Aristocrats | Boing, We'll Do It Live!

MUST HAVE - Simply Outstanding
I started on guitar in 1972 at the age of 11. I have not put it down since. Back then you got your chops on your own; by listening to records, lifting riffs, jamming constantly with older, more mature and hopefully better musicians, and enduring a lot of abuse from the same older, more mature, and hopefully better musicians for the privilege of watching them up close, or even sitting in every so often when they felt magnanimous. Mastering a new lick, or coming up with a new original short burst of a riff was a wet dream. There were no instructional tapes, CD's, DVD's and certainly no free internet lessons. If you were lucky and could afford a teacher, you learned what HE wanted you to learn, not what was floating on the airwaves. Eventually you found your own voice, style and tone, and maybe, just maybe you began to aspire to something more, venturing into the world of professional performance.
I opted out of the professional performer bit in my late 20's, after close to 2...

SUPREME GUITAR MADNESS! GREAT
Great DVD, GREAT SOUND, GREAT BAND, weird surroundings/small audience, DVD 5.1 audio by Steven Wilson!
This is quite a massive dose of instrumental madness. The sound is spectacular. The picture is great but don't expect concert-style lighting as there is none. It is similar to the visual feel of Greg Koch's "Guitar Gristle DVD". In some ways it's good, because it's bright and you can see the performances well. Camera work is very good. Govan is a little Vai, a little Holdsworth, a little Beck, a little of everything,-even country! He could be accused of over-playing at times but this is just a ridiculous demonstration of chops by all three musicians.

I was initially dissappointed by the "interviews" from the bonus section, but others may find it to be a unique approach. They are more along the lines of instructional/informational segments pertaining to the songs construction.(Basically a glimpse into how they work which is a new twist) I would rather have seen some...

A great watch, or two.
First off The Aristocrats are an acquired taste, meaning not for everyone. Definitely not for the faint of heart, for music majors only. Much like Animals As Leaders, Liquid Tension Experiment etc. This is all music, lots of good technical stuff, slow songs, and just a wide variation of all type of music. Jazz, metal, rock, swing, blues, you name it. It's not a DVD you'll watch then repeat, watch again then repeat, maybe one song, but this is just over two hours of nonstop music. No vocals kids. ;o) I think it's great, but after about an hour, i had to take a break. Then watch the rest. So yes it's intense, is that bad? Nope, it is what it is. For major music lovers only. Also i might add it's not HD but the sound is incredible, it's a very small room, venue.

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Your Worst Animal Nightmares

Excellent Show
I saw this on clearance at my local video store. Just to be clear, I don't like watching loads of gore and tend to steer away from stuff like "Saw" and similar fare. However, I do enjoy a good animal attack show. So, I went back and forth for a while on whether or not to buy this, as I didn't want anything too horrific. But, it was cheap so I took a chance figuring I could always sell it if it wasn't what I expected. However, this show fit the bill perfectly and is now a prized part of my DVD collection. Most of the stories take place in Australia and involve shark or crocodile attacks. There was one snake story. The re-creations are very well done and appear quite realistic without going overboard on the gore factor. While it does sadden me that these are true stories with real victims, it is still a very good show. If you find animal attack stories the least bit interesting, watch this show. It's extremely well done and horrifying/fascinating all at the same time.





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Popular Mechanics For Kids - The Complete Second Season - 5 DVD Set (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Great programs for 9-13
These are highly entertaining and informative shows...great for young adults
I suggest that you would not be sorry to own these just the opposite...you will thoroughly enjoy them

Engaging Show for kids
My 9 year old loves this series. I added it to his play list on a lark that he might find it interesting. He is watching it like crazy and talking about what he's learning!

Popular Mechcanics
My son likes this show a lot. It's educational and interesting for kids and adults. My only issue is that you have to review the episodes before you watch them because some of them are not good for a younger audience (gross, scary, violent).

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Keys To The VIP - "Anthony vs. Nick @ Mink Nightclub" [HD]

great show
i love this show. every episode is very entertaining and fun to watch. i watch all of season one already and back for season two





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Secrets of the Valley of the Kings [HD]

EDucational and enjoyabel science
A great way to spend about an hour and learnin something at the same time. The script is well written but the jumps between scenes chapters seemed to be time stretchers. I recommend this.

Interesting film
This film left me wondering about the real Columbus, who he was and where he came from. Injoyed watching this program. Yes., I do recommend it to anyone interested in history



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Pergolesi: Il Flaminio [Blu-ray]

Another great discovery
So far we've had two excellent productions from the Fondazione Pergolesi Spontini at Jesi that have extended appreciation of Pergolesi's opera seria work - Adriano in Siria and Il Prigionier Superbo - and in the process shed a little light upon the practices of 18th century Neapolitan opera with their Intermezzo comedies. For anyone who has enjoyed the lighter side of Pergolesi's work seen in these shorter pieces, Il Flaminio is a real treat. A full length 3-act commedia per musica, first performed in 1735, it's every bit as delightful as the great Intermezzos seen so far - Livietta e Tracollo and La Serva Padrona - and, in its own way, quite sophisticated and just as revelatory as the composer's more serious works.

There is, it has to be said however, nothing that appears to be exceptional about the plotting of Il Flaminio. It...





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Beyond - Episode 08 "Pyramids" [HD]

Thinking outside the Box!
This series is fascinating and I wish it was longer than 25 minutes. It opens up new Ideas of thought. Do not watch if you refuse to do that. I love this wonderful series.

Poor Quality
The video and audio quality are both very poor. The conclusions that this program asserts are un-evidenced and highly speculative.



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Tyrannosaurus Hex [HD]

Great
Great everything and help out the people and help out the goods and never better then ever and great. Yep

Great And Crazy Shipping Wars
It is hard to not get caught up with all the different personalities that are involved with this series.

Addictive !

pretty funny!
pretty hilarious show......
no issues with play
no issues with purchase
no issues what-so-ever...
all around great purchase!
THANKS A LOT!!

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Inuyasha: Season 7

Inuyasha 147-148
I discovered the Inuyasha series a few years ago on Adult Swim. I have been hooked ever since. By now, I have watched most of the episodes, except for some in season 7. I like these 2 episodes, which expands on the relationship between Kikyo and Kaede. It was sad how their lives were changed by the Sacred Jewel and the tragedy that would break up their family. Good episode.

Inuyasha
I loved it, Im just happy to have all the seasonns of Inuyasha and watch them any time i feel like it. I only wished it was the old seasons, that ones that come in a bigger bos, not just a dvd case.

LOVE IT
f you love romance and action and cartoons this is for you i loved every thing about it.... I love this cartoon so much i didn't want to stop watching it until I was done with the whole series cnat wait for the next season

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Part 1 [HD]

Great
Really good movie love it Halle berry did a good job and I enjoy every bit of it will watch again

Queen review
I have watched this series in the past. It was a great story that focused on Alex Haley (author of the Roots' series) paternal grandmother. I like civil war series so this works for me. I found some things in the movie to be over dramatized and other things not focused enough on. Overall, it was a good series.

Good movie
Really enjoyed this movie. I saw the first two parts on the series and it was important for me to see the third part.

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Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff

Amazing
Amy Schumer is awesome. Great story teller, very witty, very funny and .... as the title suggests, her comedy is about "Mostly Sex Stuff". So if you are easily offended take note of the title of this video and move on.

She's a comedian, not a politician
The only other review on here is stupid. Why would anyone buy a comic's movie without some idea of what they talk about? Go on YouTube, do some research. Her title is "Mostly Sex Stuff". Why are you expecting Hillary Clinton or Katie Couric jokes? Does anyone find a woman talking "ladylike" to EVER be funny?

This special is fantastic. If you like Sarah Silverman or Bonnie MacFarlane (sp?), then you will love her. Definitely check this out if you like any of her YouTube 1 minute clips.

Amy's raunchy comedy had me in stitches
If you mixed Whitney Cummings with Robert Schimmel, and then made the mix a LOT cuter and a bunch funnier, you'd end up with something almost as good as Amy Schumer. Amy is cute as a button and her comedy is as filthy as doing it in a nightclub's public bathroom. The combination is funny in itself. The jokes are funnier. I hope to see a lot more of Schumer's act in the future.

