Television - DVD

The History Channel Presents The Presidents

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

THE PRESIDENTS is an unprecedented eight-part survey of the personal lives and legacies of the remarkable men who have presided over the Oval Office. From George Washington to George W. Bush, THE PRESIDENTS gathers together vivid snapshots of all 43 Commanders in Chief who have guided America throughout its history--their powerful personalities, weaknesses, and major achievements or historical insignificance. Based on the book To the Best of My Ability, edited by Pulitzer Prize-winner James McPherson, THE PRESIDENTS features rare and unseen photographs and footage, unexpected insight and trivia from journalists, scholars, and politicians such as Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Wesley Clark, Bob Dole, and former President Jimmy Carter. Viewed within the changing contexts of each administration, the Presidency has never seemed more compelling and human. Narrated by Edward Herrmann (The Aviator), this three-DVD set is a proud addition to the award-winning documentary tradition of THE HISTORY CHANNEL®. DVD Features: Feature-length Bonus Program "All The Presidents' Wives"; Timeline of U.S. Presidents; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Arrested Development - The Complete Series (Seasons 1, 2, 3)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 395 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Season One: Winner of the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy its first year out, Arrested Development is the kind of sitcom that gives you hope for television. A mockumentary-style exploration of the beleaguered Bluth family, it's one of those idiosyncratic shows that doesn't rely on a laugh track or a studio audience; it's shot more like a TV drama, albeit with an omniscient narrator (executive producer Ron Howard) overseeing the proceedings. Holding the Bluths together just barely is son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the only normal guy in a family that's chock full of nuts. Hardworking and sensible, Michael's certain he's going to be given control of his family's Enron-style corporation upon the retirement of his father (Jeffrey Tambor). The fact that he's passed over instead for his mother (Jessica Walter) is only a blip when compared to his father's immediate arrest for dubious accounting practices, and the resulting freeze on the family's previously limitless wealth.

Bereft of money, and even less family love, the Bluths have to band together in their moment of need--not easy when everyone's looking out for number 1. In addition to his scabrous parents, Michael has to contend with his lothario older brother (Will Arnett), his basically useless younger brother (Tony Hale), his greedy twin sister (Portia DeRossi), and her sexually ambiguous husband (David Cross). Michael's only comrade in sanity is his son George Michael (Michael Cera), but then again, the teenage boy harbors a secret crush on his cousin (Alia Shawkat). A peerless ensemble led by the brilliant Bateman (who ever knew he could be this good?), all the actors are pitch-perfect in their roles, delivering the dryly funny, sometimes absurdist dialogue with the speed and flair of classic farce. The unusual tone of Arrested Development takes a bit of getting used to--it's far different from anything you'll see on TV, even HBO--but once you buy in to the Bluths' innumerable dysfunctions, you'll be laughing your head off for hours.--Mark Englehart

Season Two: The axe of cancellation dangled perilously over Arrested Development during its second season, but the award-winning comedy fought against fate to deliver a hilarious if scattershot 18 episodes (reduced from the original show order of 22), and stayed alive for the beginning of a third season. Most likely, the creators and actors knew the clock was ticking down, so they didn't hesitate to throw their all into these manic, hilarious episodes, which have only the thinnest of plot arcs but an electrifying energy that makes them hard to resist. Some of the story antics were more of the same: good son Michael (Jason Bateman) tries to keep his company afloat, but is often foiled by older brother Gob (Will Arnett); the precarious marriage of Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and Tobias (David Cross) undergoes a trial separation; and young George-Michael (Michael Cera) fights his attraction to his cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat). Other show developments, though, were new and stunningly, uproariously bizarre: Buster (Tony Hale) joins the army, but later finds his hand bitten off by a seal (yes, a real seal), and Oscar (Jeffrey Tambor), the hippie brother of jailed George Sr. (also Tambor), rekindles an affair with sister-in-law Lucille (Jessica Walter), which may have resulted in Buster's conception years ago.

Jokes flew fast and furious, as did guest stars--Ben Stiller, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Christine Taylor, Thomas Jane, Ed Begley Jr., Ione Skye, and Zach Braff among them--making it hard to keep straight who was doing what and why. No matter, as each of the episodes was in and of itself was a perfect gem of comedy, strung together by sharp writing and fantastic performances. In addition to the regular cast, both Liza Minnelli, reprising her role as "Lucille Two," and Martin Short, as an, um, eccentric family friend, deserve special mention, with the episode both appeared in, "Ready, Aim, Marry Me," a frenetic exercise in slapstick farce. Typical examples of the show's offbeat humor were found in "Afternoon Delight," in which various members of the Bluth family discover the true meaning of the '70s ballad, "Meet the Veals," wherein the Bluths encounter the conservative parents of George Michael's girlfriend, and "Motherboy XXX," surrounding an unsettling mother-son traditional dance. The entire cast cohered perfectly through this season, and their give and take provided a perfect balance among the actors, all of whom were even better than the previous year. However, it's Bateman who should be singled out as the show's anchor, mixing dry sarcasm with impeccable comic timing. Despite plummeting ratings, Arrested Development didn't just keep its head above water, it swam with grace and hilarity. --Mark Englehart

