Veggietales: All the Shows

All the Review
GREAT!! A MUST!!! This is Volume One (of who knows how many) so don't get tricked and think it's ALL the shows at once. But this is a GREAT collection! It contains the first ten shows (Where's God When I'm S-Scared - LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed [excluding Very Silly Songs]) on ten DVDs in a green fold-out box set. The case opens like a book and rows of DVDs unfold with two per "page"- one and then another slightly under it. However the DVDs (at least in mine) fall out sometimes due to there being no "push" button for some. The case includes beautiful artwork and interesting blurbs about some of the shows. The DVDs are the same DVDs from 2003 & 2004 just with new green artwork on them.

Love my Veggies!!
Clean fun...wish we had more of this!!! 10 dvds : They are just like the videos way back when...Where is God when I'm scared, God wants me to forgive them?, Are you my neighbor?, Rack,Shack, and Benny, Dave and the Giant Pickle, The toy that saved Christmas, Larryboy and the fib from outerspace, Josh and the big wall, Madame Blueberry, Larryboy and the rumor weed! The dvd includes the silly songs that came with the video version...just in dvd form.

Boy, did i SCORE!
Simply put, the more my children watch Veggietales, the more they want to watch. So, what's better than a 10-pack at a great price?! My daughter's going on 3 years old and my son is going on 2 years old. The dance EVERY TIME the Veggietales theme song plays. Sometimes we all hold hands and dance together. Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato are their heros. As we replay the CDs, my daughter talks more and more about what she's viewing and has a dialogue with both the TV screen and her little brother about the lessons being taught.

What a great way to teach children about the Bible, having a relationship with God through Jesus, and how we're expected to treat one another.

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Happy Anniversary, Parts 1 and 2

A treasury, highly recommended especially for public library collections.
The latest in the Emmy award-winning series for Outstanding Children's Animated Program, Arthur Season 10 collects nineteen of Arthur's public television adventures on a thinpack set of five DVDs. Eight-year-old anthropomorphic aardvark Arthur Read and his friends confront the joys and difficulties of everyday life, from issues that arise out of keeping secrets to the experience of going to the hospital. Special features included closed captions for the hearing impaired, described video for the visually impaired, and downloadable teaching materials including the "Let's Read!" activity booklet for families, in English and in Spanish. The cheery, simple animated style combined with a matter-of-fact presentation that never patronizes children makes Arthur Season 10 a treasury, highly recommended especially for public library collections. 4.5 hours, color.

Great Show!
This is a great collection of shows from the 10 year anniversary season. My 4 year old goes absolutely nuts over this show. My 13 year old even watches it with her but won't admit that she still likes it - yet somehow whenever it comes on she seems to end up in the room. Hmmmm, coincidence? I think not. Great job, Arthur!

fan since 5 yrs old
seriously, this is the best show ever. i'm 19 yrs old and i still watch arthur even after more than 10 yrs. I remember when I used to be in Kindergarten and I would watch it everyday. it's my childhood memory :)

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Auntie Mame

".....Boxed, like Proust!"
There are certain roles that are inextricably linked to their portrayors. Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Yul Brynner as The King of Siam, Ethel Merman as Madame Rose, and, of course, Rosalind Russell as Auntie Mame. Rosalind Russell was, in my opinion, a class act. The lady had style, warmth, modesty, and a great acting talent, particularly in comedy, especially the fast-talking kind. Sure, she had some career misfires, such as her unconvincing Jewish mama in "A Majority of One", and her "slumming society dame" Madame Rose in "Gypsy", but Roz reigned supreme in comedies such as "The Women", "His Girl Friday", and, of course, "Auntie Mame" which, having created it on Broadway, it became HER signature role. Her performance is recorded for generations to come in this delighful film. Also on hand from the original Broadway cast are Peggy Cass as the frumpy, would-be butterfly Miss Gooch, and Jan Handzlik as 9-year-old Patrick Dennis,...

Life's A Banquet--and Auntie Mame Invites You To It
The Patrick Dennis novel was a runaway bestseller--and it was soon followed by a stage version starring Rosalind Russell, who was born to play the madcap Mame in this story of an eccentric, fast-living society woman of the 1920s who "inherits" her nephew when her brother died. Determined to "open doors" for her adoring nephew, Mame exposes to him everything from bootleg gin to oddball characters--all the while doing battle with her nephew's ultra-conservative trustee, who is equally determined that the boy's life remain free of "certain influences."

This is a knockout show, and Rosalind Russell delivers a knockout performance in it--easily her finest comedy performance since 1939's THE WOMEN. She is extremely well supported by the sadly under-acknowledged Coral Brown in the role of Vera Charles, an actress who passes out in Mame's apartment with considerable regularity, and Forrest Tucker as the Southern gentleman who becomes her knight in shining honor; the supporting cast, which...

One of the best that isn't on those Top 100 lists
This is the one and only version of Auntie Mame that anyone should ever see. Rosalind Russell is brilliant as the eccentrically loving Mame who takes in nephew Patrick and includes him in her madcap life. Having been charmed by the original release of the film back in the '50s, I had the great pleasure of introducing my (now-adult daughter) to Mame--thereby bringing another generation forward to share the pleasure of the production.

Dealing as it does with the highs and lows of Mame's fortunes, her loves and losses and, always, her devotion to Patrick, there is great comedy, genuine sentiment and some wonderful social comment as well. While Russell always turned in fine performances (The Women, most notably), she put subsequent wannabe efforts to shame. The Lucille Ball version (in which she looks as if she was shot through Vaseline-covered cheesecloth) is lamentably bad, going for cheap laughs. But there is nothing cheap about this, the original. From Mame's efforts to be a...

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Martin: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2

A Great Deal
I have been wanting this DVD for a loooong time but I just hadn't gotten around to it. I'm glad I waited because now I have both seasons 1 and 2 for nearly the price of 1 season alone! I was a bit leery of ordering it since there was no photo available but since it shipped straight from amazon, I figured it was safe. Both DVDs arrived together in the normal packaging. The DVDs are great. I have already seen each episode! This has everything from Sheneneh's date with Kid (from Kid n play) to Martin's crazy trip to LA and his proposal to GIna. This was definitely a good buy for me.

Best sitcom on DVD
Oh my goodness, Martin is so funny. I own both seasons 1 & 2 of this series and I can't wait until the third season comes out on dvd. The characters that Martin brings to life on the show are hysterical and they show what a comedic genius he is. There is no other show like it on television and I don't think there will be for a very long time. It's original and outrageous, with great characters that play perfectly off of one another. No one will be able to watch any episode without laughing, so just sit back and enjoy.

So FunnY
I absolutely love this show and the price for 2 seasons can't be beat. Get it, you won't regret it!

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Sean Connery 007 Collection Volume 1

shaken, not stirred...
First of all, the good; there's no Bond like Sean and these transfers are stunning. The color is a little over saturated, but probably true to the Technicolor palette of the early 1960's. The crispness of the images and lack "fly specking" is remarkable. They advertise these as "state of the art" restorations and if these first three are any indication, they've broken the code on how to transfer older film onto digital media. Now, the bad news; there's only three films on 6 discs; one for each movie and one for the "extras" for each movie. Additionally, they've gooberd up the intros with a whole batch of adverts and way too many alternates before you get to the start. However, once the opening credits end you're transported back to a pre Vietnam 1962 where everybody assumed spies traveled the world knocking off bad guys and no one gave a whit about any perceived moral implications. The first couple Bond films weren't considered campy by the standards of the day and most people...

The First Volume of the Best Bond Actor of All Time!
Undeniably, though some will argue the point, Sean Connery is the best Bond of all time. Countless polls continue to rank him as number one! He was the orginator of the role when the late Albert Brocolli & his then partner, the late Harry Saltzman started producing the Bond films almost 50 years ago! How time flies!
This volume set contains in chronological release order Dr. No, From Russia With Love & Goldfinger. It is a 6 disc set which mirrors the ultimate editions which were released on dvd years ago. Therefore, the Special Features should be identical without the inclusion or deletion of any previously released material.
For those of us on a budget this year & must scale down the amount of purchases, this is of great value. Also it gives the potential buyer the option to buy exactly what he or she wishes, without buying every volume scheduled for release.
Highly recommended for any & all Bond fans!

James Bond and Sean Connery as always
How can you go wrong with the original James Bond? This is a collection of the finest beginning movies that Sean Connery did. Dr. No, From Russia,with Love and Goldfinger. I bought this to add to my already existing collection so that I could watch these movies when I'm feeling nostalgic. Most of the time I am feeling this way because now I am retired, living alone and need the diversion of some really great entertainment. You won't go wrong ordering this DVD Movie collection.