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Pergolesi: La Salustia [Blu-ray]

Wonderful singing the main attraction in Pergolesi's first opera
There are one or two aspects of Pergolesi's La Salustia that immediately mark it out as quite different from the previous rare opera works by the composer ([ASIN:B005UOK9HA Adriano in Siria]], Il Prigionier Superbo and Il Flaminio) recently revived and subjected to new critical editions by the Fondazione Pergolesi-Spontini in Jesi. Most obviously, as the composer's first opera, written to a libretto that had been reworked from an earlier work (Alessando Severo), La Salustia (1732) fits more conventionally into the standard opera seria style than any of Pergolesi's later work in the dramma per musica category. It's interesting nonetheless to see how Pergolesi operates even within this more restrictive format, particularly when the singing performances presented here at this production in Jesi surpass the already exceptionally high standards...

Great dvd
I have a previus dvd of this opera but it has no subtitles and I could not find a synopsis of the plot anywhere. My only complaint is the warrior being plaid by a women. There is one countertenor in it. Why not have two?

Opera Seria at it's more stagnant
La Salustia is Pergolesi's first venture into the world of Italian Opera Seria. In this form the libretto is the chief object of admiration, the Art, and the music is incidental. The structure of the dramaturgy is drawn according to formulas laid out in the "Poetics" of Aristotle. Action should take place within 24 hours, involve no more than eight people, the major player (Salustia) should show nobility of character leading to the resolution of intrigues, misunderstandings and hostilities and there should be a happy ending. Because the Opera Seria form was supposed to emulate the structure of ancient Greek drama there were often long recitatives describing action of the plot, the arias which summmarized the actions that have occurred were restricted to 30 and the Greek chorus so important in those dramas were also written for the opera seria. So the real creative piece was the libretto. Metastasio and Zeno were among the most famous of librettists at this time. The only work the...

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Sea Hunt Complete Season Two

Even Better
See my review of Season One.

The picture quality of Season Two is even better than Season One. At times, it is stunning.

I've uploaded photos of my TV during playback to give you some idea of what it looks like.

If you're a Sea Hunt fan who's been waiting for high-quality DVD's, this is it.

It's a bargain.

As Mike would say, "Just get it, huh?"

Fabulous quality!
Season 2 of Sea Hunt continues the A-1 quality of both video & audio, amazing for a series this old at such a good price. Very happy!

It just keeps getting better.
Sea Hunt:The Second Season,just flows out of season one with a plethora of underwater based stories from around the world.It's amazing what one experienced and master frogman can get himself into,but Mike Nelson(Lloyd Bridges)managed it week in and week out for four long years,and with great aplomb.The great thing about this show is Lloyd himself,who does the voice over/commentary throughout,as the story progresses as well as acting in them of course.Whether he's battling drug smugglers or rescuing a foreign scientist,you can be sure he will set it right in the end.
This season,just a few eps in,marks a new ending,as the credits roll.The first season and a bit,had Lloyd's boat sailing toward the left of the screen towards a cove and disappearing behind a rock formation.Now the ending has LLoyd(or his stand in)on the back of a different boat.This one is more open and wider.Lloyd(or double)stands in the middle as the boat pulls away from the same area as before,but this time...

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Rossini: La Cenerentola

An Admirable Production
Owning the other two modern wide-screen versions of this opera (from Houston Grand Opera and Glyndebourne), I must say at once how much I enjoyed this production. In terms of sets, costumes, singing and general production it is significantly more entertaining and interesting than Sir Peter Hall's interpretation from Glyndebourne though perhaps it does not beat the Houston production with Cecilia Bartoli, Enzo Dara, Raúl Giménez and the irrepressible Alessandro Corbelli which is very slick and professional in all aspects of its production.

So why is this version so entertaining? I believe advancing the setting of the production to 1912 and giving it the style of traditional British pantomime helps no end. I did not like the extreme poverty that was a feature of Glyndebourne. While it may have been more technically accurate, aesthetically it detracted much from what is popularly considered one of the fairy tale operas. Mentioning that Don Magnifico had used the...





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Cherubini: Médée

Disappointing Modernization, Poor Production Values
I expect to see a production of an opera or a play that is an accurate representation of what the writer/composer wrote. To alter his work, and to present it, even with a notice that it's been updated, is, to my mind, a species of a fraud. It's even worse when I'm encountering something for the first time, and have no idea what the original is supposed to be like. In this case the original libretto has been updated so that while the arias remain intact the recitative has been changed, or updated, so that Medea now says things like she wants Jason's sperm. Huh? Surely that wasn't in the 1797 text. Further the production has been moved out of either 1797 AD period, which would be acceptable given that plays and operas were frequently staged with contemporary costuming during the period of Cherubini's life, or the Bronze age period when the events would have occurred, and put into the modern era. So there's 1 star deduction for that.

There's some action that seems silly. Dirce...

A terrifying and powerful opera
Medee has been described as "unmitigated horror" which indeed it is. Krzysztof Warlikowski, the stage director, and Christian Longchamp rewrote and updated the spoken dialogue of Luigi Cherubini's 1797 opera. In addition, this version of Medee is set in what appears to be a late 60's and early 70's era with 'punk' as well as modern formal dress.

Nadia Michael as Medee, the ultimate femme fatale, dominates the entire opera, as, of course, she must. She provides an utterly convincing performance of a terrifying woman who quite literally cannot endure rejection. Her rage and baffled fury seem to consume the stage. Kurt Streit as Jason is also convincing in his portrayal of a man who is at once frightened of his wife, and yet almost hypnotically fascinated by her.

Vincent Le Texier as Creon is presented as a kind of gangster/businessman who, though used to power, has no idea what he is up against in his confrontation with Medee. Hendrickje Van Kerckhove as...



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George Washington Mini: Series

Abridged Version?
In 1984 I recorded the George Washington mini-series on VHS. I've waited for a decent DVD of this great portrayal of the Father of our Country for years. I passed on opportunities to purchase an unauthorized copy transferred to DVD in hope that one day someone would release an officially sanctioned copy. Imagine my surprise when I spotted this on Amazon.com. I quickly pre-ordered it and finally it arrived in time for Washington's Birthday. I started watching the first disc and was pleased with the video and sound quality considering the age of the TV mini-series. Suddenly I noticed that a large chunk of the program was missing. From 1765 to 1775, the period where Washington's patriot views were clarified, his break with the Fairfax Family, and his call to the First Continental Congress had been left out. I know this was part of the original series. I would have preferred to have received all of the original George Washington mini-series and skipped part 2 "The Forging of a...

Great Mini-series, But Incomplete DVD - SEE UPDATE
The George Washington mini-series was was shown in three parts, over three nights. This set has the complete first and third parts, but the second part is missing a full half of the original broadcast. I have the original tapes. TGG Direct screwed-up badly on this one. I wonder if this company will do as poorly on all of their products.

The second mini-series included here, 'Forging of a Nation', is complete.

UPDATE - May 2013

I can now give this an unqualified 5 stars.

I went back to see the reviews on this and found that TGG Direct has added the missing segment. The entire series is now complete.

As others have written, this is an outstanding mini-series.

Surprise! George Washington Mini Series PLUS
Fantastic! This is finally on DVD!! Received it promptly the day after ordering it. SURPRISED to discover that it is actually a set, and includes "Forging of a Nation." I have however noticed that there are many scenes missing, thus the four stars. If you are going to the trouble to put both series on DVD -- WHY edit it down?? But Barry Bostwick still makes it all worthwhile. And just in time for old GW's birthday!!!

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Wallander: The Original Episodes, Set 1

WALLANDER Shows The Police Procedural By Way of the Flawed Human Narrator
The beauty of the police procedural is that no matter where it's produced - the U.S., Britain, Japan, or anywhere else - is that, so far as the narrative is concerned, there are going to be some fundamental similarities: for example, there's going to be a crime - perpetrated by a criminal or group of criminals - and there are going to be victims. The basic formula - who did what, how was it done, all of the finer details, etc. - is also a staple. What varies (thankfully) is the stylistic approach incorporated by the people who wrote and assembled it - the characters, the culture, the morals or lessons learned, and so on and so forth.