Season Three: Arrested Development--one of the greatest comedies in the history of television--went out in a blaze of glory. The truncated final season packed more biting humor per minute than ever before. In only 13 episodes, dozens of intertwining storylines spun in all directions: In addition to the overarching story about the fractious infighting of the Bluth family and the family's housing development company being investigated for treason in Iraq (a plot arc that comes to a dazzlingly surreal conclusion), the put-upon "good son" Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman, Teen Wolf Too) pursues romance with a lovely British woman (Charlize Theron, Monster) who turns out to be woefully inappropriate; swaggering magician Gob (Will Arnett, Monster-In-Law) flees from his newly-discovered teenage son while still pandering for the affection of his self-absorbed father (Jeffrey Tambor, The Larry Sanders Show); flighty Lindsay (Portia de Rossi, Ally McBeal) and her sexually blurry husband Tobias (David Cross, Mr. Show) both get the hots for the family's new lawyer, Bob Loblaw (Scott Baio, Charles in Charge); and much, much more. It's difficult to describe what makes Arrested Development so brilliant. The ensemble is uniformly superb (Jessica Walter, as the family's boozing, scheming matriarch, is particularly devastating this season) and the surprising guest stars (including Andy Richter, James Lipton, Justine Bateman, and many others) are perfectly cast; the characters' abominable behavior defies conventional television notions of "likability", yet they only grow more endearing the more you watch; the humor embraces wild slapstick and sharp satire, often within a single scene; and the nimble documentary style allows for sly glancing references to jokes and scenes from long-past episodes, rewarding devoted fans. But the key is that, no matter how screwball Arrested Development becomes, the show offers a rich, textured, and wonderfully coherent world in which these characters feel genuine, a world completely unlike the flat, plastic simulacrum offered by the average sitcom. Arrested Development was true to itself to the end. Its followers will cherish it forever. --Bret Fetzer

Prison Break - Season 3

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Brilliant !! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Michael Scofield ( Wentworth Miller ) back into prison ( What A Mess, Prison !! ) He's really brilliant the way he's escape ( how he's bullies the other )and save L.J at the museum. And even He's act is very smart ( 2 thumbs up for him ).
The series still make us curious about the woman who killed Sara and the whom Michael Scofield brought him out too..So Brilliant for the writer.
You Must See this series...It's a great one from season one.
Just to bad, for this season, the series is too short. Overall, love this series.

Prison Great! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Changing the roles, still great. Prison Break continues with great twists, surprises and non-stop watching episodes in this third season.

Prison Break 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I started out buying a download with Pepsi caps and watching the movie here on my computer where it's saved automatically and I can watch over and over. I must admit, it was good, super good. I got addicted to the TV series and have now downloaded two series and bought the third series where Amazon sent me two Cd's in a very nice package (shipping and handling FREE) for many more hours of entertainment. I am now looking forward to the forth series as soon as it becomes available. I highly recommend Amazon for their service and dedication to their products. Use your Credit card without fear. I did and have had no problems at all. Jerry

Editorial Review:

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 08/12/2008 Run time: 609 minutes Rating: Nr

7th Heaven - The Seventh Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not the best season you'll ever see, but still worth the purchase for those long-time Camden fans! 4 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Well, it has taken a while, but 7th Heaven has finally found a company willing to release all the seasons on DVD, and if you can look past the music changes and occasional scene omissions, this is another good batch of Camden fun to add to your collection around Thanksgiving time. Although the show had passed its peak by the time Season 7 premiered, it still has plenty of nice moments in its favor, and one big advantage to an 11-year series like this is that we really had the opportunity to watch the characters grow up.

The classic 7th Heaven drama begins full-force right away by revisiting Eric's heart problems from Season 4. In lieu of telling his family that he will soon be having double bypass surgery, he slaps on a happy face and takes the whole clan to the bowling alley for some not-so-fun family togetherness, but his behavior is transparent to the one person who knows him best--his wife Annie. It's a beautiful, sad, yet heartwarming episode that highlights the best of their relationship and reminds you of what a good, loving marriage can be in today's world.