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The Ref

My Favorite Christmas Movie
Okay: if the "eff" word offends you, don't buy this video. However, if you grew up in a dysfunctional family in which your parents argued about absolutely anything while you were required to cheer, you'll love this comic holiday tale of a burglar who wanted simply to make his last heist and retire to the islands. Unfortunately, he's attacked by the dog Cannibal; his alcoholic partner deserts him; and he kidnaps a couple who resembles his own parents: two chronic arguers who would pick at each other at the very edge of doom. My mom was obsessed with certain Scandinavian traditions, and when the comedy cuts to a Swedish sit-down feast during which all participants wear garlands of candles and eat traditional Swedish food, I practically go into cardiac arrest. This is not only one of the funniest films ever made, but also it is an accurate portrayal of the nightmare which Christmas becomes for so many middle-class families. Dennis Leary, Kevin Spacey, and Judy...

My favorite Christmas movie
It's true. This is my favorite Christmas movie. Now, be warned, you have to be a fan of smart, talky movies (think of comedies from the thirties and forties). The uniting of Judy Davis, Denis Leary, and Kevin Spacey was inspired, and Christine Baranski and Glynis Johns (one of my favorite stars when I was a kid) provide extra pith to an already pith-laden production.

Now you know, of course, that whenever you get Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary in one film there's going to a lot of talking and a lot of ranting, and the rants are truly delicious, topped off with Spacey's line: "The corpse has the floor!"

Judy Davis more than holds her own with Spacey and Leary, and B. D. Wong is delightful as the overwhelmed psychotherapist. As everyone gets a number in a musical, everyone gets a rant in The Ref, reminding us again of why two people argue: because they're both right.

Give yourself a treat and don't wait for Christmas to watch this one.

The Ref: An Underappreciated Sleeper
If you're looking for an intelligent, witty, and biting comedy, you'll find exactly what you want with Ted Demme's THE REF. A first-rate cast (headed by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, multi-nominated Judy Davis, and a surprisingly full-rounded performance by Denis Leary) takes you into the lives of an unhappily married couple and their down-on-his-luck kidnapper on Christmas Eve in a wealthy suburban Connecticut town. Other invaluable cast members include Glynis Johns, Christine Baranski, Raymond J. Barry and a cameo by Broadway's B.D. Wong. In what must be considered a "black comedy", Spacey and Davis throw verbal knives at each other throughout the course of the film, all with an underlying knowledge of their love for each other. Be prepared to laugh out loud at a one-liner one minute, and to be touched and heartwarmed the next. I have watched this film over and over again, without ever failing to enjoy it from start to finish. PERSONAL NOTE: I remember Gene Siskel...

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Sons of Anarchy: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2

More than I expected.....
The product arrived more timely and was of superior quality to that which I had expected. I have enjoyed viewing this series for the two seasons available and am ordering the third season, when available later this year. Excellent buy and service by Amazon. Gord Ferguson

DVD Season Set...
Great Value...much cheaper than going to walmart. awesome story line..action packed Bikers with some morals/Drugs?ATF/Corrupt Cops?fire arms/ and Romance all in one show!

Awesome Price!
Love this series - I couldn't believe the price 38.99 for season 1 & 2. Can't wait for my hubby to get them for Christmas - He is going to be SOOO surprised!

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Love and Other Disasters

good movie that no one knows about
Love and Other Disasters is a film that very few people even know about. I happened to catch it, maybe 4 years ago as part of the Toronto International Film Fesival, when it was one of the movies showing that year. I saw it with two friends and we all enjoyed it very much! It's light...it's funny...it's cute...a great date movie...and has something for all adults, gay and straight alike (as it has a slight gay element) who like a good romantic comedy. After we saw it.... we never heard another thing about it. It never apparently found a distributor, and never was shown in theaters, to my knowledge. About three years later...it appeared on DVD. I have owned a copy since it came out on DVD and we had one of our "Movie nights" at our home with 8 or 9 friends over, and everyone enjoyed it a lot!

What amazes me in the movie business is all of the total garbage movies that get made and shown in theaters every week..... bad, awful, poorly made and poorly acted films that...

Brittany Murphy 1977-2009
It was such a shame when young and vivacious Brittany Murphy died in December 2009 at age 32, depriving the film world of her sunny countenance. Along with the biopic of rapper Eminem, 8 Mile -- 8 Mile (Widescreen Edition) -- this was my favorite Brittany Murphy film.

A few words of disclosure are necessary about this film. "Love and Other Disasters" is a romantic comedy set in London. There is not one original idea in the script and just about every movie cliche to be found in romantic comedies is in this movie to wit:
-- Murphy is a fashion designer with a mixed up love life.
-- She befriends a gay photographer (who is actually not gay) that loves her.
-- There are several other gay male characters in the film with mixed up love lives.
-- In fact, all the characters in the film have a mixed up love life.
-- All the actors are employed in the arts -- once writes a screeplay...

Difficult to dislike
Whatever your taste in good movies, you will like at least some parts, if not all, of this movie. Even if you find it hard to embrace this movie, you will find it even harder to dislike it.

At the risk of being controversial, I will rate this movie above multi-threaded ensemble movies like "Love Actually", "Crash", "Valentine's Day" and "New York, I Love You". The surprise is in a singular actress carrying the entire movie, supported by a cast of relatively unknown but competent actors.

As I am writing this review, James Taylor is coming on "live" at the Oscar presentation (this is Oscar night, 7th March in the USA) with Brittany Murphy being remembered on screeen, and her image reprised at the end of Taylor's solo "In My Life". We will never know if she would earn an Oscar one day, but from her performance in this movie, it is not possible to rule out her future potential. I have watched "Ramen Girl", "Uptown Girls" and the Futurama with Brittany's voice,...

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Soldier [HD]

To enter the future you have to leave the past.
Soldier is a rare experience that is far more than the plot, which has been outlined by the editorial comments. This is a journey taken by a strong warrior into his own humanity. I cannot even count the number of times that I have watched this movie, but I know it is more than twenty. I see more each time.

Kurt Russell's extraordinary and powerful acting skills make Sergeant Todd real. Successfully creating a character without dialogue is an art -- and he mastered it. This movie provides insight into today's violent world as well.

Todd has known nothing but war or training since he was born. He was conscripted in the hospital; he never knew love, or laughter, or how to play. He obeyed orders and did not speak unless spoken to. The perfect soldier could not have emotions. If the only way to kill an enemy was to kill innocent victims, then he did what was required.

Todd is the best soldier of the "old timers," and he has been bested a new, genetically...

Fear . . .Discipline
This is one of the great, unsung science fiction films of recent times. The story revolves around a future where soldiers are segregated and trained from the crib to be merciless, killing machines. Kurt Russel, in a great performance, plays one of these soldiers who are soon to be replaced by a genetically enhanced new breed of soldier. Sgt. Todd 3465 (Russel) is believed killed in a training exercise and disposed of like yesterday's garbage on a waste-disposal planet. He survives, finds refuge amongst a colony of planet refugees, and tries to fit in.

This is, on a very rewarding level, a tremendous action film. Russel's nemesis in the film, Sgt. Caine 607 (played by Jason Scott Lee) is an imposing presence, and the fight scenes between the two are excellent and convincing. The special effects and battle scenes are impressive as well, and really transport you to a harsh, bleak, metallic future.

On another level the film is about the discovery of emotion in the highly trained...

One soldier against the dictatorship. -- Shirley Keller
It's a 10. Superb acting by Kurt Russell; directed by Paul Anderson, genius behind _Blade Runner_. He captured the essence of dictatorship and its opposite: individualism. Initially the protagonist, Todd, follows orders, used as a means to the ends of the State, a fighting machine who's then discarded. But Todd survives being dumped on a heap of refuse on a desert planet, to make his way to a small settlement of free people. There he learns what it means to have selfish values and to love a woman. When the totalitarians return to threaten her, only Todd can destroy them. Fight scenes and interpersonal dynamics were masterfully done. This is not a simplistic action movie with bullets flying everywhere. This is action melded with intellectual strategy, melded with a deep philosophical message. A sci fi classic, right along with Blade Runner.

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And Then Came Lola

Waste of celluloid!
Has the bar been set so low for lesbian cinema that movie watchers would actually review this movie with high marks? Apparently, the answer to that question is yes. The script and acting are so bad, I had to actually stop it at times and cleanse my palette while watching the Discovery Channel. Out of respect for gay cinema, I watched the whole movie. That's over an hour of my life that I will never get back. The acting wasn't even as good as an NYU student film and the places left in the script for a bit of improv ended up being stilted and awkward because the actors were terrible. The overt and awkward sexual references throughout the film became hard to watch. They were inappropriate at times and at others just plain stupid. Ugh. I hope there are better projects in store for the writers/director/actors of this film because this one is forgettable.

