hartnell or Patrick Troughton eras showing up that merit the release of a previously incomplete story, it is indeed, the End Of The Universe. Sad, isn't it? Overall rating: 4

Finally my collection is complete!!!!
I am so glad that the BBC decided to release the final VHS' this way and not drag it out. I have been a Dr. Who fan since the mid-80's and began collecting the videos sometime in the 90's. I became worried when DVD began to take over, but that, and the fact that this year is Doctor Who's 40th Anniversary is why we have such a large set here. And just like my other friends here, I went absolutly nuts when i read the news that Dr. Who will be returning in a few years.

For those concerned with the price, buying them separatly over time is a good option, and unlike a previous reviewer said you do not have to return them all if one doesn't work they're the same!!!! I would recoomened tho that you test each video before you start to watch them..i got a terrible fright when " The Horns of Nimon" was only fuzz, but then I discovered it wasn't rewound.

I'm gonna have so much Dr. Who to watch, so i won't review all the tapes here. The one I watched first was the Reign of Terror Boxed set, which was almost like watching new DR. Who because these episodes from the stories that had episodes distroyed had never been seen before. The Riegn of Terror was absolutly wonderful, but then again I tend to like the early historical stories more than most Whovians, and the three 2nd Doctor episodes were equally good but had no linking narration (there are some clips after the web of fear episode one so don't turn the stop the tape until you see that).

I cannot wait to dig into the other tapes....the old black and white stories were only shown once on one of my local PBS Stations and it has also been a long time since I have seen the 3rd and 4th Doctor stories in the collection.

What a great way to celebrate the best and longest running sci-fi series ever!!!! and it's coming back!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Description

Based on Sir Winston Churchill’s biography of his ancestors, the first Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, this classic BBC miniseries is a tender love story played out amid the intrigues of the 17th-century English court.

At a time when most marriages were made for money and position, Sarah Jennings and John Churchill married for love. And their love lasted throughout their long lives spent at the epicenter of political power in England. He was a military genius who never lost a battle. She was the intimate friend of a princess who later became queen. This addictive drama follows them from their budding romance in the bawdy court of King Charles II through five decades and five monarchs from the tumultuous House of Stuart.

The popularity of The First Churchills helped establish Masterpiece Theatre as a venue for the best of British drama. Starring John Neville (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) as John Churchill with Susan Hampshire (Monarch of the Glen, The Pallisers) in an Emmy®-winning performance as the tempestuous Sarah. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Paradise revisited
It's hard to find many video's that capture the island spirit of Hawaii as well as this. I was pleasantly surprised with how good the video is overall; and I enjoyed watching it. It's not something you'd watch every week, but it does serve as a nice video to sit down to every once in a while to rekindle the island feeling and memories. I'd recommend this to anyone who's got Aloha on the brain. I'm glad to have it in my collection.

Relives a trip to Hawaii - history, sights
This two video set helped us relive all the history and sights we took in on our recent visit to the islands. Couldn't have been a better purchase for us as a reminder of our trip.

Very well produced documentary
This contains two 1-hour tapes detailing the beauty and history of the islands. First class photography and soundtrack and very well narrated story. Only drawback is that there is not much regarding present day Hawaii - so don't use this as a travel guide, but as a nice supplement to build on your Hawaiian memories. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Review from a person from that small island!
I had the dubious pleasure of Bryson's self-satisfied ramblings in the book form of "Notes from a small island" a year or two ago. It was something to read at a time in my life when I had very little to do, I suppose!
This Christmas I had the even more dubious pleasure of seeing Mr Bryson on film presenting a screen adaption of his highly overrated work. As a travelogue in itself it is not bad at all. You do get quite a sense of the Ukfrom it. Pity about the presenter!
As an English person myself, I became very bored with the fact that Bryson consantly puts Britain down, albeit in a backhanded way. Also, if you listen carefully, you will see that what Bryson is really doing is talking about America. His references and comparisons are very often made with America. So what! He s supposed to be talking about the UK not the USA. I suppose it is an arrogant trait that many Yanks are predisposed towards, however for me, and I imagine for many other natives of what Brysonmakes out to be a small and insignificant isle populated solely by freks and eccentrics of all persuasions, Bryson's contant references to himself and his home country soon become very tiresome!
From reading the book, you just don't get a sense of how monotonous Bryson's drawl actually is. From what I recall, Bryson makes some very acrid remarks about many of my countrymen and women, but really, when you see Bryson, who obviously thinks he looks good like a bearded John Denver in a hiking jumper, you know he hasn't got a leg to stand on. Bryson has left the UK to go back to his beloved America. No doubt he is boring people to death over there with his so-called witticisms and anecdotes about the British. Good riddance is what I say!

Loving homage to a green and pleasant land
In 1973, a 21 year-old from Iowa in America's heartland was ferried into Dover, England. Despite having no particular intention of staying, travel essayist Bill Bryson was still there twenty years later, and married to an English lass. In 1995 he published an endearingly affectionate and light-hearted tribute to his adopted country, NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, upon which book this set of three videos is based. Bryson himself is the on-screen host, adopting a homey style vaguely reminiscent of Charles Kuralt or Charles Osgood.