As for the kids, 22-year-old Matt is settling into married life, and former bad girl Mary pursues a different path outside of her childhood hometown, but not without making a choice that could be the best or worst of her life. Ever-emotional Lucy is in top form as she meets police officer and future husband Kevin Kinkirk, the man who drags her (and the audience) through months of misery by not proposing to her quickly enough. Teenager Simon starts dating a new girl named Cecilia and encounters a living nightmare in the series finale that might shatter his entire world. Lastly, in addition to starting an innocent relationship with her very first boyfriend, 11-year-old Ruthie is shocked to encounter the one person who is not willing to deal with her typical "Ruthie" behavior (think inappropriate eavesdropping and a generally superficial, I'm-smarter-than-everyone-in-this-family attitude). Hey, if anyone can achieve that with her, I say good for them! Personally, I think 11 was a little too young to be saddling Ruthie with a boyfriend, but the writers were obviously eager to do something about her budding maturity (if you can call it that), and this was a quick, easy way to do it. There's also 3-year-old twins Sam and David, the youngest in the Camden bunch, who don't do much except assist in showing how Eric and Annie spend each day dividing their attention among their five older children and chasing around two toddlers.

Season 7 introduces a slew of new characters that take a lot of the spotlight away from the core Camden family, which didn't sit well with all long-time viewers. Jeremy London steps in as Dr. Chandler Hampton, a guy who wishes to be part of the Church staff, despite clashing immediately with the wary Eric. The infamous Ashlee Simpson begins a recurring role as Simon's girlfriend, George Stults makes his debut as the lead man in Lucy's life, and Rachel Blanchard provides some interesting plot material as Kevin's beautiful blonde partner in the police force (as if we needed something that would make Lucy even crazier than she already is). Some other noteworthy guest appearances come from "Blossom" alum Mayim Bialik and former American figure skating champion Tara Lipinski, so be sure to watch for them, as well.

Overall, I have to say that characters like Chandler and Roxanne took a lot away from the show's original premise, but entering into their seventh year, with all the Camden kids getting older and moving on, I guess they had to do something to keep the story going. There is a special wedding in the middle of the season that is definitely one of the most memorable episodes ever, and as always, you do get a lot of those special little moments that make it worth viewing. Watching Eric shut down emotionally after his surgery and consider stepping down as Reverend will be shocking to anyone who has followed this show, and the impact it has on his wife and children is very honestly portrayed.

You'll want this DVD set for your collection if you've already bought Seasons 1-6, so order it while the price is good, pop a disc into your DVD player, and enjoy! I know I will!

Editorial Review:

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 11/11/2008

Get Smart - The Complete Series Gift Set

Amazon Price: $109.99 List Price: $199.95 By: HBO Home Video - Model: 1000040360 Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $109.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

No Subtitle nor closed caption for this TV series! 1 out of 5 stars.
9 of 22 people found this review helpful.

I was deeply surprised and disappointed that there was no closed caption and even, no subtitle since I am hearing impaired. "Get Smart" TV series was one of my favorite TV series of all time. I had a difficult time to listen what they said on television series. I need subtitle or closed caption in order to understand clearly. How could the market ignore our concern? Obviously, they are still discriminating against hearing impaired and semi-illerate people who need to read and listen English in order to improve their educational standard as well as assimiate into Ameican culture. Shame on you for your bigotry and prejudice treatments to our hearing impaired society as the second class citizens!

Editorial Review:

Maxwell Smart is back... And loving it! And so is Agent 99, The Chief, Fang and the rest of the fearless Get Smart gang. Here is the legendary, Emmy Award-winning spy-spoof series inspired by the comic genius of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, digitally resored, remastered and brought to you for the first time on DVD. Now it's easier than ever to out-smart the world's least secret...secret agent, in this cunningly funny 25-DVD collection, featuring all 138 original episodes of Get Smart! This Get Smart Giftset is a must-have collector's item!

Sex and the City - The Movie [Blu-ray]

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 77 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Almost! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The movie is fun, especially for long-time fans. There are many layers - it was nice to watch it at home and let it all sink in. I bought the Blu-Ray version of the film - while there's no denying that it looks great, the extras weren't as exciting as touted in the description. There's barely any additional footage - deleted scenes or otherwise and there's still no explanation of Stanford's paltry storyline. Also, no "cutting room floor" extras of the rumored Aiden storyline. I was expecting a lot more, but still enjoyed the actual film. You aren't missing anything by purchasing the DVD version, as far as I can tell. And you'll save a few bucks!

Love this movie! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have watched this movie about 4 time since I got it (which wasnt that long ago). If you have a wide screen tv, don't get the full screen movie.