Did I miss something?
A lot of people seemed to like this movie and I'm surprised by that. I thought it was boring. It reminded me of a lesbian version of groundhog's day, repeating the day until she got it right. I must have missed something because it seemed to me that two thirds of this film was spent watching a character run... and run....and run... and run.....

Had potential, but it was lost in the run
The plot? Lesbian A has to rush a set of portfolio photos into the waiting hands of girlfriend Lesbian B. On the way there she runs around San Francisco, encounters various obstacles, does some soul searching, and gets to repeat the same journey in three different versions. Because it's about lesbian characters set in North America, sitting in front of a psychotherapist at some point is inevitable. What is absolutely amazing about this film, however, is that a movie about lesbians with San Francisco as the location has not one, single dyke in it -- not even in the background of the lesbian bar where Lesbian B hangs out for most of its 71 minutes. In Trendy Lesbian Planet, the main characters can pass for straight (in comfortable shoes, of course), have fashionably slender figures, and dildos are never too far from reach. But not even the occasional (ho-hum) sex in this film could keep me from picking up the newspaper to finish reading it.

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Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol

"Guys, we've really got to go quite quickly. I've just accidentally got engaged to Marilyn Monroe."
I'm not saying that this is the best Doctor Who Christmas Special, but I am saying it's my favorite one. Cripes, what would we do without cell phones or the Internet or BBC America? Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor with his first festival episode, and I was all anticipate-y. Steven Moffat crafts a perfect tale inspired by Charles Dickens' classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The twists come plenty and frequently.

We first catch up to the Doctor's companions - the newlyweds Amy Pond and Rory Williams - on Christmas Eve as they honeymoon in a luxurious space liner carrying more than four thousand passengers. One of the best things about this episode is that things race along at a heady clip. It's not long at all before the space vessel goes all wonky, gets trapped within the peculiar cloud belt of a human-habitated planet. Amy Pond transmits a distress signal to the Doctor, who arrives and learns that salvation lies solely at the hands of the planet's most powerful man, Kazran Sardick...

A brilliant, entertaining Christmas fairytale, Doctor Who style...
It's a rare occasion that I do a review, but I couldn't pass this one up. This Christmas special was simply brilliant. For me, it's hands down the best Christmas special to date. It's a truly magical Christmas fairytale-ish story, done in somewhat atypical Who-niverse fashion. I just loved it. I had no issues whatsoever with the characters, the casting, the story... it was all just brilliant. Even the "personal timeline" stuff didn't bother me in the slightest - it made for a compelling and somewhat awe inspiring storyline that I really enjoyed (and didn't expect!). And besides... yeah, the cardinal rule of not crossing personal timelines... rubbish, really. True Who fans can probably cite off the top of their heads a half dozen examples of when the Doctor blatantly violated that rule, going all the way back to the 3rd or 4th Doctor even. The way I looked at it was that this was not ordinary Doctor Who anyway... this was the Christmas special... and I thoroughly enjoyed the...

My favourite Dr Who Christmas Special
I am not someone who cries easily and during the David Tennant's time as the Doctor , I became tired of the emotional manipulation that I was meant to feel , but this epidode,genuinely touched me. I loved Matt Smith's performance as the Doctor. I could not keep from laughing at most of his antics but was equally moved by the bittersweet love story that we saw between Abigail and Kurzan.Of all the modern interpretations of a'Christmas Carol' I have seen , this one had the most heart.

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The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Series

It's great to have all the episodes, but a few things are missing...


This is unbelievable and probably one of the best "gifts" I ever bought, seriously....
My 6 year old son had been talking about the Hulk for several months, he plays with Hulk games as well as the on-line game. I remember telling him about the television show and how I used to watch this show every week when I was growing up.

Well a few days before Christmas this year I decided to search for the Hulk television show in the hopes that I might be able to buy the entire series. I had no idea if it was even available and it was. When I factor in the hours and hours of entertainment that this gift has brought this is an amazing deal. I figured if my son, wife and 4 year old daughter didn't watch it, I would. Well as soon as the Hulk arrived and I put on the first episode EVERYONE was glued to the tv. My wife, who never saw the original tv show and a person I did not think would be into this said, "I love it, this is really a very well done show".

We are taking our time watching the series and watch about 3 episodes a week. We are now up to the...

great content, packaging could be better designed
I just received The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Series. I watched the pilot so far, and the video looks great considering how long ago the show was on television. It looks just about as good as you can get TV content to look on DVD. The DVD menus are well done.

With regard to the content of the series, I assume most are buying the whole series because they are fans of the series.

For those who aren't fans (plot spoiler of the pilot here, though), but are of the movies, the show was and is now on DVD a much deeper story than any TV or big screen adaptation of the comic character The HULK. You have a story starting with Banner having a dream which shifts to a nightmare. First, he is having a dream of good times with the love of his life, but it turns to a nightmare when it shows the car accident that actually happened. He is only injured slightly, but his love if trapped in the car and David makes desperate attempts to get her out. From there, after he...

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Bubble Guppies / Team Umizoomi: Into the Snow We Go!

Episode Listing
This DVD contains three Winter Holiday themed episodes from the Bubble Guppies and Team Umizoomi. Amazon doesn't always do a good job on their DVD episode listings so here are the episodes that are included on this DVD:

1. Bubble Guppies - Happy Holidays, Mr. Grumpfish! - Mr. Grumpfish doesn't like the holidays, or does he?
2. Team Umizoomi - A Sledding Snow Day - UmiCar become UmiSled for sledding fun.
3. Team Umizoomi - City of Lost Penguins - Baby penguins escape and the team must rescue them.

Partly cloudy with a 66% chance of snow
This half-hearted collection only includes three episodes from the popular Nick shows "Bubble Guppies" and "Team Umizoomi". The first two ("Happy Holidays, Mr. Grumpfish" and "A Sledding Snow Day") fit the bill: these chilly adventures are lightly educational and entertaining at times. "Team Umizoomi" is definitely the weaker show, but since that episode follows the winter theme it's at least tolerable. Unfortunately, the third episode ("City of Lost Penguins") has very little to do with winter: a group of 50 penguins is scattered from the zoo and the team must rescue them using math, patterns, and all their typical tricks to outsmart The Trouble Makers. So basically, there are three episodes (60 minutes total) and only about 40 minutes of snow.

In my opinion, only the "Bubble Guppies" episode is worth watching more than once, and the $15 price tag for what amounts to 60 minutes of cartoons is pretty much a rip-off. If that weren't enough, these episodes (like most...

Enjoyable way to spend time with my grandchildren!
This combination of NickJr children's shows is perfect for my 3-year old granddaughter who loves Bubble Guppies and Team Umizoomi. She was so excited with this video that she wanted to watch it several times instead of the holiday cartoons that were playing on television.

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Aliens and the Old West [HD]

Bottom of the Barrel Theories:
After season 1, I wondered how much more material could be presented to continue these fascinating episodes. Season 2 was incredible, it gave new life for a fresh and hopefully long-running series. Unfortunately, it seems that the well is running dry as Season 3 lacks the attention-grabbing information. The quality of the material being presented has declined.

The first episode: "Aliens and the Old West" featured too much of the newly released film "Cowboys and Aliens", but did offer some interesting viewpoints. Nearly every episode that followed seemed to re-hash the same subjects of religion, spirituality, gods, and ancient traditions of man.

Many scenes elaborate on the mysteries of our past and speculate in which manner these events are interpreted, but do not offer relative connections between these events and tangible extraterrestrial theory. The show seems to be straying away from solid theories & evidence and is moving more towards superstition,...

Amusing Speculation, But The Premises Of The 16 Individual Shows Is Decidedly Hit Or Miss In The Third Season
I know the History Channel has faced a lot of criticism recently as their viewing schedule has veered away from classic historical content to shows with more entertainment pizzazz. To my mind, "Ancient Aliens" seemed the perfect program to bridge the gap. Tales of mysterious and unexplained phenomenon, folklore and legend, and intergalactic speculation cross all international boundaries and are an inherent part of ancient history and cultural iconography. And as this documentary series began in its first season, it did a good job acknowledging the various interpretations of alien myths across the globe. However, the more we progress--the theories and/or premises behind the show have become a little thinner, a little more hit or miss. I suppose that was to be expected as the program has already delved into the biggest, most well known, and most supported mysteries in earlier seasons. Thus, Season Three (while always entertaining) had its equal share of fascinating speculation...

3rd Season In The Books & Still Impressive.
It's not everyday you'll see tv shows like this that deliver great visuals from around the world along with some very interesting information. Ancient Aliens has opened up many doorways as to where our origins might be, and it's up to the viewer to either run with these possibilities or not. Most of these famous sites from this series will probably never get fully explained but one thing is for sure, we are not alone. Below, I have provided some imformation of my own for those who are interested.