In Volume 1, Bill remembers his first unpromising night spent in Dover, then interviews London cabbies over lunch. Moving on, but before exploring subterranean Liverpool, he visits some of Soho's less famous historic buildings, recognizable by the oval sky-blue plaques placed into walls by the Greater London Council. Finally, he samples some of the many ways in which Brits amuse themselves: the Highland Games, a pipesmoking championship, ballroom dancing, cricket, bingo, fell running, rambling, 3-wheeled cars, and seaside holidays.

In Volume 2, our guide revels in the whimsy of English place names, then visits the Victorian model village of Saltair and the former seaside resort of Morecambe. Prior to making landfall on Scotland's Western Isles, the last outposts of Gaelic, he comments on the differences between American and the Queen's English. Next, he focuses on the Industrial Revolution and the British genius for invention: the city of Ironbridge, that self-proclaimed cradle of the country's technological rise, the archives of the London Patent Office, and the creation of the now-classic route map of the London Underground. Lastly, he goes exploring in the Tube's "ghost stations" and Bunhill Cemetery, the latter London's first Non-Conformist burial ground.

Volume 3 has Bryson investigating British notions of class, aristocracy and wealth: a conversation with the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, trooping the colors on the Queen's birthday, clothes shopping with a very rich - read "very spoiled" - young woman, and the Young Model of the Year Competition. Then, on to less frivolous destinations: the Sellafield nuclear power plant, the renovated city of Glasgow, the Ffestiniog railway in North Wales, and the quicksand of Morecambe Bay. Finally, before closing in the Yorkshire Dales, Bryson's home of 8 years, he ponders the venerable art of doing nothing while on a seaside holiday in Llandudno, views the world's oldest electric clock, and visits the most northern mainland town and place, Thurso and Dunnet Head respectively.

At no time does Bryson tarry at those places that would otherwise be on the average tourist's must-see itinerary. Rather, he skips around - perhaps too rapidly - to those odd locales and eccentric events that endear themselves to the island's residents, and which are there to be discovered by those non-natives willing to invest the time (such as expats from The Colonies). It's obviously a heartfelt labor of love, albeit an admittedly imperfect one. In the last scene, as he stands in the foreground of a vista that encompasses the shadows of wind-driven clouds chasing themselves across rippling Yorkshire fields, he says quite honestly, "I can't tell you how much I love this place." This struck a cord of recognition deep within myself, one that has spent an aggregate of perhaps 7-8 months in Britain over the past 27 years. Like Bryson, I love the island more than I can possibly express. (My wife thinks it an unreasonable obsession.) Every time I return, I feel that I've come home. Sitting here now in Southern California, I can feel on my face the wetness of the rain blowing in from the sea at Tintagel, and hear the flutter of the rooks nesting amidst the arched ruins of Fountains Abbey. Or, smell the acrid coal smoke on a damp, cold day in Southsea, and savor the rich combination of real butter and orange marmalade on toast at a B&B in Caernarvon. As if it were yesterday, I can see in my mind's eye the fishing boats as they depart Portree on Skye into the dissolving darkness well before dawn. I wish I could sit with Bill over a pint, and just talk about these things. He would understand.

A wonderful video
I have read all of Bill's books and loved them. The video is just as good. It is nice to see some of the places he so wonderfully described in the book "Notes from a Small Island." I found the book laugh out loud funny but touching and reflective at the same time. The video is just like that. I had the opportunity to meet Bill at a book signing last week and he is a wonderful guy in person. He took time out when we went up to have our books signed to talk with everybody for several minutes. It wasn't like some book signings were the author sits at a table and never looks up. Bill was great to all of us, joking with us as he signed our books. He is real gentleman and we all left the signing even bigger fans of Bill. I hope everybody that reads his books gets the chance to meet him.

An outsider turned native
Bryson's style of writing in his books, transfers well to his spoken commentary in this video. The insights and stories he finds to fill his books are complemented by interviews with a vareity of people from London cabbies to comedians.

As an American who lived in Britain for 20 years and who married a British woman, Bryson is well placed to affectionately poke fun at the absurdities of British life. As a Brit who has moved to America, I could identify with his slight feeling of homesickness for the place. It's not all nostalgia though, and I learnt things about my own country that I never knew, but then I think that is one of the highlights of all Bryson's work - it's always well researched and well presented. This video is no exception. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Just a little warning
My 3-year-old daughter was enchanted with the characters, yes, but has refused to view this video a second time. Why? Both segments contain scenes she finds alarming and scary. In the first, the young heroine-mouse quakes in terror of an imaginary weasel. In the second, the protagonists are trapped, shivering, in a collapsing ice tunnel. My kid is not particularly sensitive to dangers she can see, such as the monsters in "The Dark Crystal." What troubles her are imagined terrors, like the unseen, undescribed weasel of Brambly Hedge.