Henning Mankell's seminal detective Kurt Wallander has been given some excellent treatment by both the Swedes as well as the Brits. While some of the stories were not crafted by Mankell, all of them (so I've read) maintain the central focus of Wallander, a flawed man as disillusioned with his work as he is with his life. This narrative...

Least of the three
This rendition of the Wallander is very well done production and direction-wise, but credibility is soon destroyed since they try to portray him as a sexually attractive man
with romantic scenes and obvious intercourse. it's ludicrous. The actor, Rolf Lassgard, is a gigantic 300 pound lumbering tank of a man and when hey pair
him with a slim, attractive, much younger women it totally detracts from the stories and makes the whole viewing unauthentic. The two other series with portrayals one with Kenneth Branagh is far, far better, tho he plays him too morose. By far the very best interpretation is the series starring Krister Henrikkson. I've watched 13 of these twice and find them far superior to either of the other two.

Second to None
Lassgard's interpretation of Mankell's famed Swedish detective, the tormented Kurt Wallander, is one of the two great ones, along with Krister Henricksson's.

If you like provocative storytelling, superb acting, mind-bogglingly beautiful scenery, unexpected plot twists, don't miss this Swedish series.

I have all the Wallanders (including the latest incarnation which, to me, doesn't compare to either of the Swedish versions) and can tell you that, although it has English subtitles, you don't really need them. You know what Lassgard's Wallander is thinking because you can read his expressive face.

Lassgard is an experience not to be missed, especially in this role.

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Schumann at Pier2: A Concert Film

A generous account of the four symphonies which currently leads the visual field
This set of the four symphonies was made in 2012 with the view of presenting Schumann in a new light as a result of deep and penetrating discussion and rehearsal. The orchestra chosen for this project is a chamber orchestra made up of musicians who value their own solo careers. The orchestra is self-governing and is used to having considerable input to their performances. In this way they form a collaboration with their conductors. This has certain similarities with Abbado's relationship with the Lucerne festival orchestra for example. The orchestra itself is about 50 strong and thus is of an appropriate size for Schumann. This is a modern chamber orchestra and there is no attempt to reproduce the sound world attempted by the 'authentic' movement such as with the Gardiner CD set for example.

There are a number of bonus films included with this set and these set out to enlarge on this approach to Schumann and the use of the venue etc. To do this there is an emphasis placed...





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Verdi: Macbeth [Blu-ray]

Well Cast
This was issued before on DVD by TDK in 2007 and reissued on DVD by ARTHAUS MUSIK in 2011. It was compiled from 6 performances given at Parma in October 2006. The blu-ray case has "FILMED IN HIGH DEFINITION", but the picture quality is no better than that of an average DVD from the period.

Nucci gives a superbly nuanced performance vocally, with tremendous urgency and pathos, suave timbre that he paints in different shades, no hint of fatigue, and more dramatic weight than most Macbeths today (it has now become customary to cast voices two sizes too small for the role). His singing is a lesson in style and legato.

Sylvie Valayre as Lady Macbeth has a huge dark voice perfectly suited in timbre to the role. The role requires a lot of qualities, and Valayre's voice checks all the boxes perfectly, with one small exception: the role requires quite a significant degree of agility, and Valayre has about 95% of it. There are 2 bars on "retrocede", right before Vieni,...

Upconverted SD
If the picture is important for you avoid this one, this is not High Definition, it's upconverted standard definition.
I don't know why???



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Inuyasha: Season 4

Episode List
Season Four contains episodes 82-99.

82 Gap Between the Ages

83 The Female Wolf-Demon and the Lunar Rainbow Promise

84 Koga's Bride-To-Be

85 The Evil Within Demon's Head Castle

86 Secret of the Possessed Princess

87 Kikyo's Lonely Journey

88 The Three Sprites of the Monkey God

89 Nursing Battle of the Rival Lovers

90 Sota's Brave Confession of Love

91 The Suspicious Faith Healer and the Black Kirara

92 Plot of the Walking Dead

93 The Mysterious, Lecherous Monk

94 The Sacred Jewel Maker Part I

95 The Sacred Jewel Maker Part II

96 Jaken Falls Ill

97 Kirara Come Home!

98 Kikyo and Kagome: Alone in the Cave

99 Koga and Sesshomaru: A Dangerous Encounter

diehard inuyasha fan
I have passionately adored Inuyasha since I first watched an episode of it on Adult Swim. I was a little disappointed that, compared to the other box sets, there was only four disks and only four to five episodes each disk. When I recieved this box set i was a little disheartened also that there was a deep scratch on the box which I like to keep in nice condition :( It was no big deal though. Its always fun to see what little toy comes with the special edition sets :) As far as the content of the episodes there are a few surprises and major plot-builders

lighter than the other seasons
Very happy I got this season, I was unsure because of some of the negative comments - it's hard to know what to believe when passionate people praise or attack a program they like.

Yes, it is "lighter" than other sets. I'm happy about that, though. I do not always want to view lots of tension and intrigue, especialy before going to sleep. It is nice to be able to play an episode or two and just be entertained, or laugh.

For example, the episode "Mysterious, lecherous monk" is about Mirouku getting in trouble because Hatchi (raccoon spirit) impersonates him. There is one with "the 3 sprites of the Monkey God", where Shippo is more of a dominant character. It's really cute, and there are jokes you must know a bit about Japanese culture to get. For example, what happens to the stone that is a relic from the monkey god's shrine ... hysterical, if you know the reverence due such an object, and the solemness a shrine's protectors should show.

A few more...

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Rihm: Oedipus

Very interesting but not for everyone
This is a video release of the 1987 world premiere of German composer Wolfgang Rihm's opera "Oedipus". This release is also one of a series of new, important releases from the Berlin Opera on the always relevant Art Haus Musik label. I have only been somewhat aware of Wolfgang Rihm, who was part of a "new wave" of young composers in Germany in the late 1970s and beyond. The story is of course the fairly well known Greek tragedy of the young warrior who strives to be king after successfully passing the riddle posed by the oracle at Delphi. Later we know that the Oedipus had unknowingly killed his real father, marries his actual mother and is brought down by the jealous Creon. Oedipus blinds himself and is doomed to wander as a blind, powerless beggar. Other opera treatments of the Oedipus legend throughout the years have included somewhat successful treatments by, most notably, Stravinsky, Enescu, Purcell and as "Greek" by Mark-Anthony Turnage. While none of these is especially...

From Hamlet to Oedipus, Rihm's operatic anti-heroes
What a pleasant surprise to find that Arthaus Musik was releasing a video of Wolfgang Rihm's 1987 opera "Oedipus," a recording which had apparently been slumbering in the vaults for 26 years!

This is a recording of the premiere performance at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in October 1987. From the liner notes I gather that it was broadcast on German television. The work was commissioned by Gotz Friedrich, the stage director of the opera house, following the successful staging of Rihm's ballet Tutuguri in 1982. If you know Rihm's music, you will not be surprised to learn that the score is dark, atonal, and expressionist -- "emotion full of complexity" in Rihm's memorable phrase.

The baritone Andreas Schmidt is absolutely central as Oedipus. He conveys well the intended innocence and bewilderment of the character as it dawns on him what he has done (though one does grow tired of him gazing...



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Verdi: I Masnadieri [Blu-ray]

Maestro Nicola Luisotti Saves This Sorry Production
I Masnadieri was staged in San Carlo two years after the world premiere in London in 1849 for a run of 14 performances and never again until this production from March 2012. The opera was rarely performed until a successful concert performance by the Opera Orchestra of New York in 1975 and the issue of a Philips recording with Bergonzi, Caballé, Cappuccilli and Raimondi, conducted by Lamberto Gardelli. Bonynge conducted it at the Sydney Opera House in 1980 and recorded it for Decca in 1982 with his late wife.

According to the blu-ray's book this blu-ray was compiled from all 5 performances in the run. Nicola Luisotti was recently appointed music director of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and this production is the first he conducted since his appointment. Gabriele Lavia, a well-known Italian director of high repute, as well as an actor, directed it. He is considered a 'specialist' of Schiller's text "Die Räuber" on which the libretto is based - he directed it...

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
There is a lot of "Good" in this performance of Verdi's 11th opera. Particularly of note is the singing of the lead singers, the chorus, and the orchestral work of the Teatro di San Carlo Orchestra under Maestro Niccola Luisotti. As to the particulars ...