Episode listing for Season 3:

* = Fair
** = Good
*** = Excellent

01) Aliens and the Old West *
02) Aliens and Monsters ***
03) Aliens and Sacred Places *
04) Aliens and Temples of Gold ***
05) Aliens and Mysterious Rituals **
06) Aliens and Ancient Engineers ***
07) Aliens, Plagues and Epidemics **
08) Aliens and Lost Worlds **
09) Aliens and Deadly Weapons **
10) Aliens and Evil Places ***
11) Aliens...

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Newsies (Collector's Edition)

From a straight, male reviewer! Wow!
From the looks of it, I MAY be the only male reviewer posting positive for this movie, but of course I only read the first several reviews, not all 300 plus. I saw Newsies when it first came out in the movies. I believe it was a double feature, with Aladdin or something, can't remember which. I guess I was around 17. I've always been a loyal Disney fan, and I do love many musicals. This was an instant classic for me, sort of a male version of Annie, which came out a decade or so before, and is also excellent. And I seem to recall that Annie and Popeye, two faves of mine, sort of marked the end of live-action musicals. A real shame. Newsies proves that great musicals can still be made, but it also proves that it can take some time for most modern people to admit they like it. The story is about the 1899 strike of the New York paperboys. The central characters are Jack Kelly, a streetwise orphan played by Christian Bale(the main reason most females love this movie), and David Jacobs, a...

This movie is a MUST see, works for all ages! =D
"Newsies" is a very fun filled movie based on actual events of the newsboys strike. Its educational, but it does not lack in fun. The choreography amazes , and astounds me. The music is wonderfully put together and catchy. I find myself singing it throughout the day. The lead characters Jack Kelly played by Christian Bale, puts on an astounding performance (The ladies will fall for him quickly, I know I did) as the leader of the Newsie pack who first decides to go on strike, his friend David helps him by giving him the words to say to start it, and stands by his side to help fight for their rights. Its touching and it fills your heart with excitement and joy. Don't miss out on this wonderful musical. One of Disney's absolute BEST! I first saw it when I was 12, and I loved it then, and I LOVE it now! Go see it, You won't regret it.

Simply in the wrong place at the wrong time
The world was not ready for a return to the days of the movie-musical when "Newsies" was released in 1992. A box-office flop, it has quickly risen to cult classic status with fans everywhere. Newsies is based on the true story of the New York newsboys' strike of 1899. Granted, Disney is guilty of "improving the truth a little", but doesn't any musical, where people break out in spontaneous song and dance, require one to put reality aside for a while? This film tells the tale of the newsies, led by tough, street-smart Jack Kelly (Christian Bale) and intelligent, reasonable David Jacobs (David Moscow), who form a union when Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall) ups the price of newspapers from fifty to sixty cents a hundred. The street children - with names like Racetrack (Max Casella), a compulsive gambler who steals many scenes with his wisecracks - are aided by a newspaper reporter named Brian Denton (Bill Pullman). Together the unlikely company endures many...

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Bob's Burgers: The Complete First Season

Wonderful show - doesn't assault your sense of decency like so many other comedies these days
I must admit, I strongly disliked the first episode. I turned it off twice on Hulu before finally finishing it. I just barely convinced myself to watch the second episode, and... it was inspired. Bob pretends to be stuck in the walls of his house to escape his family, and slowly goes insane (mostly because he has nowhere to poop). Consistently original and very funny. And most subsequent episodes were equally quaint and amusing.

Over time I realized there were a few fundamental reasons I liked this series more than a lot of other comedy shows around, especially Seth MacFarlane's.

#1: The family is nice to each other, despite how kooky they all are. They are supportive, and clearly accept one other implicitly. That to me is a breath of fresh air in today's comedic landscape. A year or two ago I gave up on Family Guy (after the episode where Quagmire insinuated he would have sex with his daughter once she turned 18) because I was just fatigued by the constant...

Brilliant & Quirky Animation Series on Fox
Bob's Burgers in one of those shows not everyone is going to love. But, this quirky little show always makes me chuckle.
This show really is a standout among the other shows in Fox's Sunday night animation line up. The animation isn't pristine, but that really adds to the charm of the show. What really stands out here are the wonderful character's voices. I'm so glad that Fox has picked it up for a second season. Hopefully it will find a following and will stick around for awhile.

Love this series
I love the whole enchilada about this series and I look forward to reading the blackboard specials that always have a movie based theme. I feel this one smacks abit like Dr. Katz but without the wiggles, and thats a good thing- I love the humor

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Stick Together

Corny to me, but the one-year-old? She's IN LOVE!
Yes, I know. I'm a big tv & book snob. We home school and eschew many things in pop culture. So if you try to tell me that this show is not good enough you are preaching to the chior. It's corny. And silly. And sickeningly sweet. And unrealistic. And I could go on, but think about it. People talk baby talk to little ones all the time and that's corny, silly, sickeningly sweet and unrealistic. We do it because we think they are cute & also because they respond to simple, animated, happy interaction. The producers of this show understand that. This is the only show my one-year-old loves. She has been hooked since about 9 months. As much as I hate to admit it, it grew on me and my husband. Our 13-yr.old rolls his eyes & bangs his head against the wall when it comes on, but even he can't deny how adorable it is to see the huge grin on her face & the little diapered bob & sway this show always elicits.

After a while I noticed that the primaries in the show are extremely...

Great Show
Really people? The show is made for kids not for adults. Do they care about whether or not the actors are changing their clothes? Are they concerned about production value or the acting quality? And frankly, I find it more entertaining than Yo Gabba Gabba which I find completely creepy. My son LOVES the music. It gets him moving and that's really all I care about. This show is really the only one he reacts to when it's on. I hope they keep creating new episodes! :-)

Kids Love it
I have to admit I was not a fan at first. But then my 4 year old started singing and dancing along and I'm hooked. And so is my 1 year old. As soon as the opening song comes on my 1 year old drops what she is doing and runs (yes runs) over to the TV. She bounces her little butt and laughs. For those who are putting this show down...as a lot of others have said...this is for kids not you. And I may not be a trained and professional musician or dancer but I think they are very talented (Kiki, the one in pink is trained in Opera by the way and has been playing violin since she was 3 for all you snobby people who say they have no talent). It is wholesome, teaches working together, and gets kids into music and dancing. In my opinion, one of the better shows out there. I highly recommend!

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IMAX: Deep Sea (Single-Disc Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray Combo)

Ultimate IMAX
here is a listing for those interested:

1. Space Station
2. Mission to Mir
3. Blue Planet
4. Destiny in Space
5. Cosmic Voyage
6. First City in Space
7. The Dream is Alive
8. Hail Columbia!
9. Deep Sea
10. Into the Deep
11. Galapagos
12. survival island
13. Hidden Dimension
14. Secret of Life on Earth
15. China: the Panda Adventure
16. Mountain Gorilla
17. NASCAR: the IMAX Experience
18. Mark Twain`s America
19. Fires of Kuwait
20. T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous.

3D Review by a 3D Connoisseur
My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

In addition to the title scenes 5 more out of screen effects extend an impressive 50% of the way, from the screen to the viewer. Another 20 reached 25% or more and many are in the 5 to 10% range.

EXCESS PARALLAX in a few of the scenes make it hard to mentally assemble the 3D.

Far better than Wild Ocean in every respect

*** Visually stunning sea floor & creature footage in crystal clear 3D ***

MY 3D RATING = VERY GOOD (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes are different. What I see at 25% you may see at 15% or 35%. To fully realize how far something is out of the screen for you, pause on an effect and direct a partner with an extended finger to the tip of what you are seeing. You may be surprised.

Click on `See all my reviews' for the lowdown on other 3Ds

AMAZING 3D MOVIE..... But not for the price!
As I write this review the price on this sucker is $37.99! Maybe that wouldn't be so bad if it was a full length movie with a DVD and digital copy however you are just getting a 3d disc and a blu-ray disc with 40 minutes of film (You are basically paying $1 for each minute!)

Aside from the price the movie is GREAT! I was lucky enough to get this movie free with my sony 3d tv and it is definitely great to show off to friends! As I said... its about 40 minutes long and includes some of the most beautiful under sea shots you'll ever see. As far as the 3D effects go, it won't disappoint you! The 3D gives you the depth effect as it should in an ocean setting. It really looks as though you can walk straight through your tv and swim with the sharks (don't try that at home). Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet do a great job narrating while Danny Elfman gives us some fun music to listen to!

Overall i give it 4 stars with the price not being an involvement. It missed the 5...