Good, but altered from original
Good tape, but one problem: previews for Brambly Hedge contained on my child's other "Crayola Presents" kids' videos show the Brambly Hedge characters talking in quiet, attractive British accents - indeed, this Brambly Hedge tape itself includes such a preview. Yet the actual tape is in fact dubbed into American. That itself is not so much the problem: the real problem is that the voices and accents used are about as loud and grating as they could be. A far cry from the original, or indeed, the quiet, calm spirit of the books (and George Carlin's Thomas the Tank Engine voice shows how well a UK show can be rendered into American if any care is taken). My 4 year-old still watches it, though, and I feel the show is better value than so much of the Satuday morning junk.

There are two episodes on this tape, about a half-hour each. In the first, two young mice get lost in an autumn storm and have several adventures before being rescued. In the second, a winter snow storm allows all the Brambly Hedge mice to build an ice palace and have a dance before rescuing a couple more mice snowed in. There follows a third section, a long digression on the whole world of Brambly Hedge; who the mice are, where they live. This seems to be thrown together a little too quickly, with very flat narration (at least in the American version) - my child loses interest here. The books are a better bet for this part.

Other fine British kids' shows that have not been altered or duubbed in any way include Mouse and Mole, William's Wish Wellingtons, Old Bear Stories, Brum and the Baby Carriage, The Secret of Roan Inish, The Sand Fairy (AKA Five Children and It), Postman Pat, The Princess and the Goblin. With a multiplayer VCR (such as Samsung's model) you can play British PAL system videos on your American NTSC television, opening a whole new world of childrens' and adults' entertainment (get the tapes through Amazon's UK site).

No British Accent
I thought that the characters would have a British accent, since the book derived from there. It doesn't do much justice to the book.

Where'd They Get These Voices?
This video is really a cut above the average. The production values are super and my just-turned four-year-old daughter likes it a lot. I was dismayed, however, to find the mice of Brambly Hedge speaking with American accents, badly tinged here and there with something not quite British. It sounds like the producers ransacked the high school drama club for some cheap talent. The U.S. licensee apparently decided that our American kids couldn't follow an English accent. Wrong. Result: the video looks lots better than it sounds. I was disappointed.

Absolutely delightful!
My 5 children thoroughly enjoyed this tape. So much of viewing for children today does not portray childhood innocence and simplicity---Brambly Hedge is a "breath of fresh air". Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Beloved by audiences in more than 70 countries, this seminal British television series is just as enjoyable now as when it first aired in the 1970s. Richard, his son James, and James's wife, Hazel, comprise the aristocratic Bellamy family that resides upstairs while their loyal servants maintain the London household from downstairs. These episodes, set in 1914 to 1918, during the Great War, follow the upper class family's troubles in changing times and the ongoing lives of their resilient staff. The fourth season is more soapy than the previous ones and is best viewed in order. Outstanding cast performances and the dramatic backdrop of the war give this season its reputation as the best of the five.

Due to limited filming budgets, the war is largely seen through home-front activities. While James and Edward serve on the frontlines, the rest of the family participates in the war effort as best they can, busy with tea parties for wounded officers, charity shows, and attempts to shelter refugees. Surprising everyone, Ruby even leaves to build munitions, only to return after an explosion at the factory. Marriages and tragedies ensue, affecting both upstairs and downstairs at 165 Eaton Place. As the Great War concludes, and things begin to settle down, England celebrates the Armistice and the Bellamy family contemplates the end of an era and the changes to come. --Tara Chace ... Read more

Reviews (6)

the War Years at 165 Eaton Place...
The acclaimed fourth season of UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS focuses on the turbulent years of World War One, with the Bellamy's fighting to keep control of an ever-changing world, shattered asunder...

"A Patriotic Offering" - Lady Prudence (Joan Benham) convinces Hazel (Meg Wynn Owen) to take in a family of Belgian refugees, resulting in a major upset for the servants.

"News From the Front" - Whilst on leave, James (Simon Williams) finds himself drawn into a political situation which might affect his future in the army.

"The Beastly Hun" - An anti-German feeling sweeps through Eaton Place following the sinking of the Lusitania, with Hudson (Gordon Jackson) spreading scare stories about the local baker and his family, who are discovered to be of German origin.

"Women Shall Not Weep" - Edward (Christopher Beeny) and Daisy (Jacqueline Tong) decide to get married before Edward leaves for the draft. Georgina (Lesley-Anne Down) vows to become an army nurse after witnessing the dead and injured soldiers returning to London; while Ruby (Jenny Tomasin) surprises everyone when she announces she is to leave her position to go and work in a munitions factory.

"Tug of War" - Georgina discovers that nursing isn't all she thought it would be, while James becomes frustrated with his staff-army job.

"Home Fires" - Rose (Jean Marsh) once again bumps into her former fiance, Australian sheep farmer Gregory Wilmot (Keith Barron) who has joined the army. They decide to get married again, but will Hudson ruin it all?...

"If You Were the Only Girl in the World" - At a tea-party for wounded officers, bored Hazel meets a charming young airman, Jack Dyson (Andrew Ray). Slowly, a gentle courtship begins and Hazel experiences her first true romance.

"The Glorious Dead" - A time of personal tragedy at Eaton Place. Rose receives word about Gregory, whilst Hazel discovers the fate of Jack.