Tenor Aquiles Machado does a fine job with the frequently demanding role of Carlo. While I prefer the vocal performance of Carlo Bergonzi on the Philips CD set (I think that Bergonzi was the top Verdi tenor of his time),I have enjoyed Machado's performance in a deleted TDK Rigoletto, and enjoyed this one enough to look forward to the C Major release of Forza, with Machado as Alvaro. His spinto voice is nearly perfect for the tenor roles that Verdi wrote during the galley years.

Soprano Lucrezi Garcia is a promising vocal talent who carries off the coloratura runs, trills and pianissimi quite well, although her physical size and near total lack of acting ability, are off putting. Her voice is evenly produced...

Poor production of a poor opera
A "poor" opera by Verdi? Yes, there are at least two examples of these: this one and "Alzira". Personally, I rate this one just slightly superior due to its rousing choral music. Indeed, the famous composer made liberal use of a male chorus as would be indicated by the title of the work - "The Bandits". Their best piece occurs in the third act when they proudly proclaim that as brigands they enjoy "stealing, killing, whoring, and fighting"; not exactly saccharine lyrics. The major problem with the opera is its libretto, which centers on the rivalry of two brothers for a woman and a title; it's the stuff for high drama but somehow leads to a totally improbable resolution. The "evil" brother commits suicide because the priest won't absolve him and the "good" brother kills the woman he loves so he can be true to the gang of bandits that he leads. The weakness of the opera is compounded by this production. Another reviewer, Noam Eitan, has written a marvelous critique with which I am...

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Pergolesi: Il Flaminio

Another great discovery
So far we've had two excellent productions from the Fondazione Pergolesi Spontini at Jesi that have extended appreciation of Pergolesi's opera seria work - Adriano in Siria and Il Prigionier Superbo - and in the process shed a little light upon the practices of 18th century Neapolitan opera with their Intermezzo comedies. For anyone who has enjoyed the lighter side of Pergolesi's work seen in these shorter pieces, Il Flaminio is a real treat. A full length 3-act commedia per musica, first performed in 1735, it's every bit as delightful as the great Intermezzos seen so far - Livietta e Tracollo and La Serva Padrona - and, in its own way, quite sophisticated and just as revelatory as the composer's more serious works.

There is, it has to be said however, nothing that appears to be exceptional about the plotting of Il Flaminio. It...





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The Successor's Wish

Love it
I would suggest Naruto to anybody! It is one of the best Anime I have seen. In the words of Naruto, "believe it"





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Pure And Simple, Volume Two

DISAPPOINTED
Disappointed. I was expecting more along the lines of " the Gaither Band Reunited" or "Gaither Vocal Band Reunited" Vol. #1 and #2..And, I would appreciate them not singing the same song over and over and over. I know thats a filler for him but come on, it would just be another song or two.

Love It!
Since David Phelps and Mark Lowery are back with the group anything they do is great by me and this dvd supports that statement. The group seems to be having a ball during this taping and you have fun watching them. Not the usual Vocal Band music tho, it's more earthy and a nice switch. I just hope they don't go too far off the usual Gaither arrangements and stick to this format.

FABULOUS MUSIC!
This is another fabulous DVD from the new Gaither Vocal Band. I love the sound of this group. The combination with David Phelps, Wes Hampton, Michael English, and Bill Gaither cannot be beat. David sings a new song he wrote called 'Fools Gold' and I love it! I keep playing it over and over. But then I have never heard him sing a bad one. His voice is not to be believed.

Wes sings a song called 'I will pray for you' and it will really touch your heart. The whole DVD is very entertaining. I also enjoyed the small outtakes when they were all in the van. The humor is great and they seem to really get along well. I do wish they would do more of these.

Anyone who gets this DVD along with Pure and Simple #1 will certainly have hours of beautiful entertainment and you will want to play them over and over. :)

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In Attendance, the Six Paths of Pain

Awesome
This season everything was being kicked into high gear! Not much filler in this season, and I for one was happy!





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Femme Fatales: The Complete First Season

A Campy Anthology Series Featuring A Bevy of Beauties Behaving Badly
Nothing about the Cinemax After Dark series "Femme Fatales" will win any awards, but the show was meant to be a decidedly guilty pleasure. As such, it has some merit. Designed as an anthology series, each thirty minute episode (more like 24 minutes actually) features a new story line inspired by pulp fiction, graphic novels, and/or detective noir. Each of the fourteen programs is headlined by a tough female lead and showcases plenty of nudity and simulated sexual situations. Needless to say, the show may not have universal appeal. But if you're in the target demographic and like to see scantily clad beauties behaving badly, some of the stories can certainly be appealing (especially for their camp factor). If you are old enough to remember "The Hitchhiker," this plays to some of the same sensibilities and even has a similarly enigmatic host (Tanit Phoenix steps into that role and introduces each lurid episode). And like many of its anthology predecessors, "Femme Fatales" is somewhat...

FEMME FATALES Offers Sex With A Twist
Pay cable channels have long been the province of the soft-core sex series. These anthologies can take several different formats and settings, but what's universal about them is that each episode delivers the audience at least a single bout of vigorous, no-holds-barred, end-of-the-world type intercourse between only the best-looking people. In short order, these would-be underwear models get hot'n'heavy as soon as the opening credits have been accommodated, and, unfortunately, there's very little substance behind the program's stories.

This is where FEMME FATALES has tried and has for the most part achieved something a bit different. They're offering up sex with a twist. Its producers have delivered a slightly stronger narrative than that of traditional sex series - even a few recurring characters - pushing the envelope a bit from `what's possible' to `what's probable' in its make believe world where deception and double-cross are daily dangers.

(NOTE: the...

Femme Fetales TV Series
I began watching this show about the time it originated as a series two years ago. I love it! The episodes always have a twist at the end that you never expect. The story lines are excellent as is the writing and acting. I can't wait to own the second season in a few months. Most of the actors/actresses are people you would never recognize but with skillful directing it does not matter. While there is violence, it is nowhere near the level of most murder mysteries and not close to Boardwalk Empire, my favorite show ever. I strongly recommend this series for those who enjoy twist and turns and are surprised by the ending no matter how hard they try to guess "who done it".

Stephen Courts
June 16, 2013

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Best of Naked City

Nothing that wasn't in the previous releases?
At a glance, it would appear there won't be any episodes in this box set that weren't in the Image releases of several years ago. As a "Naked City" lover, I got each of those volumes as they were released, I have kept them all, and I do rewatch them from time to time.

Disappointing if you're like me and have wished for a complete series set, or at least the complete hour-long episodes. I would buy them all over again if they were part of a complete set (hear me, Madacy?)

That said, this set does look like a great deal for the price if you don't have these already. Four stars for the content. Very highly recommended ... a great slice of early 1960s attitudes and styles. Thoughtful dramas, terrific looking on-location scenes in New York City, inspiring music by Billy May and Nelson Riddle ...

Well worth the price
What a great set for a great price, very good audio and video and nice packaging

DVD 1
A Death of Princes
Debt of Honor
The Man Who Bit A Diamond In Half
Murder Is A Face

DVD 2
A Hole In the City
Button In The Haystack
Shoes For Vinnie Winford
Vengeance Is A Wheel

DVD 3
New York To L.A.
The Hot Minerva
The Night The Saints Lost Their Halo
A Case Study of Two Savages

DVD 4
The Fingers of Henri Tourelle
Which Is Joseph Creely?
Requiem For A Sunday Afternoon
Ooftus Goofus

DVD 5
The Face of the Enemy
The Contract
Let Me Die Before I Wake
To Walk Like A Lion

DVD 6
Prime Of Life
The One Marked Hot Gives Cold
Hold For Gloria Christmas
A Horse Has A Big Head-Let Him Worry

DVD 7
Portrait Of A Painter
Don't Knock It 'Till You've Tried It
Alive And Still A Second Lieutenant
The...

Astonishing series, stars and talent galore!
When I was about nine or so my grandfather would get home from work and watch with me a television line-up that included Kojak and The Naked City. I loved both programs, but there was always something about the early Sixties black and white TNC that was all engrossing - like a box of chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get, except that it was always going to be good.