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The Office: Season Three

Painful, hilarious
OK, so it's an imitation of a British show. But it's a good imitation. The Pam/Jim saga is heart breaking and wonderful, the Dwight/Jim hostility is satisfying in a naughty way. The supporting characters are wonderfully real and flawed. Not to single any one of them out, as they're all worth watching (and how often can you say that about such a big cast), but Creed is a scream. How many layers of creepiness can one guy have? I haven't mentioned Michael Scott (Steve Carell) because his obvious comic brilliance is sort of compromised for me by the pain of watching his character in action. It's almost too painful to bear.

Utterly fantastic
This is by far one of the most clever and creative shows on television. It delights in taking a politically incorrect stance about just about everything and, in so doing, shows how susceptible we all are to stereotypes and prejudice. To say that this show is a sendup of corporate culture is really only discussing one aspect of the show. It is a complex and colorful story whose characters continue to grow and to shock and amaze the viewer. It also happens to be one of the funniest shows I have ever had the pleasure of viewing.

This season is a standout because of the continuing evolution of the characters. Like real people, they sometimes act in ways that seem out of character but are the perfect example of the contrast between the face we put on in public and what really makes us who we are on the inside.

One of the best examples of the evolution of the character of Michael Scott can be seen in "The Job". As always, Michael assumes too much and thinks too...

The Office - The Most Compelling Show Not Yet Cancelled
Not too long ago, Arrested Development had me laughing hysterically, dropping my jaw in shock, and then laughing even more hysterically every episode. Until, of course, it got canned.

I went through all 5 stages of grief. Denial: another network will pick it up! Anger: why this show? WHY? It is so funny! Bargaining: Cancel my other favorite shows, I don't care, just don't take this one! Depression: A show this funny will never come again! NEVER! *Cries*

It wasn't until I saw The Office, specifically season 3, that I finally reached stage 5 with acceptance. This show is not only as hilarious and shocking as Arrested Development, it actually has a sweet sprinkle of heart that Arrested Development never really had.

The Pam/Jim struggle has always been compelling, and season 2 left off with a frustrating cliff hanger. But this time, the romance is switched from Jim chasing Pam to Pam chasing Jim. It's truly compelling TV, watching Pam try to win...

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The Wire: The Complete Third Season

Great news! Series 3 on DVD - at last!
HBO have at long last, decided to release this on DVD and thank goodness. The Wire is undoubtedly the best TV around these days since "Homicide: Life on the Street". No surprise then, I guess that the same man (David Simon) had/has a big hand in both series.

Unlike most crime/cop shows that have a beginning, middle and end in the one episode, the story here is spread over the entire series. We're seeing stuff that kicked off in Season 1 still developing in Season 3. Some viewers find this challenging - this certainly isn't a show you can watch while cooking dinner or chatting to your buddies on the phone. It's sad that ratings have dropped though because if you give the show the undivided attention it deserves and focus on the story, complex as it is, the rewards are truly immense.

After the drama on the docks that was the main focus of Season 2, Season 3 takes it back to the streets where we most like it. The Baltimore drug wars rage on, with Avon Barksdale,...

Way down in the hole? Hardly
After a virtuosic first season and an ambitious (but not quite as thrilling) second season, The Wire's third season proved to be the best one yet. Even though it hasn't been embraced by the public at large (like, say, The Sopranos), the show has received gobs of critical acclaim and delivers the goods, too, every week. I think that not only is The Wire a better show than The Sopranos (which is, admittedly, a truism), but it is a show which better reflects our post-9/11 mindset than its erstwhile New Jersey neighbor. The Sopranos is a product of another time, the zeitgeist of the late 1990s, with its constant putdowns of moneyed, whining, shrink-visiting, latte-sipping, politically-correct hipsters (the Eagles song "Get Over It" being perhaps the definitive cultural manifesto of the time). That show produced three excellent seasons of TV, but then 9/11 changed the world and Tony, Paulie, et al, never managed to get back ahead of the curve. The Wire was formed in direct response to 9/11...

Best Show on HBO!!
I watched Seasons 1 & 2 again last week and came to the realization that it was the best show on HBO. I used to have Sopranos in my top spot, but the Wire has passed it. It has the patience and intelligence I wish the Sopranos could consistently maintain. However, the Wire has only had three seasons and the Sopranos six, so it is might be harder for Chase and crew.

Season Three picks up where Season 2 left off with Daniel's new team investigating the dope in Baltimore. Like the two previous seasons having a theme (1-streets & police, and 2-dock workers and smuggling) this season involves the politics.

Season 2 is still my favorite, but all three seasons are amazing. The third continues the standards of the previous two seasons with excellent writing, acting, and pacing. Robert Wisdom who potrays Major Colvin and Aidan Gillen who plays Councilman Thomas 'Tommy' J. Carcetti are excellent new additions who hold their own to an exellent ensemble.

Thank...

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John Luke After Dentist

I needed a little more Happy Happy Happy
I kept seeing Duck Dynasty in the news but really didn't know what it was all about, so I decided to watch a free episode on A&E. I'm really impressed, so impressed that I have now watched every episode from the beginning of season 1 to the most recent. The Robertson family is genuine, funny, successful and above all they are a Christian family not afraid to show their faith to the world. Research a little deeper than the show and you will find that they are actively living out the Great Commission, spreading the gospel and baptizing new Christians in the river near their house and this was even before the TV programs made them popular.
I very much recommend this to anyone that wants to laugh, needs a lift, needs to see that its okay to stand for your faith and still have a really good time or just wants to watch a program that isn't full of debauchery or disfunction.
Robertson family, I wish you many more years of influence on America.
Season 4 promises to be another...

Hilarious FAMILY show
Not only is this show hilarious as it follows a family of self-proclaimed redneck millionaires, it is safe for the whole family. The family became millionaires by inventing a duck call but that hasn't stopped them from eating squirrel or spending most of their time in the woods. They are a close knit family with a quirky uncle. It's really funny, and I love that I can watch it without worry about my kids being in the room. It is the clean family show we've all been waiting for!

excellent quality
The picture quality is excellent, and the Robertson boys never disappoint. No profanity, a refreshing change from the usual cable trash TV.

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Ancient Aliens: Season 5 Volume 1

ALL 12 EPISODES OF SEASON 5 ARE HERE!
Even though it says 'Volume 1' on the case, all twelve episodes from season five are contained on 3 DVD's. Now by "Lionsgate" - expect a slightly different start-up configuration than previous seasons (due to Lionsgate Logo & titles when the discs first 'boot' up). Also, discs are now black with silver text and do not have the traditional 'Ancient Aliens' photo on them.

Disc 1 automatically proceeds to Trailers instead of Main Menu. You can override at that point by selecting the Top Menu button on your DVD Player remote. The disc will then skip to the more familiar 'Selections' screen of recent previous seasons - whereas you can select 'Play All', 'Episodes' & 'Subtitles'.

If you elect to view an individual episode instead of 'Play All', it will begin to play immediately, without giving you the 'Chapter' options available on previous seasons. Each Episode has the normal AA intro and is approximately :44 minutes (the Trailers add additional total disc time). All...

Why volume 1 ???
I would like to know why it says "Volume 1".

That normally implies this would be only a partial selection of episodes. An incomplete season. If that is the case... a lot of people are going to be upset. If that is NOT the case... then the idiot who created this page needs to correct the title with accurate information. The ONLY time you use Volumes for DVD TV series episodes is when the season is incomplete. You need to CLARIFY this if you want customers to do advance purchases. Is this the full season five episode set or not???

The SAD part is this "Volume" listed on the main title will cause people not to order... which will then be misinterpreted as a lack of interest in the show or the DVD's... when it is your use of the word "Volume" creating the concerns of missing episodes and causing people to hesitate to order the item.

As for blu-ray... to heck with Blu-ray and its overpriced scam to control the market. DVD is less expensive and is not...

Excellent Series
I don't know why they have this as Volume 1 - apparently there were 12 shows for season 5 & this has all 12 shows. Excellent series and VERY interesting. They are providing AN explanation, not THEE explanation and they certainly provide an excellent argument! (For supposedly very primitive cultures without the technology - some things that even today we would have trouble duplicating - they provide a valid explanation.) Very fascinating and I hope the series continues! It DOES have English Subtitles for the hearing impaired. No extras.

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The Soul of Genius [HD]

Somewhat butchered
Check the Internet Movie Database where these episodes are listed as lasting 120 minutes. PBS has chopped them down to 90 minutes although some sources claim ONLY 10 minutes has been hacked off. It was particularly noticeable in Fearful Symmetries where the episode seemed so badly edited that it was at that point that I decided to see if it had originally been longer. Yes, it had. It is a pity that the original is not available. Very disappointing. Amazon Prime only gives the 90-minute version. PBS and Amazon both ought to do better.

Clarification of UK vs. USA releases of "Inspector Lewis"
There is a serious lack of clarity in the first three reviews of the "Inspector Lewis" series.