"Another Year" - A shellshocked Edward returns to Eaton Place, a shadow of his former self. Hazel meets the aquaintance of Mrs Virgina Hamilton (Hannah Gordon), the charming widow of a naval officer. Following an explosion at the munitions factory, Ruby returns to Eaton Place.

"The Hero's Farewell" - Lady Prudence and her society friends decide to stage a 'historic tableaux' at Eaton Place. The situation turns deadly when a zeppelin raid begins and bombs start falling nearby...

"Missing Believed Killed" - James is still missing at the front, and the entire household is thrown into shock.

"Facing Fearful Odds" - Virginia once again seeks the help of Richard (David Langton) when her oldest son is about to be court-martialled.

"Peace Out of Pain" - Richard proposes to Virginia, with whom he has fallen in love, whilst Hazel becomes seriously ill with a deadly strain of the flu virus...

Highly-recommended. Most people single out the fourth season of UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS as the strongest out of the entire series. Excellent writing, expert direction as well as top-notch performances from Gordon Jackson, Meg Wynn Owen, Christopher Beeny, Angela Baddeley and Simon Williams.

Also featuring Mel Churcher, Raymond Huntley, Barrie Cookson, Christopher Good, Joyce Heron, Celia Imrie, Patricia Macrae, Elma Soiron, Karen Glaser, Cyril Cross, Lala Lloyd, Ian Hoare, Lisa Moss, Edward Underdown, Miles Bennett, Ena Baga, Timothy Peters, Gertan Klauber, Freda Dowie, Robert Swann, Giles Watling, Keith Jayne, Neville Barber, Dennis Blatch, James Woolley, Edward Hammond, Barbara Atkinson, Kevin Moran, Mike Fields, Valerie Lush, Betty England, Betty Romaine, Polly Williams, Richenda Carey, Auriol Smith, John Lyons, Julia Sutton, Robert McBain, Audrey Joyce, Neville Hughes, Richard Owens, Venetia Maxwell, Sarah Twist, Brian Nolan, Kenneth MacDonald, William Ashley, Eileen Way, Helena McCarthy, Graham Leaman, Robin Bailey, Phyllida Law, Fanny Rowe, Alfred Maron, Gareth Hunt, Brian Badcoe, Ann Martin, Richard Reeves, Hilary Minster, Laurence Harrington, Anthony Nash, Peter Whitaker and Anthony Woodruff.

4 single-sided, dual-layer discs.

The Best Season of Upstairs Downstairs So Far
I am new to the world of Upstairs Downstairs, but this (the fourth) season is the best season I've watched so far. For those of you who are new to the world of Upstairs Downstairs, this series is a character driven drama which focuses on the disparate (but yet entwined) lives of the rich Bellamy's and their servants.

Character growth, loss, tragedy and triumph are the themes of this season, as the characters are greatly affected by the trials of world war I. I highly recommend this for fans of this time period, or fans of BBC drama. I particularly liked the character arc involving Edward the footman, and the arc involving Hazel Bellamy. This is truly an excellent series, I am sorry that it was ended after the fifth season.

The Best of all Upstairs Downstairs!
This series is my favorite in the Upstairs Downstairs canon. The residents of 165 Eaton Place face the loss and hardships of World War I bravely. Several important themes, such as duty, honor, love and loss are explored through the lives of several characters. War comes home, literally, when a Zeppelin drops a bomb on Eaton Place. James, Edward, Georgina, and most tragically Rose and Hazel are all victims of the war's bloodlust. There are some extremely fine moments, such as when Georgina sees some wounded soldiers and realizes her playgirl life has to stop, and some extremely funny ones, as in the episode when the Bellamy's drawingroom is commandeered for a dreary charity event. With this series the writers and artists reached their height!

Great Production, Poor DVD
This is a wonderful classic. I have purchased each season as it has become available on DVD. I am usually very happy with A&E's DVD's, but I am not sure what went wrong with, "Upstairs, Downstairs". Season Four had some very long periods where the picture was so blurred that it bothered my eyes to watch it. Overall, I am quite disappointed with the results on DVD. I know I will continue to purchase each season, because I really enjoyed the series when it was on television, but I wish the quality was better.