You won't be disappointed 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Even if you didn't watch the tv series, you will really enjoy this movie. The women are still their awesome selves, the clothes are off the charts and then there is The City! What a great representation this movie gives of NYC. Just plan to enjoy the movie a lot!

Editorial Review:

Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 09/23/2008 Rating: R

Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Disappointed little girl 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

The main reason my daughter was so excited about this movie was because of the pegasus shown on the front cover. She's so into horses and if they fly or have a horn...even better. Well, guess what...NO Pegasus in this movie! She kept asking where it was and when the movie was ending and still no pegasus...the tears came (she is a dramatic 4 yr old, but I was even disappointed for her). As it turns out, the pegasus is only in the "Special Features" section as a music video which is about 3 minutes long. What a disappointment. As it turns out she still enjoys the movie (it also comes with 2 other episodes: Dora's Jack-In-The-Box and Bark, Bark To Play Park), but I make sure we watch the music video a couple times before I turn it off. She's accepted it now, but still I wish I would have known before her Grandma bought her this movie.

Editorial Review:

It’s Dora The Explorer in her biggest DVD release of 2008! Dora Saves The Snow Princess is an all-new, movie- length adventure, available only on DVD! In this adventure, Dora, Boots and the Snowflake Fairy are off to save La Princessa Sabrina and her snowy forest from a mean witch who has locked her in a tower and taken away her magic snow crystal. Dora’s going to need your help because time is running out and the snowy forest is almost melted!

Smallville - The Complete Sixth Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 190 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Two of the eposides did not play 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I really enjoy this story. On the whole everything was great but on two separate discs there were a couple of eposides that would not play I was to say the least very disappointed.

Worst season to a great show 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

While Smallville is a great show this season was, in general, at best mediocre and at worst horrible retreads. If it wasn't for the retread factor I would worry that the writers never watched the previous seasons, but it seems they did and just ignored it. Characters reverted to previous seasons incarnations. Character developments were scrapped totally. So on and so forth. This season makes the fourth look like high art and that season had the worst plotline ever, next to Buffy's season 4, oddly enough.

But there are highlights. Michael Rosenbaum, Alison Mack and John Glover all bring the goods. And Justin Hartley was also a nice breath of fresh air, although the superhero outfit looked wicked bad. Tom Welling did the best he could with the material he was given. As for Kristen Kreuk? Yikes. I cant really blame her either, the writers seem to really have no idea what to do with her and every time they go a direction they get scared and run back to "girl next door/craps golden eggs" base, which doesn't gel with anything really.

I await season 7 on dvd as I haven't seen it yet, but from what I hear season 6 might become my second least favorite season after that.

Editorial Review:

DVD Features:
Deleted Scenes
Featurette

House, M.D. - Season One

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 451 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Pleased 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Since I had never seen the first season of this sitcom, purchasing this CD helped me catch up on what I had missed. It is more enjoyable watching this CD without commercial interuptions.
I would recommend this CD to any House fans.
It will be a joy to review this series in future years.
A great way to catch up on shows that were missed.

Editorial Review:

Go deeper into the medical mysteries of House, TV's most compelling new drama, as all 22 Season One episodes and exclusive bonus features come to DVD! Hugh Laurie stars as the brilliant, but sarcastic Dr. Gregory House, a maverick physician who is devoid of bedside manner. While his behavior can border on antisocial, Dr. House thrives on the challenge of solving the medical puzzles that other doctors give up on. Together with his hand-picked team of young medical experts, he'll do whatever it takes in the race against the clock to solve the case. Check out each gripping episode featuring some of TV's hottest guest stars, including Carmen Electra, Chi McBride, Scott Foley and Sela Ward. It's the intriguing new series TV Guide's Matt Roush hails as "the uncommon cure for the common medical drama."

Planet Earth & The Blue Planet Seas of Life (Special Collector's Edition)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

BBC natural history producer Alastair Fothergill spent the last ten years producing two of the most stunningly beautiful series ever created, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life and Planet Earth. For the first time, these must-own programs will be offered together in special collector's gift set. Winner of two Emmy(R) Awards (Outstanding Cinematography - Non-Fiction and Outstanding Music Composition for George Fenton's score), The Blue Planet: Seas of Life is the definitive exploration of the marine world, chronicling the mysteries of the deep, coastline populations, sea mammals, tidal and climatic influences, and the complete biological system that relies on and revolves around the world's oceans. Planet Earth does for the entire world what The Blue Planet: Seas of Life did for the oceans. Using high definition photography and revolutionary ultra-high speed cameras, this is the ultimate portrait of our planet. This truly breathtaking television experience captures rare action, impossible locations and intimate moments with our planet's best-loved, wildest and most elusive creatures.

DVD Features:
Documentaries
Featurette
Interviews
Other
Photo gallery