I own the Series One through Four of the UK versions, released by ITV Studios, [...].
Series Four includes the four episodes:
The Dead of Winter
Dark Matter
Your Sudden Death Question
Falling Darkness

These are not the episodes in Series Five of the USA release, as described in the Amazon editorial comment.

Hope this helps decision makers. FWIW, the UK versions play wonderfully on my Pioneer DV-220KV-K all-region DVD player
which I purchased from an Amazon partner especially to play "Inspector Lewis".
To be able also to view the PAL version of "Blythe Spirit" is a great joy!

PBS Inspector Lewis, season 5
This is the American blu ray of season 5 of Inspector Lewis by PBS. The numbering for the British and American releases of Inspector Lewis series are numbered differently. If you see the PBS on the DVD or the Blu Ray, you have the American version.

I have all of the Inspector Lewis and Inspector Morse sets, which are an outstanding series.

The PAL DVD set is always cheaper than the American DVD, and sometimes a better picture. The American blu ray is better than the British Blu Ray, by a little bit. The British Blu Ray is usually close in price, unless there is a price cut, then British Blu Ray is usually will cost less until the American blu ray does the same price cut.

I agree with most people, we do pay more for our DVD sets(American) than British DVD. It does pay to have a region free DVD player.

I will be buying this new blu ray set, season 5 of Inspector Lewis by PBS when the price decreases.

Later Add:

I...

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FLCL: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

A Review of the Blu-ray Disc Presentation
FLCL, or Fooly Cooly is standard definition digital animation. As such, you'll never see a true HD presentation for this wonderful show. This Blu-ray Disc is an upscale of the SD material.

What's the benefit then to owning this show on BD instead of DVD? Artifacts. I own the original SyncPoint DVDs. Despite only having two episodes per disc and being derived from a digital master, those DVDs are ridden with very visible and distracting macroblocking and mosquito noise. It's a matter of how old the discs are and how inefficient the MPEG-2 codec is.

This BD presentation of FLCL is not perfect. It's been sharpened a bit, so the line work stands out a bit more than I think it's supposed to. The colors are also more saturated than they were on the DVDs and I found it a bit distracting. Aliasing is present, but that's unavoidable with SD material. The aliasing is far worse on the DVDs.

Despite being an imperfect upscale of SD source material, the BD for...

Your head is empty!
Anime can be pretty weird -- just look at series like "Paranoia Agent" and "Boogiepop Phantom." Really weird, sometimes impossible to totally understand.

But for sheer strangeness and kookiness, the winner has got to be "Fooly Cooly (FLCL)." Even as it pokes fun at typical anime, it tells the surrealist story of a very odd coming-of-age, complete with strange plots, oddball characters, and robots sprouting out of a young boy's head.

Naota is a young boy living what he sees as an oppressively dull existance, in a quiet city dominated by the Medical Mechanica building. The closest thing to excitement is fending off the advances of his brother's troubled girlfriend Mamimi.

Then sudenly a girl on a Vespa runs him over, resuscitates him with a smooch, and then bashes him over the head with a bass guitar. That evening, Naota finds that instead of a bump, he has a horn growing out of his head, and no idea what it is or how to get rid of it.

Despite...

The Blu Ray is a GOOD UPSCALE
I own the new Blu ver. Its sitting in front of me. I also own the US DVD from the first time it was put out on shelves on this side of the pacific. The difference is minimal but on some of the area shots or even the background shots, like the first scene of the bridge or building shots, things look a lot better, which I can't really figure out, but everything else is just a slight improvement as one would think it should be since it is an upscale. The new cover art though is what really makes it for me though. The packaging is amazing and it looks like some one in funi's graphic arts department had been working on this for a while, one might even think before they had it. I am such a huge fan of the series that all the before mentioned was enough for me to re-buy.

If you already own the series though and it didn't change your life as a teenager or lead to you finding your unified theory on life, then its debatable if the $20-30 for the Blu is worth it. Its good but I would...

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The Count of Monte Cristo

Count on revenge, and then some.
After attending the release of "The Count of Monte Cristo," a friend made the remark that he believed the movie could benefit from additional fight sequences. Immediately my mind shot back to last year's "The Musketeer," also based (rather loosely, I might add) on another of Alexandre Dumas' famous classics. In that film, character development, story, and tone were sacrificed for the sake of creating yet another movie in which a choreographer of Chinese descent was allowed to make an impression on action aficionados by dazzling them with techniques reminiscent of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

What a relief that this latest adaptation of a Dumas novel strays from the usual clichés and redundancy of bringing a classic work of literature to the screen, coming out as a sturdy, well-guided costume drama that combines action, intensity, passion, and most importantly, revenge. With a script that keeps much of the novel's intricacies intact, a cast befitting of their roles, and...

Not the Story, but Enjoyable Nontheless
If you have never discovered the wonderful world of Alexandre Dumas, I urge you to run, not walk to the local library or bookstore and obtain a copy of "Le Comte de Monte Christo." I also recommend reading the unabridged version of this classic tale about a man who takes revenge on his enemies. One thing is certain: do not attempt to take the lazy way out by watching this adaptation of Dumas's novel. Two hours will never be enough time to adequately express the majestic beauty of this novel written by a phenomenal storyteller. Having said that, I enjoyed immensely this version of the story starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and Richard Harris. Period pieces are often fun to watch, and this one is no exception. With a few problematic exceptions, "The Count of Monte Christo" is an entertaining film.

The tale, if you are not familiar with it, focuses on a French sailor named Edmond Dantes. On a trading trip back to Marseilles, Dantes had the misfortune to stop at the island of Elba,...

A surprisingly fresh and superb adventure film
In this time of fire and explosion oriented blockbuster movies it is indeed refreshing to find a remake of a classic novel of the quality of The Count of Monte Cristo currently available. I happened to nonchalantly choose this film at the DVD outlet as a source of viewing background for an evening of desk work. WRONG! This superbly made film of the Dumas' novel is excellent and gripping on every level. The quality of the film, shot in Ireland and Malta, is visually stunning, the story remains true to the original, and the cast is outstanding. James Caviezel makes a star turn in the title role, aided by the always excellent Guy Pearce, the veteran Richard Harris, the here venomous James Frain, a fine and very different role for Luis Guzman, and the elegantly beautiful Dagmara Domincyzk. The movie is beautifully paced, the long prison scenes allow Caviezel and Harris to create tremendous rapport, and the age old theme of REVENGE has rarely been played out so well. This is a...

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Made in Staten Island [HD]

DVD quality is suspect!!!!
I love the show MobWives but was very disappointed after spending $41.00 on this disc set. I question the disc quality despite being sealed. Are these discs knock-offs??
The first 2 discs were scratched upon opening--lost about 10 minutes of video on each disc due to skipping from the scratches!! Terrible quality!! And why does the volume on the discs go up and down? I have never purchased such poorly made DVDs!!
Amazon should be responsible but lo and behold--when we log in they have no record of the purchase. Shame on VH1 for selling such crappily made discs through a questionable site like Amazon! So disappointed! It's enough to turn me off of the series altogether.
Shame on VH1 and Amazon!!! Do not purchase!!!!!!

Inferior Disc Quality
I LOVE this show, and was so excited to get this for Christmas. Small disappointments, as others have mentioned, is it is not totally unsensored. Also, my favorite song, Big Big Bang, is NOT the theme on these.

Now the MAJOR issue...My husband and I watched ONCE after receiving (handled only by him), and when I brought them out last night to watch again, was horrified to find they now skip and drag. The DVD player made a loud whining noise throughout the entire disk(s). The sound does fluctuate, but it is slight. Keep in mind, my kids have a few movies of their own, that are incredibly scratched, yet still manage to play fine with absolutely no issues. There should not be any problems with brand new DVD's. I told my husband, who flipped the disk over to take a look, and discovered a lot of little fine scratch lines. The underside is also a blue color, which none of my other (over 300 DVD's, including boxed sets) have. He then proclaimed they are made on cheap quality disks...

Poor quality
Ordered twice and both copies the audio and video didn't sync. It was worse than an old Japanese Godzilla movie.

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VeggieTales: Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson's Hairbrush

Missed the Mark?
Some Veggie Tales are safe to plop your kid in front of so you can fix dinner in peace, because you know it's just a fun break for them with encouraging themes and a much better alternative to programming on TV. This isn't one of them.

Not to state the obvious, but different parents are going to have different ways in which they want their kids dealing with situations. Parents should simply be aware that in this episode of Veggie Tales, "turning the other cheek" means telling kids that it's okay to get beat up by a bully as long as they show the bully they're not afraid. What?!

The second story segment with Minnesota Cuke simply talks about not using a position of ability or prominence to hurt others--even if they've earned it. No problem, and good idea--I'm all about the mercy thing.