Great Story - Mediocre Production Values
As usual I will not spend much time on the plot. The story line is one of PBS's best presentations of life in London from 1900 - 1930's. The story is about the below stairs staff who serve a very class conscious family called the Bellamys. The production values on this DVD set are about the same as in the first three series (which are none too good). The problem it seems is that there aren't any good masters from which to make the DVDs. I thank A & E for giving us this series. Every diehard USDS fan will want to add this DVD to their library. The VHS tapes will only continue to deteriorate. Let's hope that more recent Masterpiece Theatre series make it to DVD before the deterioration sets in. Upstairs Downstairs is worth a buy in spite of reproduction weaknesses. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Roman Polanski adapted Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles and came up with this moody, haunting film starring Nastassia Kinski as the farm girl who is misused by the aristocrat for whom she works and who is then caught in a marriage where her initial happiness soon turns to grief. Fans of the novel may feel unpersuaded by Polanski's effort to marry Hardy's Dorset vision with his own fascination with psychosexual impulses toward survival, but the film is an often stunning thing to see, and Kinski's sensitive, intelligent performance lingers in the memory. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Loyal to the novel (for the most part)
Warning: Spoilers.
The one major complaint I have about this movie is its tendency to drag on. Many scenes were slow-as-life, showing Tess walking through a field or thoughtfully gazing off into space. Although I felt that the film was moving unnecessarily slow, I was certainly never bored. My attention was kept, I believe, by the fact that I had read Hardy's novel prior to watching the movie. For the most part, Polanski stayed true to Hardy's story and intentions with the exception of two major themes. First, I felt that Polanski didn't make it clear that Tess felt an extreme responsibility to work for her family as a result of her accident that killed their horse, Prince. The fact that they had lost their horse was mentioned in the film, but I felt that an integral reason for Tess's leaving home to work for the D'Urbervilles was because she felt responsible for her family's financial woes. The second major departure from the book was the fact that Tess submitted to Alec in the woods. Hardy made it abundantly clear that Tess was disgusted with the man. In the film, Tess willingly kissed Alec back for a long while before he took advantage of her, thus leading to her misfortune throughout the rest of the story.
As a high school student, I realize that many students watch the film versions of novels before writing a paper. I must strongly recommend against this. While the film follows the plot of the novel almost exactly, there are many elements presented in the book that even the most masterful filmmaker could not be able to incorporate, such as Tess's helplessness, Angel's self-confidence, and Alec's wild lust. All of these characteristics are magnified much greater in the novel.
As a whole, I am impressed with Polanski's ability to stay relatively true to the classic novel. If you have read the novel and can get past the two major flaws that I mentioned, you should enjoy the movie because it is a decent stand alone film.

Where's the DVD?
Tess is one of my all-time favourite films for a number of reasons. One, is that it is beautifully, and thoughtfully told by Roman Polanski; two, it is one of Nastassja's Kinski's finest performances in a varied (and underrated) career; and finally, it's one of the most stunningly photographed films ever. Which begs the question...why has there been no DVD release?

I saw a version of Tess on a French station in Quebec recently, and it was shown in widescreen, and it looked fantastic! The colors were vibrant and the film had never looked better.

I imagine there are probably some issues over rights to this film and that is why it is being delayed from a DVD release, but I hope they can work it out (or whatever it is that is preventing its DVD release).

Still, worth seeing on VHS though.

Polanski at his best...
Polanski finally won the Oscar! All of his great films are on DVD...why not this one? "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown", etc.Where's the DVD for "Tess", winner of many awards, and a brilliant debut for Nastassia Kinski? I want this DVD a lot.

If you think something like this can't happen to you, think.
I have seen this movie when it came out. I have seen it several times since then. I hadn't watched it for many years now because I knew that it could happen to anyone even more so today. I went into a trend of watching only "upbeat" movies. I now, with age, realized that this is an UPBEAT movie if you watch it with wisdom and not with snob. If you are arrogant enough to think that Polanski just shoots films that reminds him of Tate and Manson then you don't know enough about Polanski or just don't want to accept that "things" can get so wrong that you don't prepare for it with humor, passion, and love for yourself and others. In every homeless person's life there is a Tess story. If you wish to think in religious terms this is the Story of Job. Anybody is just an illness, a disaster away from Tess: Once it happens you will see how dignity is the only way out BUT you must get on your feet again BEFORE society chastises you as a bum.

Hardy onto Film
This film was an extraordinary adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles onto film. Roman Polanski took great pains, I'm sure, in keeping the integrity of Hardy's novel when writing/directing the screenplay. The thing that fascinated me most was the fact that the film was completely true to the book. Not a single detail was altered in the screenplay. I truly admire Polanski's ambition in keeping the movie so similar to the book. But, I feel that the movie itself is a bit cumbersome. The movie is 190 minutes in length! I appreciate the fact that Hardy's ideas weren't tampered with, but as a viewer, it is difficult to watch the entire film. I was forced to watch the film in increments because of its sheer length, but I would suggest watching the film in one sitting, so that the momentum of plot isn't lost.
Nastassja Kinski was an incredible asset to the film. Her acting was superb. Her appearance is so intense and her voice is clear; she is very easy to focus on. When I read the novel, I felt differently about Tess than when I watched Kinski play Tess. My original impression of Tess after reading the novel was that she was meek and submissive. I felt her family, Alec, and Angel easily controlled her. Kinski brought to the role an element of independence and determination that I didn't pick up on in the novel. Kinski portrayed the character Tess with such conviction and artistry. She had a fiery spirit and made Tess seem much more capable than the Tess I had picked up on in the novel. Kinski's Tess was very abrupt with Alec when he came onto her. She was also short with Angel when he came back from Brazil and wanted to be her husband again. Although the content of the plot is the same in the book, I felt that Kinski really made Tess's spirit come alive.
I would recommend this film to anyone who has read Tess of the D'Urbervilles. It is obvious that Polanski has great respect for Hardy because he kept the film true to the novel. For this reason, I think the film adaptation is superb and is worthy of viewing. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Star Wars
Again? Yes. Even though no other movie has been released as many times onvideo as Star Wars (except for its sequels, The Empire StrikesBack and Return of the Jedi), George Lucas and the folks at 20thCentury Fox have actually released a slightly different film this time. Thisvideo followed the mega-successful 20th-anniversary theatrical rerelease, inwhich Lucas personally remastered the image and sound quality of his baby.Other revisions are more obvious, if hardly radical. Lucas enhanced severalspecial effects with updated computer technology--most noticeable are theexplosions and removal of matte lines during the Death Star battle finale.And the creatures that populate Mos Eisley's spaceport--thoughmeticulous--are aesthetically superior improvements. The inclusion of extra scenes(originally outtakes), however, is not an improvement. Both the meetingbetween Jabba the Hutt and Han Solo, and Luke talking with his childhood palBiggs, do nothing to enhance character development or theme, and serve onlyas distractions that preoccupy the waiting viewer. And, really couldn't Lucasfind something better to do with his time than mess around with a nationaltreasure? As for the video, this boasts both visual and sound enhancements.But since Star Wars has been available with these tweaks numeroustimes before, the decision whether to purchase this latest new versiondepends on how badly you want to see Lucas's cosmetic surgery. --DaveMcCoy