Until I received this ten disc set last week I hadn't seen TNC in over 30 years. I had fond memories but no clear recollection of the series format. So I'm delighted to say that each episode follows the lives of any one of the eight million New Yorkers the opening credits mention and the inclusion of the three police detectives are virtually incidental.

Similar concurrent "story oriented" programs that are still popular today, like the Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock Presents", will seem positively mainstream in comparison with TNC. TNC is existential, and there is a dream...

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Independent Lens: More Than a Month

Director Tilghman is a black Michael Moore - providing thought-provoking questions with a bit of self-deprecating humor.
Director Tilghman is a black Michael Moore - providing thought-provoking questions with a bit of self-deprecating humor. DVD has 15 minutes of outtakes.

This 2011 documentary may have aired on PBS last year- or it may be airing next month (February 2013) as part of Black History Month - but it's making it's home video debut on January 29, 2013. And what a timely piece!

Though it's rare important for a reviewer to state their ethnic heritage in a review, I feel it helpful to state that I am not an African-American. I found the "question" raided by documentary filmmaker Shukee Hassan Tilghman - Should we end Black History Month (and make it part of the core history programs in American history in school curriculum)? - a fascinating one. Here was a young (he appears to be in his late 20s) black man who is asking the question. As he interviews his parents and heads to New York, Atlanta and Philadelphia to do interviews, he questions his own question. The first part...

great movie
I very much enjoyed this short documentary. It was funny, entertaining and very enlightening. I have been thinking along the same lines about race for some time and as a white man I feel that I do not have the credibility or "black card" as Tilghman mentions to say anything. Great movie, I hope to see Shukree Tilghman in future documentaries and I wish him the best of luck. In summary: awesome documentary, eye-opening, and I would recommend it to anyone (17+, to understand the deeper content/ social issues).

Jimmy
This is a profoundly American film, about an American issue, and the film does what a great film does, it makes us care, think, and question.

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Pideme En Vivo [Blu-ray]

Pídeme!!
La verdad que fue una muy grata sorpresa el volver a escuchar esas canciones, que una ves en mis años de mozo me provocaron sueños y suspiros... Canciones como "El Cobarde" Yo no lloro por llorar" me transportaron al pasado para de alguna manera volver a saborear momentos únicos e inolvidables de mi vida!
Gracias Diego,gracias Amanda por todos esos momentos,por esas memorias,por esos recuerdos!





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Handel: Deidamia

Colourful interpretation of a lesser Handel
There has been some terrific work done in recent years in terms of critical editions, in the development and playing of period instruments and through inventive stage productions, all of which have gone some way to revive even the most obscure of Handel's operas and help restore the composer's reputation to the place it deserves. There was however a reason why Baroque opera seria went out of fashion, consigning all but a few of Handel's operas to obscurity for several hundred years. They can be frightfully dull. Even Handel, towards the end of career, moved away from the overly restrictive conventions of the form in preference for the oratorio, but even his late operas show a diminishing of interest and invention. Written in 1741, Handel's last opera, Deidamia only ran for three performances and it is not the most involving work by the composer in its subject or treatment. On the other hand, it's still Handel, and with a little involvement and invention, even the driest of Handel's...

Can "Opera Seria" Be Done Seriously?
Or the separate but related question: SHOULD Opera Seria be done seriously? It's a serious question. What's at stake is whether the Music is sufficient in itself, or whether three hours of Opera Seria must inevitably be, as Keris Nine declares, boring. Unless, that is, the listening mind is cleverly distracted from the music by zany stage business. The impresarios and stage directors of Deidamia at the Nederlandse Opera had no qualms about combining zaniness with "historically informed" musicianship. The zaniness isn't quite as convincing, for me at least, as the music. It's not clowning at the level of Cirque du Soleil; in fact it's rather corny stuff that draws chuckles mostly from its incongruity. The singing, on the other hand, is superb (with one slight exception) and the orchestra impeccable, causing me to wonder whether I wouldn't be just as happy with a concert performance or a set of CDs.

A lot of wit went into this staging. Ulysses arrives on the island of Scyros...

Clever and entertaining production, superb singing.
Here is a rare and exceptional example in which the director and costume designer amuse themselves with `silly' costumes, but it actually works. I usually loath the stupid concept of 'clever' producers' of dressing opera singers in an motley set of `modern' and bizarre costumes (mostly tasteless) to help the `stupid' spectators to understand the universality of the opera across time and place. However, in this particular production I enjoyed every moment of it. All my reservations withstanding, I found that the costumes have actually helped highlight the `buffa' aspects of this supposedly `siria' opera. This work may not be among Handel's greatest masterpieces, but the way it is presented and sung here makes it a thorough pleasure for the senses. Sally Mathews' performance is outstanding: both singing and acting are superb. Qudos also goes to Olga Pasichnyk and Silvia Tro Santafe. Ivor Bolton also did a fine job in introducing this forgotten opera to the the modern audience.

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R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series, Vol. 4

excellent
We love R.L.Stine. We are anxiously waiting for more volumes. They make a very nice collection ane are identical to the books.

The Haunting Hour review
I love the first episode, "Wrong Number". It is funny as heck! Don't get me wrong, the other episodes are great also. I really enjoy watching this show. Great buy!

love it
this is great my son loves scary movies but not too much he collects these and all goosebumps these are great he really enjoys watching them more then once

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Underbelly: War on the Streets

Very Good Start to an Epic Franchise (4-1/2* Rounded Up)
MINOR SPOILERS:

As my review for the "import version" may be getting lost, I thought I would keep K. Harris company over here!

Pros:

1.) There was a good deal of nudity & violence

2.) The filming technique reminds me of a Guy Ritche movie

3.) Shows how unorganized "organized crime" crime can be

4.) Really good soundtrack

5.) I increased my knowledge of Australian slang

Cons:

1.) It was difficult to figure out the actual organizational structure of the "Moran Mob" (referred to in the series as the "Carlton Crew"). With the exception of the Loan Sharking (Mario) and the attempt of the Moran Brothers to get into the "X" business, it was difficult to ascertain what everyone else was into. I couldn't even figure out to the last disc that Mick was the defacto head of the crew. Perhaps it is me, though I tend to like details and enjoy doing the "math" re: ill gotten gains. Unless I missed it...

The First Season Of Australia's Gritty Crime Import
The fascinating television import "Underbelly" finally got a U.S. distribution earlier this year in a three season set, but now the individual seasons are being released separately. My recommedation is to get the set, you'll want all three seasons in it. I first became aware of "Underbelly" when I read that it was Australia's answer to "The Sopranos." Since that first comparison, I've heard the same point made countless times. To be frank, other than the fact that they are two adult series set in the criminal underworld, I don't think that generalized statement is very apt or has much bearing on whether or not you'll enjoy this show. If you are expecting a rich "Sopranos" type narrative and continuing storyline, this isn't quite going to fulfill your expectations. But that doesn't make it any less intriguing. The general tone of "Underbelly" is a bit more lurid. The show itself has much more of a docudrama feel, recreating significant true events in Australia's criminal history...

Run of the mill gangster show
Underbelly is not the Sopranos, The Wire or the Shield, it is not that good. Having said that it's Ok, its just a run of the mill gangster show which is not saved by either it's Australian setting or the fact that it's based on real events. Beware much of the story is open to question. These are after all professional criminals who lie as a matter of course.

If you like Aussie crime series try Blue Murder (not the British series of the same name) or the Great Bookie Robbery both of which are like underbelly based on real events and much better viewing.

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Celebrate With Clifford (Clifford The Big Red Dog)

Great Collection of Clifford Movies
We are still huge Clifford fans in this house. This DVD is jam packed with 12 episodes of some of Clifford's best.

The Best Gift
Clifford's Carnival
Clifford on Parade
Screaming for Ice Cream
Clifford the Pirate King
Team Spirit
Tough Enough
AND MORE

My kids love the idea of a big red dog like Clifford and think Emily is so lucky. This DVD is great for all ages.