However, it's the first segment, with Junior Asparagus dealing with a playground bully, that's more disturbing, and unfortunately, purposely made to be very realistic. I...

Oh Where is The Hairbrush?
With two letters asking what to do about bullies, both Larry and a slightly bullied Bob decided it's the topic to cover in this episode.

"Bully Trouble" is up first. It finds Junior Asparagus faced with a bully that doesn't want to share the neighborhood playground. Will his daydreams help? Or will a talk with his father set him on the right path?

Our main feature is the title. Our hero, Minnesota Cuke, is on a quest to find Samson's hairbrush and gain its power to defeat all the bullies of the world before it falls into the wrong hands. Like the Canadians who want to control both sides of Niagara Falls. Or his old nemesis Professor Rattan. But will Minnesota turn into a bully himself? And does the hairbrush really have Samson's strength?

And of course, I can't forget the silly song. "Pizza Angel" reminded me of some song, I just can't place it. Either way, it's the tragic tale of Larry late at night waiting for the pizza he's ordered. As...

The Kids and Parents All Loved It
I was able to attend a preview of this DVD on Sunday before it was released on Tuesday. The kids were all given stickers and activity books on their way into the showing and had snacks following. A puppet play with Veggie Tales characters preceeded the showing.

As with all the Veggie Tales series I thought it was cute, but a little silly. It is an obvious satire of Indiana Jones. The theme (stand up to bullys with kindness, strength, and a willingness to turn the other cheek) comes across very strongly.

The kids and their parents loved it. It makes a good addition to the Veggie Tale collection.

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White Oleander [HD]

Triumph
This is one of very few examples of how a great book can be made into an equally good movie.

Screenplay is brilliant, story line is very closely kept with the book, which is always a must contrary to popular beliefs. Directing is excellent, casting even better. Watching these actors playing these characters almost made me forget that I was watching the movie and not the real life. Watching Astrid shad her innocence and step into womanhood through hardship and deception was as magnificent to watch as it was painful. And should I even speak of Michelle Pfeifer? She has an Oscar written all over her for that performance. Her glares alone deserve a recognition. Lets not forget excellent performances by Renee Zelwegger and Robin Wright Penn.

For all those (man) who think this is a chick flick (much like I thought before I watched it) it is not. This is a story of love, deception, transformation and letting go. A story about how all of us have to find our own path in life regardless...

Memorable Performances in a Highly Dramatized Movie
White Oleander, featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Lohman, is the movie based on the book by Janet Fitch. Viewers of the Oprah Winfrey daytime television show and readers will recall that this book was one of Oprah�s book club selections. Now this compelling and disturbing book has been brought to the silver screen in what many viewers will agree was an intriguing and well-crafted movie. And rarely, if ever in my opinion, has a movie been so finely done or as faithful to the book as was done in this movie. In addition the cast was well chosen and the performances are creatively superb, handling a most difficult subject.

Michelle Pfeiffer, in the lead role, plays Ingrid Magnusson, a single parent and artist who is raising her adolescent daughter Astrid played by Alison Lohman. Ingrid is an incredibly selfish woman with a Bohemian lifestyle who treats Astrid more like a friend than her child. While Ingrid�s life is dictated by her passions and whims, Astrid...

Good and hard
This was an intense, powerful extraordinarily well done movie that is so good it hurts. Think Sophie's choice. It's about a teen-aged daughter whose mother gets herself sent to jail for a long time, leaving the daughter to drift from foster home to foster home. We see a sweet kid exposed to situations that turn her hard, angry, jaded. And while we watch this we know that this happens every day, every minute to kids all over the world, millions of them.

Michelle Pfeifer is amazing as the self absorbed, possibly borderline possibly sociopathic mother who tries to manipulate her daughter remotely, from jail. Alison Lohman plays the teenage daughter. She does a great job and shows terrific promise as a versatile actor. With her next film, Matchstick men, directed by Ridley Scott, she's off to a great start, with a good half dozen films already under her belt.

This is a great movie, but don't expect to walk out feeling uplifted. Try feeling like you've been hit in the stomach. Still,...

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The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season

"Mmm...64 slices of American Cheese" Homer's midnight snack
The Simpsons DVD sets so far have been jam-packed with extras, commentaries, and creative menu pages, which may be the reason the seasons are fairly slow in coming out. I am getting a bit antsy because the next 7 seasons or so are so great, but good things come to those who wait. Season five has some of my favorite episodes. Some were pretty rare to see in syndication and now almost impossible to see as the current reruns seem to concentrate on the later seasons. Here are my season five highlights:

"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" with an appearance by George Harrison. This parody of the Beatles is very clever, especially Barney's girlfriend, "the Japanese conceptual artist."

"Rosebud" is in my top 10 Simpsons episodes ever. Mr. Burns is obsessed with finding his boyhood teddy bear Bobo. It is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. The best part is when Smithers dresses like Bobo to try to, uh, cheer up Burns.

"Bart's Inner Child": Self-help guru Brad Goodman is impressed...

Whoo-hoo!
Seems like Fox Studio is getting faster at pumping these DVDs out. The fifth season might be where the simpsons jumped the shark pit, but I'll leave that discussion to the ubernerds. The fifth season includes the following episodes:

Homer's Barbershop Quartet: While looking through old records, the kids discover their dad was in a barbershop quartet. Guest appearnce by George Harrison.

Cape Feare [sic]: Side show bob is out to kill Bart and the family is put in the witness relocation program. Includes the famous "hello Mr. Thompson" scene.

Homer Goes to College: After a nuclear plant inspection, Homer has to go to college. The episode is a send up of popular college movies of the 80's (e.g. Revenge of the nerds or animal house). Homer falls in with the nerd crowd.

Rosebud: In a long turn of events, Mr. Burn's childhood teddy bear ends up in Maggie's hands. Burns and Homer negotiate for the return of the bear. Special guests: the...

This is the season I've been wating YEARS for.
Finally! A great holiday gift for myself. This is the Simpsons at their peak. Seasons 4, 5, and 6 were the prime of this series. There have been great shows since, but this period was consistantly the smartest, funniest, fastest paced era of the Simpsons, and I consider season 5 to be the master piece. In my opinion, 5 of the top 10 episodes of all time, are in this set. The Beatles parady set to early 80's Barbershop quartet. Deep Space Homer's Classic 2001 Homage with the potato chips. Homer improvising dinner for the kids while Marge is out gambling. The Animated Open to "The Tompson" in Cape Fear. And perhaps the greatest episode of all time, The Citizen Cane Parody with "Bobo."

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"Blood Brothers" Part 1 (of 4) [HD]

Powerful and Epic
I found the artwork and animation to be the most powerful piece of this series. The 'stop motion' is what captivated my attention to a scornful glance, tilt of the hand, or pose full of such rage and hatred that left me eagerly anticipating what I would notice first in the next scene. I found the style a little reminiscent of what Frank Frazetta would have come up with if he delved back into animation. The scenery had enough artistic impact that I had to take a few screenshots to use as desktop backgrounds.

If anyone is coming here because of the Avengers movie, be forewarned this is not the devilishly handsome, honey-voiced, Tom Hiddleston Loki (though there were quite a few scenes in here that I couldn't help but imagine how Tom would have said it). This is more what I expected from Loki of the norse myths. This was an older, more experienced, more paranoid, and more eloquent Loki. His musings and confrontations were wonderfully acted by David Blair.

I had...

Awesome story, worthy of the Norse Gods
If you're looking for an action packed story, you may be disappointed. However, if you want to peer deep into the psyche of the God of Mischief, then you'll love this. A sad ending that makes you wonder "what if? "
PS: For those who are complaining about the animation, don't. It's not that kind of animation.

Loved it!
I found the animation to be somewhat strange and awesome at the same time and I loved the way the story line progressed throughout the episodes incorporating a view from a different angle on the whole mythology of Loki vs Thor. Give it a chance, you might love it like I did.

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Power Yoga Collection: 3 Full-Length Programs

Excellent! 3 hrs of yoga, great value
Rodney Yee is one of the best yoga instructors out there. This includes 3 full length 60 minute practices taken directly from 3 previous dvds, all conveniently included on one disc. Rodney Yee doesn't focus too much on the mental/spiritual side of yoga, nor does he only speak of the physical benefits, thereby providing a nice balance that I think would appeal to most all yoga practitioners.

His voice is soothing and his cuing excellent, making it easy to flow through the poses and achieve an almost meditative state. I firmly believe all levels could benefit from this dvd, though some prior experience with yoga is recommended. I attached links to the individual workouts included in the disc below, as well as the web address where you could find my more detailed review for each. Here I will just say that each of the 3 practices is unique and different from the others and they are all wonderful. This disc is a great value and a necessary addition to any yoga fan's...