The Empire Strikes Back
The middle film in George Lucas's enormously popular Star Wars sciencefiction trilogy is a darker, more somber entry, considered by many fans asthe best in the series. Gone is the jaunty swashbuckling of the first film;the rebellion led by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) suffers before thesuperior forces of the Empire, young hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) faceshis first defeats as he attempts to harness the Force under the tutelage ofJedi master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz), and cocky Han Solo (Harrison Ford) isbetrayed by former ally Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). In thetradition of the great serials, this film is left with a hefty cliffhanger.The leap in special effects technology in the three years since StarWars results in an amazing array of effects, including a breathtakingchase through an asteroid field and a dazzling, utopian Cloud City, whereLuke faces the black-clad villain Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice of JamesEarl Jones) in a futuristic sword fight and learns the secret of his Jedifather. Veteran director Irvin Kershner (The Eyes of Laura Mars,Never Say Never Again) took the directorial reins from creator andproducer Lucas and invested the light-speed adventure with deeper charactersand a more emphatic sense of danger. The special edition expands Luke'sencounter with the Abominable Snowman-esque wampa and establishes thecreature as a tangibly more terrifying beast, in addition to refining many ofthe existing effects. The trilogy is concluded in Return of the Jedi.--Sean Axmaker

Return of the Jedi
The high-energy, special-effects-laden conclusion to George Lucas's ambitiousStar Wars trilogy delivers the final confrontation between LukeSkywalker (a more confident and mature Mark Hamill) and his nemesis-father,Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones), as the rebel alliancemakes its last stand against the evil Empire. The film opens with animpressive set piece in the cave of the monstrous Jabba the Hut, who holdsboth Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) for hisdecadent pleasure until Skywalker comes to the rescue. The final battle pitsan enormous armada of rebel ships against the rebuilt Death Star, theplanet-killing weapon of the first film, while guerrilla forces battle Empiresoldiers on the planet below with the help of a cuddly army of pint-sized,teddy-bear-like creatures known as Ewoks (Lucas's one concession tomerchandising) and Skywalker confronts Vader and the emperor on theDeathstar. Director Richard Marquand invests the tale with plenty of humorand a vigorous sense of adventure without losing the seriousness ofSkywalker's mission. The special edition adds, among other effects, morecreatures and a bouncy song-and-dance number to the Jabba the Hut scenes, andan extended celebration that literally encompasses the galaxy at the film'sjubilant conclusion. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (777)

I love the Star Wars Trilogy S.E., warts and all...
I'm somewhat ambivalent about the Special Edition versions of the Star Wars trilogy. On one hand, I rather like the idea that Lucas decided to re-tool the legendary saga more towards his original vision of how he wanted them to look, using modern movie magic technology that had just been a far-off dream when he originally produced these films . On the other hand, I also feel that one should just accept a movie's shortcomings, despite the stature of legend they have attained, and just get on with life. But, I must admit that a lot of the enhancements and expansions worked fairly well, and looked convincing in most cases. Unfortunately, not ALL of the new moments passed muster in my eyes...

I was finally glad that some of the Biggs Darklighter footage was restored to Star Wars (aka prior to the Death Star run). For many years I've heard about these cut scenes- Biggs and Luke talking about the future on Uncle Owen's moisture farm, and the hangar reunion- and had high hopes of finally seeing them. Unfortunately, only the hangar reunion was put back in. The moisture farm intro may well be forever lost...

Another weird addition was Greedo firing first before Han plugged him from under the table in the Cantina. Talk about revisionist history! And the new Jabba scene didn't look that great to me. The CGI Jabba looks a bit too smooth. He was a good sight more wrinkled and warty in both Episode I (Before Star Wars) and Return of the Jedi. Also, you do NOT step on the tail of the most influential crime lord on the planet! I mean, I know they had to tweak the scene to make it work, but still! That should've called for Han's execution right there! Hey, is that Boba Fett hangin' out in the hangar with Jabba? Cool, now he's in all three films!