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Harry O: The Complete Second Season

The Best of the Best! Here comes HARRY ORWELL!
After viewing this exceptional DVD set you'll be convinced that ABC-TV was **INSANE** to cancel HARRY O in 1976--despite critical acclaim and (perhaps more important) high ratings after only two seasons. Television networks rarely know when they have a good thing and such was the case for HARRY O. Regardless, THANK YOU Warner Archive for releasing HARRY O on DVD! Hopefully--before this decade is out--there will be a DVD release of David Janssen's RICHARD DIAMOND, PRIVATE DETECTIVE (a.k.a. CALL MR. D) TV series as well. That would be a dream come true!

Great show! Long overdue on DVD
I've been waiting a long time for this release. I always felt the show improved with age once the chemistry between Orwell and Trench was firmly established. The light humorous moments were wonderful and added a special touch to the series. Who knows what direction this show would have taken if some network executive hadn't decided to cancel this show in favour of another; wrong choice in my opinion. There was a lot of potential left in this show to continue and explore other aspects of Harry's life, both personal and professional. I often ponder a proper ending to this series would see Harry completing the repair of his boat and sailing off into the sunset (as the saying goes). One of Janssens' best series.

Great Series Mishandled By Network
Great series that was fooled around with by the network and ruined. Should have kept the series in San Diego as was the 1st season and left the format as it was. Still great to see the late, great David Janssen in his best series since The Fugitive! DVD set is excellent!

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Bubble Guppies: On the Job!

Some of the Best Episodes from a Great Show!
My girls (ages 3 and 6) love the Bubble Guppies and we have a ton of the episodes on our DVR, including all of the episodes from this DVD. They are always requesting the show. The show is great for its vivid colors and fun songs. It always has a positive message and teaches kids about a variety of things and occupations. You will probably find yourself with the catchy songs stuck in your head. The going outside song is the best.

This DVD contains six great episodes. 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. Build Me a Building - They build Bubble Puppy a Dog House (very catchy song in this episode).
2. Firefighter Gill to the Rescue - Someone gets stuck in a tree and needs to be rescued.
3. Fishketball - The team learns about sports.
4. The Grumpfish Special - The Bubble Guppies help the grumpiest fish in town to a nice meal (this is probably my favorite...

Bubble Guppies: On the Job!
Great for granddaughter and she loves watching it.

I would recommend this movie for any child that loves the TV show..

6 Bubble Guppies episodes!
My boys (4 and 6) never get sick of Bubble Guppies and even though they recognized some of these episodes from television, they still enjoyed the DVD. The DVD features six episodes (over two hours of Bubble Guppies fun) that are perfect to watch for any preschooler. They are wholesome characters that work together to solve problems all while teaching kids different things. Different jobs are featured throughout the episodes which is great to show kids how everyone is good at something and about responsibility. The episodes make kids think too, like in "Build Me a Building" the Bubble Guppies are building a building and trying to figure out the best material to use to make the building sturdy.

Episodes:

Fishketball!
A Tooth on the Looth!
Build Me a Building!
The Grumpfish Special!
Call a Clambulance!
Firefighter Gil to the Rescue!

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Cougar Town: The Complete First Season

Middle age sex jokes on Broadcast TV in a series that grows on you - mostly because of actress Cox
Unlike other who will review this DVD collection, I have never seen the show on television. So everything was new for me from the original pilot episode throygh the remaining 23 episodes of the first season. With the commercials excised, each episode lasts about 22 minutes and it's easy to watch three or four at a time. Actually, I found this helpful since this is more of a continuous story line where each episode generally picks up where the previous one ended.

For the newly initiated viewer the show looks like its going to be all sex and body jokes, and that's pretty much what it is for the first five or six episodes. If you've watched Desperate Housewives and found the sexual humor of 40 year old women lusting after young men or their neighbors husband, you'll feel right at home here. In fact, I was not that familiar with Courtney Cox (well, some folks aren't "Friends" alums) and many times she reminded me of Teri Hatcher's character, Susan, in DH.

After...

At first, I disliked this series but as I gave more episodes a chance, "Cougar Town" has since become a favorite series of mine.
In 2009, Bill Lawrence (co-creator of "Scrubs" and "Spin City") and Kevin Biegel thought about a TV series that revolved around single people in their 40's getting back on the dating scene and for Lawrence, said he was also inspired by his wife, actress Christa Miller (who also stars on the show "Cougar town", "Scrubs" and "The Drew Carry Show") and her life when she walked out of the shower, went in front of the mirror and flashed it. By that action alone plus their ideas of featuring a 40-year-old trying to get back into the dating scene, the idea of "Cougar Town" was born.

"Cougar Town" is a sexual comedy sitcom which revolves around Jules Cobb (played by Courteney Cox, "Friends", "Dirt", "Scrubs"), a 40-year-old divorcee who is a single mother raising her teenage son Travis (played by Dan Byrd, "Aliens in America", "Heroes") and also is successfully business owner who owns her own estate business. Having been divorced for eight months, Jules now wants to have fun and...

The best show on tv right now!
We are totally hooked on this show. My husband and I both like it. We crack up when we are watching it and usually watch 4-5 episodes at a time. The jokes are funny and the story keeps you interested and wanting more. The actors work so well together. I wish we lived by these people, I would love to drink wine with them at 8 am! We are Scrubs lovers and this has the same humor. Give it a chance and you will love it too!

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Above Suspicion Series 2

Classic British TV Detective Series
If you are an avid fan of Hollywood, perhaps, you should move on. This film is from Acorn Media. Therefore, it is a classic British TV detective series, which means there's lots of blood and gore and twisting plots. Also, being British, these features are as much about the crime as they are about the detectives themselves. This means that there's lots of drinking, politically-incorrect sexual relations, and questionable police tactics. These typically British coppers are very human -- and very flawed characters. I love it, but it may not be for you!

Smashingly realistic 21st Century London crime thriller
`Deadly Intent,' Bestselling thriller of Lynda La Plante, is gritty, fast action, violent crime, and edgy. La Plante (Crime Thriller Writer's Hall of Fame) again lets a sexy female scrap her way into the man's world of murder crime fighting. She's raised the TV acceptance bar for coarse realism of London crime fighting. The ongoing series is lead by Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes x2, Poldark: The Complete Collection), now DI Travis, with her pixie face and tight clothes. She has more confidence, and more suitors. DCS Langton (Ciaran Hinds- `Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy') is the tough, tetchy boss overstepping and infiltrating on the territory of case head, DCI Lewis (Shaun Dingwall).

SUBTITLES for all 3 parts (and bonus footage).
It opens with a Mexican doctor doing a realistic facelift. Ugh! [The filmed doctor was a real plastic surgeon doing the role. That's realism.]
One year later...

Great Series
Any series/movie with Ciaran Hinds is great! I have watched many of his movies/series and it is amazing the versatility he has an actor; no matter the type of character he plays, he turns into that person so much that you forget he is an actor!!! I will buy anything he has a part in! I'm waiting for the DVD release of the series "Political Animals" in which he plays a southern politician notorious for his woman chasing. His southern drawl is so believable and his portrayal is such that he is obnoxious, but at the same time you can't help but like him. Amazing actor!

My only criticism of Above Suspicion is that a series is so short and there is such a wait for the next one!

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House of Cards Trilogy: The Original UK Series Remastered [Blu-ray]

"Shall I put a bit of stick about?"
The Brits may no longer rule the world, but they sure produce some of the best television the medium has seen. In any discussions of the best projects or series in television history, this trilogy will have a place.

The series opens with Conservative Party Whip, Francis Urquhart, fondly holding a portrait of Margaret Thatcher, remarking that all things, no matter how good, must come to an end. This perfectly sets the time and tone of what is to follow. Urquhart must maneuver and control the political scene in the power vacuum left by the exit of the Iron Lady.

This production strives for Shakespearean proportions, and hits the bull's eye. The main character, Urquhart, played by Ian Richardson, is a crafty blend of Macbeth and King Richard. Like Macbeth, Urquhart has a power hungry wife gently messaging his shoulders and whispering pretty treacheries in his ear; and like Richard, Urquhart takes the viewer into his confidence, revealing his black plans with wicked joy. This...