A replacement for classes
I really liked the video, partially because I got it at a nice price. There's three lessons, each an hour long. They assume familiarity with yoga. There's very little in terms of correcting common mistakes or explaining how poses work. They have the feel of a taped yoga class, rather than a cheesy "yoga abs in 15 minutes" sort of deal.

My definite problem with Rodney Yee is that the difficulty seems a little off. He does the standard thing where he starts with standing/downward dog poses, then progresses on to ground work. His standing poses are generally quite easy, he doesn't even specify chaturangas, hold planks for any length, or other steps that are helpful for building strength. But then on the groundwork, he is weirdly flexible and assumed the viewer is the same, doing forward bends in near-splits and so forth.

I'm interested in a "yoga for athletes" video for the strength benefits, not because I'm already super-flexible and want to keep at that...

Great set
I've been doing yoga for about 5 years and wanted some home dvds with different routines to try. This is a good set. I love 2 out of the 3 routines. I'm not that fond of the athlete dvd even though I am very active myself- it uses some poses sitting in a chair, etc. But, the other 2 dvds are great. They are flowing routines and Rodney does a good job of describing the poses. The power yoga dvd is your typical power yoga sequence like you'd take at a studio. Very thorough routines that get the whole body. By the way- this is for intermediate yoga students. I wouldn't recommend this if you are brand new to yoga (you might try Barbara Benagh's stress relief series if you're new because it moves much slower and goes into great detail explaining the poses).

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Dinosaurs - The Complete First and Second Seasons

It's the dinosaurs, got to love them.
Finally, after all the years of tortuous waiting Dinosaurs has been released to DVD! This is truly an excellent and hilarious show that has won numerous awards over the years. For those of you who are interested, this is a list of the episodes included in this four disc set of DVD's which includes both season one and two.

Season 1 (1991)

1. The Mighty Megalosaurus (original air date 4/26/91)

This is the first, and one of the all time best episodes of Dinosaurs. Earl has a talk with his newborn son and tells him about the days preceding his hatching. As his tale progresses, he relates his hilarious attempt to attain a raise from his vindictive boss, B.P. Richfield, and the subsequent results. [Overall episode rating : 5 stars.]

2. The Mating Dance (original air date 5/3/91)

Fran, Earl's ever complaining wife, is becoming depressed due to all the work involved with caring for the new baby. As time progresses, Earl eventually...

A Show Before Its Time
Dinosaurs was a cutting edge comedy that was definitely before its time.

This cannot truly be considered animation nor a puppet show. Each character had two performers. The first was an actor in a dinosaur costume that did the visual. The second was a voice actor. This created a unique hybrid.

Add to this a writing team that was not afraid to make fun of itself. (Great scene - The family is watching Unsolved Mysteries when Robert Stack says, the next episode we will investigate why people watch this show when a much better show is on another network. --At that time Unsolved Mysteries was Dinosaur's competition.)

The show of course takes place during the Jurassic period and the dinosaurs rule the place like humans, while the humans are cavemen who are wild.

The first season was a summer show with five episodes. The second season was a full season with 24 episodes.

Let's hope that they release the last three seasons...

Funniest animation ever!!!
As others have said, this was a show ahead of its time. Its sometimes biting satire was extremely well done. But it wasn't always satirical. It displayed love, family values, the foibles of raising children and many other human emotions and societal situations.

I used to use episodes for my college level management course, especially the ones featuring the WESAYSO company (Earl's employer) and intereactions between Earl and his boss. Those situations were closer to the truth about corporate life than at least one of the previous reviewers can face.

The hurtling of Ethel (an amazing character) was a wonderful satire on what we do with our senior citizens in this culture.

Buy this 2 disc set and keep an eye out for the next editions. I am.

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Disney's A Christmas Carol (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

A new holiday favorite!!!
As another reviewer stated I also consider myself a Christmas Carol afficionado. I read the book each season and watch every version I own, which is substantial. I find it to be quite faithful to the book exept for the few instances he mentions. Yet, the film does contain other minor details such as the fact that Scrooge was suffering a cold at the time. However, they do not ruin the movie for me at all. Can I do without them? Yes, I can but they do not in any way detract from a wonderful movie that stays very close story-wise and dialogue-wise.

This movie is absolutely gorgeous to view. I can not wait to get this on Blu-Ray. It completely captured the feel of an 1800's England Christmas. I found the ghosts to all be unsettling and as my wife said "That was actually scary!" It may not be for kids to be honest. And I think that was the point - this wasn't originally written for children, it is a Christmas ghost story which was a very popular thing to do at the...

Great movie, great representation of 3d
I couldn't disagree more with those who have given this a low rating. I saw this movie in the theater, in 3D and thought it was one of the better movies of the holiday season. Although I couldn't quite understand why it was released so early, it should have been more of a Christmas time release instead of Thanksgiving. As far as the film itself I thought it was a good update on a classic story. While I don't consider myself an aficionado, I do know the story well and found it stayed true enough to it. The warmth and humanity of the characters is definitely still present. Then of course there is the 3D aspect, which completely blew me away. I've seen most of the 3D releases in the last year or so, and with the exception of Avatar this movie did the best job of utilizing it. Actually, I am more excited about this movie being released in 3D than any other movie, including Avatar. I'm just happy you'll be able to buy this movie alone and not bundled along with a TV. Hopefully this is the...

Best movie of all time (not just 'cause my Dad wrote the book)
I came with an open mind. This, after all was the story my father had told us children, when we were snuggled up warm in our beds. He would plant a dining room chair in the hallway. And from memory he recited "the story of Scrooge." It was a little frightening, to be lying there in darkness, a bit of light streaming in from the hallway, as your father's voice suddenly turned all funny. He became, in turn, three spirits - voices different from Scrooge's own.

Dad did that each Christmas eve. Until we grew "too old for that," as he explained one year while putting his shaving soap on the tree, after putting up all the decorations, including the battered angel - the one my Mom got, that first Christmas in 1936 when Dad planted his first kiss on her lips, as they danced (he said) to English band leader Ray Noble's THE TOUCH OF YOUR LIPS.

Pardon my reverie . . . I just wanted to establish my credentials, for saying . . .

This is not merely the best version...

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Megamind

What happens when the supervillain unexpectedly wins?
Megamind is something of a mix, but a good one. On the one hand, it takes the existing traditional tropes of comic-book superhero and supervillain and works within them, but at the same time it ventures into territory that one rarely sees, going one step beyond the traditional to answer two questions: (1) What really makes a supervillain truly 'bad'? and (2) What happens when the supervillain unexpectedly wins?

The film starts off with a traditional hook - Megamind apparently falling to his doom - and then flashes back to the beginning, with the origins of the two classic protagonists, superhero Metro Man and supervillain Megamind, each sent out as an infant in a spacepod from their respective doomed homeworlds. From there, however, things begin to take a twist. Megamind is the supervillain, but more from bad luck than anything else (Metro Man's pod lands in a mansion where he is adopted by rich parents who give him everything, Megamind's pod on the other hand lands in a...

3D Review by a 3D Connoisseur
My ratings are based mainly on the QUALITY OF THE 3D, not the video content.

There are about 173 out of screen effects that extend about 10% of the way, from the screen to the viewer. 22 made it to 15%, 19 out to 20%, 36 more at 25% and 2, 30-35%. That's a lot of OOS effects. In addition there are quite a few quick 25-40% effects piled near the title scenes but the 3D in them is a somewhat flawed. However, very few 3D flaws elsewhere in this film. I would have to say my favorite effect is the baby juggling / drooling sequence around 30% approximately 10 minutes into the film.

This movie earned a 4 way tie for the # 2 position on my shelf. For 3D quality and humor, it ranks right up there with the 3 other animated greats, Open Season, Rio and Ice Age.

*** Another Must see ***
*** Add it to your list ***

MY 3D RATING = EXCELLENT (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)

Note: As far as the percentages go, everyone's eyes...

A complex plot with an exciting ending...
"Megamind" is the story of good vs. evil - or is it? The movie starts out with a very cute blue baby being sent to earth in a rocket by his parents to save the infant from the destruction of the planet. As the little blue child is rocketing toward earth, a another child (who is very handsome) is also heading toward earth in a similar rocket. Both children crash land on earth, but to different fates. The beautiful child crash lands on a big estate where he is adopted by a rich family and given everything. While the little blue child crash lands in a prison and is adopted by the prisoners who teach him the ways of evil. Both children are highly intelligent, but due to their circumstances, one grows up to be a superhero -Metroman (voiced by Brad Pitt) and the other a supervillain - Megamind (voiced by Will Ferrell).

Metroman and Megamind spend their lives locked in the classic battle of good vs. evil with Megamind always losing and ending up in jail. Until one day, Megamind's...

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