Then there's that concentric ring of energy that flies outward after the explosions of both Alderaan and the Death Star. Aside from being an unnecessary embellishment, I found this little addition to lack originality as well. This same effect was used in the opening of 'Star Trek VI'. Whoops... I just mentioned 'Star Trek' in a 'Star Wars' review... so much for renewing my fan club membership! Heh...

'Empire' has the fewest changes of the three. The only part I have a problem with are the scenes of Vader boarding his shuttle on Cloud City following his battle with Luke, then exiting his shuttle onto his flagship. Like the explosion rings, I found this to be an unnecessary embellishment; I already got the drift about how he got to his ship from Cloud City, all right? There's also a slight change of dialogue in one scene, following R2D2 getting spat out by the swamp monster in Dagobah. See if you can tell the difference!

I don't have too many complaints about the "improvements" done to Return Of The Jedi, aside from yet another energy ring expanding from the explosion of the second Death Star. The new Jabba's Palace band was pretty neat, but I still prefer the original three-piece band from the original version. I guess I'm just a sentimental kinda guy. There were a few scenes cut from the original release I was hoping to see (Vader force-strangling an Imperial Guard who blocks his attempts to speak with the Emperor, and an Imperial officer being punished by another Imperial guard for insubordination)... no such luck. The expanded Ewok celebration at the end was pretty neat to watch, and included an all-new John Williams composition that has become my second-favorite 'Star Wars' tune (right behind 'The Imperial March- Darth Vader's Theme', from The Empire Strikes Back of course).

I'm not an absolutist about the widescreen format, but in the case of the Star Wars trilogy, it's an absolute necessity. There's just too much happening on both sides of the screen, and you're likely to miss something important. In this case wider IS better.

I just wish they'd finally release these movies on DVD. Like many of the other Amazon reviewers, I too am getting a bit fed up of the constant VHS re-releases. Let's get with the times here!

'Late!

Best DVD's Ever
When the Star Wars trilogy arrives on DVD on September 21, the digitally remastered and restored films will be accompanied by over 10 hours of bonus material that goes inside the making of these classic movies.

Each film resides on its own disc, with sharp, pristene imagery restored and remastered by Lowry Digital Images, and the rich sound experience of the saga presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX. The films also include new commentary tracks, featuring insights from George Lucas, director Irvin Kershner, actress Carrie Fisher, sound designer Ben Burtt, and Industrial Light & Magic's Dennis Muren.

The fourth disc is packed with bonus material, the most notable being Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. This two-and-a-half hour documentary traces the evolution of the saga, from a low-budget labor-of-love space saga to the movie phenomenon that defied the odds and reinvented the rules.

This comprehensive documentary features all new interviews with George Lucas and more than 40 members of the cast and crew from the original trilogy, as well as a host of filmmakers and media personalities. Empire of Dreams includes some never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the three films.

Other material on the fourth disc includes:

Episode III Behind the Scenes Preview: The Return of Darth Vader: Finally, Star Wars: Episode III will reveal just how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, the most iconic villain in film history. In this exclusive preview, George Lucas discusses Anakin's descent, with a first look at the new Vader costume forged for Episode III. Also, experience how Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor have prepared for the epic lightsaber battle that has been anticipated for more than two decades: the climactic showdown between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Birth of the Lightsaber: Its unforgettable hum and scintillating glow are instantly recognizable around the world. Now, viewers will discover the origins of this elegant weapon from a more civilized age in this documentary devoted to the lightsaber.

The Characters of Star Wars: An in-depth look at how favorite characters came to be, featuring rare concept art, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with George Lucas and the cast and crew who shaped the screen's favorite heroes.

The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars: Star Wars opened up a galaxy of possibilities to a generation of filmmakers and creative talents. Hear from some of the most notable filmmakers of our time about how influential the Star Wars movies have been to their lives.

Star Wars Battlefront Trailer and Playable Demo: The fourth disc will offer a trailer featuring an exciting look at the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront video game from LucasArts, along with a special demo for Xbox users that lets players fight the Battle of Endor as a Rebel or Imperial soldier and drive AT-STs, ride speeder bikes and use different weapons to lead their side to victory. The full version of Star Wars Battlefront will also be released Sept. 21 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.

Star Wars: Episode III Making the Game Preview: Video-game players will be able to experience the stunning Jedi action of Episode III themselves in the new Star Wars: Episode III game, due out in Spring 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. This special feature shows how game developers at LucasArts worked behind-the-scenes and on the set to create the most authentic Jedi experience ever.

Original Trailers and TV Spots: The original theatrical teaser, launch and re-release trailers for each film, plus TV spots, are featured on the DVD.

Never-Before-Seen Production Gallery: Delve into an unseen corners of the Lucasfilm Archives with exclusive photos from the making of the trilogy, with hundreds of rare behind-the-scene images.

Posters and Print Campaigns: The original releases of the Star Wars films came at a time when international campaigns produced a wealth of intriguing, alternative poster art. Explore a collection of theatrical posters from around the world.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Content: The Star Wars Trilogy DVDs are keys that unlock exclusive content available only through a special DVD-ROM website.