Supurb adaptation of the Michael Dobbs books
Wonderful adaptation of the Michael Dobbs "House of Cards" trilogy. Ian Richardson plays Francis Urquhart, Chief Whip of the Conservative Government, who schemes his way to Number Ten through blackmail, backroom deals, and sheer gall. The second volume, "To Play the King" shows Urquhart up against the newly crowned King (Michael Kitchen, who does a wonderful take on Prince Charles, really stealing the show) with Britain not big enough for the two of them. "The Final Cut" shows Urquhart hanging on against the wiles of the younger generation, while Diane Fletcher, as Urquhart's loyal, Lady-Macbeth-like wife, has her greatest acting moments.

Well cast, well directed, and with three thrilling political stories. However, this series would be nothing without Richardson, who amazes. Perhaps the best moments are when he breaches the fourth wall by talking to, or simply raising an eyebrow to, the viewer. While we could never approve of the things "F. U." does, it is hard not to love...

Brilliant, but in the end flawed
Me watching this took on the manner of a voracious animal consuming its prey. The entire trilogy is beautifully done, magnificiently produced, and the acting is simply incomparable.

The HOUSE OF CARDS, the first season, is quite clearly the best. The wit, the plot, the sheer malignancy of it is just pure delight. I worked briefly at the House of Commons, and I thought the presentation of Parliament and Westminster politics was brilliant. I don't think there is anything equal to the cynicism on display here, as France Urquhart (Ian Richardson) cheerfully outmaneuvers and destroys his political opponents (his colleagues within his party). The mockery of the British political system is right on. Richardson has these asides to the audience that work perfectly, and heighten the hilarity. It's what something like WAG THE DOG wishes it could be for American politics, but unfortunately American audiences don't always have the political sophistication to enjoy this level of satire...

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Whitney Houston: The Woman Behind the Voice

Not the worst, but not the best.
My expectations weren't all that high for this DVD. Most of the story is told like an "E: True Hollywood Story" would be, with bad narrative script, and too much focus on the drugs. Some good performances were highlighted, but I was expecting many more. A collection of performances they featured in full as DVD extras would've been nice. Some of the pictures are grainy, and even some of the performances aren't great quality. It seems the producers couldn't really afford the real top notch performances (like the ones from the Grammys) so they use a few lesser known, still great ones, and music videos to try to hide that fact. I'm not sure it's really worth $10, perhaps if it was $4.99 and on instant download it would be worth it. Overall, if you're really a big Whitney fan, and you want to hear more about her music then her drug use, I would look elsewhere.

Horrible
This DVD was very misleading. I was thinking it would be something really highlighting her career and achievements. It does talk about her career highs but like someone else stated it's a horrible version of an E True Hollywood story. If someone was going to do a DVD like this they should have included her friends. There was nothing new here and for the price it definitely was NOT worth it. I got swindled in my opinion. DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM if you don't wanna be disappointed.

AWFUL MISREPRESENTATION
This DVD was bullSHHH the description of its contents are a BLATANT LIE. I have never been more DISAPPOINTED or UPSET over a product. This piece of CRAP was suppose to be a wonderful gift for my beautifully sexii(yeah thats how I spell sexii shih!) wifey. Instead it was whatever number of minutes of pure MANURE. This DVD is sooooooooo F-ing bad I am running out of different ways to call it as it is the TRUE definition of EXCREMENT. WE LOVE YOU, WHITNEY HOUSTON but apprently the low-lives that made this DVD do not appreciate ANYTHING that the wonderful Whitney Houston has done. I hope this review is a HUGE help to STOP anyone who is a TRUE fan of Whitney from purchasing it. Believe it or not I usually NEVER write a review but this DVD warranted THIS REVIEW.

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Cougar Town: The Complete Second Season

The second season of "Cougar Town" is hilarious, over-the-top and highly enjoyable.
In 2009, Bill Lawrence (co-creator of "Scrubs" and "Spin City") and Kevin Biegel thought about a TV series that revolved around single people in their 40's getting back on the dating scene and for Lawrence, said he was also inspired by his wife, actress Christa Miller (who also stars on the show "Cougar town", "Scrubs" and "The Drew Carry Show") and her life when she walked out of the shower, went in front of the mirror and flashed it. By that action alone plus their ideas of featuring a 40-year-old trying to get back into the dating scene, the idea of "Cougar Town" was born.

"Cougar Town" is a sexual comedy sitcom which revolves around Jules Cobb (played by Courteney Cox, "Friends", "Dirt", "Scrubs"), a 40-year-old divorcee who is a single mother raising her teenage son Travis (played by Dan Byrd, "Aliens in America", "Heroes") and also is successfully business owner who owns her own estate business. Having been divorced for eight months, Jules now wants to have fun and...

Turning me into a giggling wine lush and I love it
What a fun series. I rewatch them on a regular basis and enjoy the high quality writing that goes into this very funny show. The only drawback is my increase in wine intake since getting into this series, but then it is supposed to be good for your heart right?

Cougar
Received in a timely manner and just LOVE this show....if you haven't seen it, you gotta buy it and share with your friends!

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Breakfast Special 2: Revenge of the Omelets

YUM!
This DVD is the followup to the previous show - Breakfast Special - that came out about a year ago. Producer/Director/Narrator Rick Sedak found some more independent restaurants that specialize in - usually, very LARGE - breakfast menus. Patterned after the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" the 56 minute show shows Sedak (actually it never SHOWS him, but he's apparently there) visiting about a dozen places and interviewing customer and management on why they like that particular place. He covers 2 in his native Pittsburgh and three in Hawaii as well as others in Raleigh,NC, New Hampshire, Detroit, Norwalk, CT, and my home base of Philadelphia. Sadly, the Philly place, Carmen's closed about a week after Sedak filmed his show.

You should not watch this show on an empty stomach - or if on a diet. While it may not send you out on a cross country road trip to visit these places the show may encourage you to seek out local breakfast spots in your area.

The...





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New Year's Concert 2013

Welser-Most repeats his 2011 success with another fine concert
This is one of the long series of New Year's Day concerts from Vienna and features the conducting of Franz Welser-Most for the second time. This may not come as too much of a surprise as Welser-Most's Viennese credentials have been recognised and supported by a major bank in Upper Austria for over 25 years as a cultural envoy for upper Austria. This level of commitment to Welser-Most is more than justified by this particular release.

There is an unusual number of first performances in this year's concert, partly to do with the 2013 anniversary celebrations of Wagner and Verdi's bicentenaries. As a result we hear Wagner's Lohengrin Prelude to Act 3 and Verdi's Act 3 ballet music from Don Carlo. In addition there are other references such as J. Strauss II's Melodies Quadrille based on Verdian themes.

Another emphasis in this year's concert is the music of Josef Strauss with seven of his works of which five receive début performances at these concerts. His...

Almost like being there
This is my first blu ray disc and I am quite pleased with the quality of the sound and picture. One of my favorite things is watching the New Years concert on Jan 1. This disc has the straight up concert without the annoying puff pieces shown on PBS. The dance sequences are in the "extra features" and there is a very nice short film featuring Austrian landscapes and some small groups from the orchestra performing some fun music.

Great New Year's Concert from the Wiener Philharmoniker and Conductor Franz Welser-Most
In a concert emphasizing both the festive nature of the music being performed and the music of Josef Strauss, the middle brother, in the Strauss family dynasty of Austrian composers noted for their exceptional compositions of waltzes, polkas and other dances, this year's "New Year's Day Concert", should be noted for both the excellent playing of the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) and the fine conducting of Vienna State Opera Music Director - and Cleveland Orchestra Music Director - Franz Welser-Most. Most of the pieces performed include lesser known waltzes and polkas composed by Josef Strauss, regarded by his peers as the "Schubert of Waltz composers", with his best known work, the waltz "Music of the Spheres" among the highlights of the program; if for no other reason this is a concert that should be remembered for emphasizing Josef Strauss' exceptional gifts as a composer, surpassed only by his brother Johann Strauss II. It is followed later by a piece I...

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The Road To Red Rocks

"Roll Away Your Stone" and buy this superb live recording
If you are thinking about buying this DVD,you will need no introduction to Mumford and Sons who in a relatively short space of time have developed into one of the best and most popular bands in the world.This is their first official live recording, made over two nights at Red Rocks, a large tilted natural ampitheatre at Morrison, Colorado which has been played by many of the greats in rock music history including the Beatles and U2. The good news is that it captures the raw energy and essence of this remarkable band:romanticism tempered by strength and power balanced by wonderful harmonies and beautiful and often spiritual lyrics. A recording that shows that they deserve their place in such illustrious company. The recording lasts 88 minutes and includes twelve songs from across their first two albums. The camera work and editing is excellent giving us an intimate view of the band,almost as if we were on stage with them and occasionally looking out over the vast Red Rocks audience.We...