M-I-G-H-T-Y F-I-N-E
the star wars trilogy was byfar the best trilogy I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all of the star wars movies were MIGH-TY FINE, and to the guy that said star wars was a LOTR rippoff, I can't see where you are going with your story, its nothing like LOTR, and I for one are one of those people you were talking about and as long as the star wars movies come out i'll help make Lucas richer!!

A Classic!
I just recently purchased a DVD player and knew that the Star Wars Trilogy would have to be in my collection ASAP. Of course I've these three movies many, many times, but for some reason I never tire of seeing them again. The first one brings back many childhood memories (my brother had a Star Wars themed bedroom!) and it's comforting to put it on just to have as background noise when my apartment gets too quiet. I guess that is the true meaning of a classic movie - you love it so much that it becomes a part of yourself.

The added interviews and such on this DVD were pretty insightful to me and the bonus disc of "never before seen" footage from making the three movies had me giddy with delight!

I can't imagine anyone not wanting to have this set in their collection!

Lord of The RIngs Ripoff!!!
The Star Wars legacy was directly stolen from The Lord of The Rings novels, which were publised in the 1950s. It's shameless, I tell you, shameless!

First there's Luke Skywalker, who has to leave behind his friends to face the evil all alone. But he gets to take along a little droid named R2-D2. This is obviously based on Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings. Then there are the wise Jedi Masters, Yoda and Obi Wan Kanobe. These two characters were obviously based on Tolkien's Gandalf.

Han Solo is a carbon copy of Aragorn. Princess Liea, the warrior hottie, is a ripoff of Eowyn in the Lord of the Rings. Chewbacca is just a ripoff of Gimli. And what about Boba Fett, the mysterious loner who is loyal to no one, who is only out for himself? This is just a ripoff of Gollum. The Death Star is really Mount Doom. Darth Vader is Saruman, and The Empoeror is Saruman.

And then there's Lando Calrisian, who is stolen from J.R.R. Tolkein's character King Theoden. You know, the cowardly ruler who bow's down to the bad guy, then finds his courage to fight! The storm toopers are just Orcs. And the most shameless ripoff of all is the Imperial Walkers in Empire Strikes Back! They are just like the Mumakil monsters in Lord of the Rings.

I can't believe how George Lucas become so filthy rich through thievery!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whether you love 'em or loathe 'em, you have to admit cats have become a force to be reckoned with. According to this playful, thorough two-hour boxed set, there are 10 million more cats than dogs kept as pets in the United States alone. Yet they have been domesticated for only about 4,000 years, compared with about 14,000 years for dogs. Perhaps because this alliance with humans is so relatively new, cats keep a bit of distance. And as this A&E documentary points out, that seeming aloofness is certainly part of the their appeal. There's great overview material here, including some fascinating segments on cats' physiology (a cat's ear, for instance, has more than a dozen muscles that can rotate the ear up to 180 degrees), grooming and purring habits, and love of play. The second volume discusses cats' behavior, especially in relating to humans. One touching segment focuses on an AIDS patient and how his vital signs improved when he retrieved a cat he had given away for fear he could no longer care for her. Another, hilarious segment shows how cats can indeed be trained (are you listening, oh ye skeptical dog owners?) to perform tricks, perform in TV commercials--even act in films, like the all-cat version of Romeo and Juliet by Italian director Armando Acosta. To fill things out, there's a lot of adorable footage of kittens chasing their tails and, our personal favorite, jumping straight into the air from all fours. --AnneHurley ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A & E's Incredible World of Cats
This is an enjoyable documentary that is great for the cat lover...
It is short and informative illustrating the history and nature of cats. It shows a wide variety of cats and highlights remarkable cats such as a mother cat who saved her kittens from a burning building. The photography is bright and cheerful and captures the personality of each cat portrayed such as Hemmingway's 6-toed cats.

More Errors In The Original Review
An archaeological expedition in Crete found a 9,000-year-old grave in which a man was buried with a (presumably pet) cat. Both the human and feline were posed. This pushed the domestication of cats back another 5,000 years. It looks as if Amazon should get reviewers who know what they're talking about.

correction to official review:
Note to Anne Hurley who wrote the "official" review:

Armando Acosta is NOT an Italian director. He is an American of Spanish heritage who currently resides in Belgium. Not sure why she thought he is Italian.

The best video for all cat enthusiasts!
I and my children (even my husband who is not a cat fan) enjoyed this video set very much. It takes one through the many aspects and personalities of cats. Including a visit to the famous Ernest Hemmingway House and the decendants of his famous six toed cat, a cat show, commercials and the training of the stars, as well as candid home shots and cats in their natural domestic lives, even cat heros! (They even play "Jingle Cats" music video which is said to be a favorite teaser to these furry companions who go bananas trying to find the cat in the speaker! :) )I enjoyed the interviews with some "experts" such as the presidents of the SPCA and national cat shows and their insights into their lives and behavior. This is deffinately a video for one who enjoys all aspects of a cat and their diversity in personality! ... Read more