Highly recommend.
This dvd doesn't disappoint, and that is an understatement. It is such a privilege to re-experience the Mumford and Sons Red Rocks show, after having attended in person. The dvd is a superb visual and sound experience. The unforgettable vibe of the concert comes through beautifully on the large TV screen. Highly recommend.

quality entertainment
I first saw this concert played on HBO. I was instantly impressed by the musicality, editing, and picture quality. Mumford & Sons is very refreshing to watch and to listen to. I have been watching this video at least twice a week.

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Cougar Town: The Complete Third Season

Great season, FINALLY coming to DVD!
TVShowsonDVD.com just announced that Cougar Town season three will FINALLY be coming out on DVD on February 5th. Since ABC is no longer producing the series (it has moved to TBS now), Lionsgate will now be publishing the DVDs for Cougar Town (including seasons one and two).

Season three was a fantastic season (though very light on character development for Laurie). I'm very excited that it is finally coming out on DVD!

Don't forget to watch season 04 of Cougar Town when it starts in January on TBS!

Best show ever!
You'll love it. It's not about cougars. The name is terrible. It's a hilarious, heartfelt, joyous comedy. After the first few episodes of season 1, it evolves into a fantastic ensemble comedy about friends in their early 40's.

Great finale
One of the things that's nice about loving a show that's always on the bubble? They have to make every premiere, finale and episode before a hiatus into pure magic in order to ensure that if it's the last thing anyone remembers, the show was fulfilling. Cougar Town is a fantastic show week-to-week, but it's "special" episodes always take it to the next level.

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Animaniacs, Vol. 4

Can't wait for this to be released!
Animaniacs is arguably the best cartoon TV show of the 90s created by WB. The level of depth of this project is incredible - despite being a cartoon show originally oriented towards kids and teenagers, it's drawn to well and it contains such a great amount of smart, witty jokes, and cultural references that it's interesting and funny to watch for people of all ages. Steven Spielberg's Animaniacs is a masterpiece that deserves a place in the hall of fame of the greatest cartoons of all time. I was happy to buy all the previously released sets of Animaniacs (DVD volumes 1-3) because this show is an eternal classic that all my family finds interesting to watch, and I definitely want my children to grow up on cartoon shows like this. However, I got really frustrated to see that the last, fourth volume got delayed further, and further, and further, while other WB shows of the 90s (unquestionably excellent, but in my opinion still not this great!) got released and even completed (e.g. Pinky...

Worth the Wait. These Episodes Don't Just Push the Envelope, They Drop an Anvil On It.
I grew up watching "Animaniacs", along with the classic Warner Bros. cartoons that inspired it. I liked the series back then, as well as the other series of the "Silver Age" of Warner Bros. animation helmed by Steven Spielberg. But unlike the classic Looney Tunes, I was never compelled to see EVERY episode. That was until it came out on DVD years later.

Warner Home Video released the first 3 quarters of the series to DVD several years ago, and, viewing it through an adult point of view, I was shocked, enthralled and impressed by the humor that had gone over my head as a kid. Watching the show in chronological order, I noticed that it got better as it went along...the characters were honed, the fully orchestrated music remained brilliant, the voice actors pushed the limit further and further, and the writers didn't just push the envelope, they hit it with a big wooden mallet and dropped an anvil on it. This was a zany, hilarious sketch comedy show for adults that just...

Ant' slappy I'm home!!!!!!
disc 1:

76. Gimme the Works / Buttons in Ows / Hercules Unwound. great

77. This Pun for Hire / Star Truck / Go Fish / Multiplication.Song funny epsoide

78. The Sound of Warners / Yabba Dabba Boo.too funny

79. My Mother the Squirrel / The Party / Oh! Say Can You See / The Twelve Days of Christmas Song my favort

80. Dot's Entertainment / The Girl with the Googily Goop / Gunga Dot

81.Soccer Coach Slappy / Belly Button Blues / Our Final Space Cartoon, We Promise / Valuable Lesson. very funny

82. Wakko's 2-Note Song / Panama Canal / Hello Nurse / The Ballad of Magellan / The Return of the Great Wakkorotti / The Big Wrap Party Tonight. very cool

83.One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock. good cartoon with the slappy's tree house ending

Disc 2

84. Cutie and the Beast / Boo Happens / Noel with taz in it

85. Jokahontas / Boids on the Hood / Mighty Wakko at the Bat. very funny...

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The Beverly Hillbillies: Collector's Edition (5-pk)

32 Earliest B&W Episodes 1962-64
This is a 4 DVD box set from Platinum Disc Corp. There are (8) 25 min. episodes per DVD, all are from 1962-1964, with one unexplained exception: Ep. 8 on Vol. 3 is from 1974. Go figure.

Digital quality: Very good (3.5/5). I have a 162" front projection system, so I can observe absolutely every minute detail of any DVD. Resolution is very good (4/5) with good detail. Brightness is a little low and contrast is also somewhat lacking. These can be compensated for by adjusting your TV or projector. Still, overall very good for 1962-63. I haven't viewed all episodes yet, but some of them are of substantially lesser quality (e.g., excessive brightness/contrast).

Two complaints to get out of the way: First, the episodes have an annoying "Platinum Disc Corporation" logo in the lower right during the entire episode. (A trick in my Sony player is if I use slow, step or fastfwd for even an instant, the logo does not reappear once normal play is resumed. Very cool.) Second,...

Heapin' helpin' of hospitality----hillbilly, that is!
This DVD contains four of the earliest episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies," but because these are not released by the copyright holder, the actual open and close we all know is not on the DVD. Instead, there's an Elvis sounding impersonator handling the singing made famous by Jerry Scoggins. Hopefully, CBS will release "Beverly Hillbillies" on DVD soon, so better prints with the actual opens and closes are available. The episodes on this DVD do a pretty good job of showing why the first two seasons of the program are actually among the best written in the history of television. Snobs hate the program, but the writing, character definition, and evolution of the characters all get off to a good start. And the music of Perry Botkin is used in a very sophisticated way to underscore the action on the screen, compared to the music of Curt Massey whose background music is heard on the later color episodes. Instead of using the music to set up a gag or to get a...

What a shame!
This review is for the quality, NOT the shows. I grew up with, and loved, the Beverly Hillbillies. I have a few VHS tapes, but wanted better quality as you would expect with DVD. NOT!
The shows on VHS are even better than this mini frisbie.
Not only is the quality poor, but the theme song is gone.
No "Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed..."
There's this banjo music I never heard before.
All I can think is that someone wanted to make a quick buck.
A truely pathetic example of modern technology. Save your money.
Maybe some day Jed and his clan will get a respectable release.

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Young Riders Complete Season One Gift Box

TOP RATED SHOW FOR DVD RELEASE --- & the reason for season 2 delay (now rectified)
This show was very popular with an extremely loyal fan base while airing. It was once rated the most highly anticipated DVD release of any TV show. Unfortunately, after the first season release dissapointed in sales, the original distribution rights holder decided not to risk any further investment. We appear to be saved by the new company and I look forward to receiving my copies of each season.

Show cliff notes: Set just before the American Civil War, this series presented a highly fictionalized account of the heyday of the Pony Express. Its focus was a group of young Express riders based at the waystation in Sweetwater, Kansas. Running the station was ex-Texas Ranger and all-around eccentric Teaspoon Hunter. The role of cook, housekeeper and mother hen was filled first by Emma and later by Rachel. The riders included the future "Buffalo Bill" Cody and James Butler ("Wild Bill") Hickok, as well as Ike, a mute, Buck, a half-White/half-Kiowa scout and the Kid, a quiet...

Disc 1 is partially bad...
Could not play the last 2 episodes on the first disc. Disc is bad. Who would I turn to, to get another disc 1?

A true Western!
This is very well done and has a compelling theme. I only wish they had continued the series a few more years. Now, where is Season 2?

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