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The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Set 1
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17
Average rating: 3.5 of 5
Worth every penny for cozy murder fans -- details follow 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Rarely have I been so pleased with a set of British mystery DVDs. This compendium of mysteries is pure treasure for those who savour the genre!
Maybe excepting one or two volumes, I've read everything that Ngaio Marsh ever wrote and I liked her Inspector Alleyn series the best. I feel certain that she'd be quite proud of these four excellent renditions of her brilliant works.
There are four mysteries here, nicely packaged and on 4 separate DVDs. They are "Death at The Bar", "A Man Lay Dead", "The Nursing Home Murder", and, "Final Curtain". There's not a clinker in the bunch! I'll relate a little about each, listing my favorite first and prioritizing them down, (albeit, they are ALL just super).
"Death at the Bar" is poisoning mystery which mostly transpires in a small English coastal fishing village. A prominent attorney/prosecutor (a bit of a scoundrel) is somehow poisoned and he happens to have been a personal associate of Inspector Alleyn. Alleyn gets REALLY personally ticked off when the murderer also almost snuffs detective Fox, his venerable partner! The outdoor scenes and those in the old pub where the murder transpires are simply awesome.
"The Nursing Home Murder" has been dubbed with a title that is a little deceiving for those of us in the USA -- we would have called it "The Hospital Murder" because a philandering British Cabinet member dies unexpectedly after being rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and the list of folks who wish him dead, (many of whom are hospital employees), is quite lengthy. This potboiler is truly one of the best mysteries you'll ever encounter and I seriously doubt that you'll guess who the murderer is.
"Final Curtain" involves the suspicious death of Sir Henry Ancred, a renowned stage actor. Alleyn's proto-girlfriend, Troy, is dragged into the mess as she is the renowned artist who has been employed by Ancred to render his portrait over a weekend at the ancestral mansion. As Alleyn investigates, along with Br'er (detective) Fox, he discovers among the suspects a houseful of Ancred's relatives, most of whom are nutcases and demented eccentrics.
"A Man Lay Dead" involves Inspector Alleyn in the investigation of a stabbing death of an aristocrat, again transpiring in an English mansion. The focus of the investigation is on the murder weapon, an ancient and valuable ceremonial dagger that is desired by many, both inside and outside the immediate household. And again, Alleyn's "almost girlfriend", Troy, is tied into this one as she is the niece of one of the chief suspects. A stereotypical swarthy German is one of the primary suspects, but Alleyn and Fox shrewdly detect others too.
Now, addressing all four films in general, the acting is really spot-on and the cinematography is superb (they are all rendered in 4:3 fullscreen which presents nicely on either a regular or widescreen TV -- I have the latter). No corners were cut on the sets either -- it's all just first class. This is film and not videotape like one sees on some British presentations. Each film lasts 98 minutes (plenty long enough for good story and character development), and the action is tight. These mysteries do not drag in the slightest!
The screenwriters have taken a few liberties with Marsh's original works, but of course this is common with any film derived from a book. They have been forced, by time, to snip a few subplots and in one instance, ("A Man Lay Dead") they changed a Russian villian into a German one. But these are all minor changes that certainly do not detract from the stories in any significant way.
I did see some reviews of this set where the reviewers were not so enthusiastic as I am about these particular mysteries. I think I see precisely where they're coming from, not to be presumptuous, but their preferences are clearly leaning away from the traditional cozy murder mysteries and more toward what I would call "reality" crime, (e.g., "Foyle's War" and "Inspector Lyndley Mysteries", for example). Those latter films are indeed quite excellent but the overall rendering of those particular detective stories are probably more suited for more modern tastes. To pin it down, if you're a fan of Mary Roberts Rinehart, Josephine Tey, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, or Ngaio Marsh, then you probably belong to the group who will be, like me, shouting the praises of this Inspector Alleyn DVD set. These films are 100% pure escapism, which was also the original author's intent.
In summary, these films are, for the most part, so much better than what we've seen in the past involving traditional British mysteries. Comparing this set to, say, the Agatha Christie (David Suchet) Hercule Poirot series, these are by far the superior choice.
Editorial Review:
From the "golden age" of the British mystery comes a hard-working Scotland Yard detective whose breeding and bearing give him unique access to the fashionable world in which these stories are set. Drawing on her love of theatre and art, New Zealand novelist Ngaio Marsh created elegant crime-puzzlers full of quirky characters with hidden agendas, all brought meticulously to life in this BBC series. The keen intelligence and subtle persistence of Chief Inspector Alleyn (Patrick Malahide, The Singing Detective) are complemented by the insights of his independent lady friend, artist Agatha Troy (Belinda Lang, To Serve Them All My Days), and the loyalty of his partner, Detective Inspector Fox (William Simons, Sergeant Cribb).
Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set 4
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Mixed Bag of Melodrama and Satisfying Labyrinthine Mysteries. 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Inspector Lynley Mysteries Series 4 is comprised entirely of films that are not based on books or written by Elizabeth George. These four new mysteries pick up after Series 3's cliffhanger, in which Detective Sergeant Havers was shot. She's back on duty, and Lynley is estranged from his wife Helen. I've never liked the films' interpretation of Helen, so I was pleased to find her absent from this series. Lynley is becoming increasingly angst-ridden, and Havers departs more and more from the character of the books. But these mysteries are entertaining. "Seed of Cunning" is the most suspenseful Lynley film I've seen so far. Each mystery is 85 minutes long, and this series ends with a cliffhanger too. PBS calls this Season 5, and WGBH Boston calls it Series 4, so don't be confused.
"In Divine Proportions" finds Detective Sergeant Havers (Sharon Small) recovered from her gun shot injuries and Detective Inspector Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) anxious over his wife's departure following her miscarriage. Interior designer Samantha Walthew (Louise Hickson) is shot to death on a property in her home village that she and her husband were planning on developing. The property's former owner, Philip Turner (Richard Armitage), had taken up with her. A belligerent old neighbor, Mr. Harris (Roderick Smith), doesn't hide his disdain for the Walthews. But the name of Ron Verger, a local man who disappeared some 15 years ago, keeps turning up in the investigation, and his departure seems to still weigh heavy on the mind of his son Billy (Burn Gorman) and Samantha's old acquaintances. There are a lot of emotionally overburdened characters in this one. It's quite the village melodrama.
"In the Guise of Death" takes Lynley back to Cornwall and his family estate. While Lynley is visiting his family, horse trainer Stephen Fenner (Doug Rollins) is found hanged in the stables on a neighboring estate. The ambitious officer assigned to the case, DS Tremayne (Adrian Bower), welcomes DI Lynley's input. Lady Asherton (Gabrielle Drake) has invited Havers to stay with the family while she's on leave, so both Lynley and Havers are on hand to assist with the investigation. But they disagree over the direction of the case. Havers thinks the motive for murder came from the equine world and suspects fellow horse trainer Lawrence Chilcott (Nick Dunning). Lynley thinks the assailant is connected to the smuggling operation of boat repairman Lachlan (Doug Allen) that used Fenner's land. This mystery is entertaining and not too far-fetched, the second-best of this season.
Back in London for "The Seed of Cunning", the body of Eric Ramsey (James Pearse), a doorkeeper to the House of Lords, is found floating in the Thames. Lynley's aristocratic background prove both an advantage and a curse when he and Havers go poking around in the House of Lords and a nearby social club. Deep in debt from gambling, Ramsey had a falling out with straight-arrow Committee Clerk Geoffrey Crammond (Clive Merrison) over the disappearance of some important papers. Lynley's supercilious old rival from Oxford, Simon Featherstonehaugh (Roger Allam), has a seat in the House. And Letitia Gane (Claudie Blakely), lobbyist for an American defense firm, seems to turn up around every corner. Meanwhile, Havers is making an improbable attempt at a social life. The political intrigue may not be to everyone's taste, but this mystery builds suspense very effectively.
One page from a priceless 7th century Koran is found on the frozen body of Latif Ansari in "Word of God". Ansari was an illegal Jordanian immigrant whose forged passport leads Lynley and Havers to an uneasy collaboration with Immigration police. The precious page is authenticated by Islamic scholar Elias Blackwell (Mark Benton), who helps Lynley pose as a collector trying to purchase black market art from antiquities dealer Dimitri Zavos (Joseph Long). The dead man's wife Narima (Maggy Sharif) may unwittingly hold the key to finding the Golden Koran that everyone seeks. But the trail also leads to a clinic where Latif was on a kidney transplant list. Frustrated by Helen's absence and his powerlessness on recent cases, Lynley is anxious, impatient, and about to snap.
Inside The Actors Studio: Barbra Streisand
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11
Average rating: 5.0 of 5
A wonderful treasure 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
This is a great interview. If you are a film student, an artist, theatre person or interested in learning about your career and how to approach it view this DVD. It will give you a great insight into the concept of passion, perseverance and tenacity in the creative field.
Must have/see for all Barbra fans 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Wow! For major league fans, a must see, for those who are on the fence, you won't be after you see this very unguarded, relaxed, insightful, and at times intimate interview. My only beef is that the actual interview was almost 6 hours long, but only 1.4 hours made it to the DVD...what a huge shame. I am a medium BS fan, but find myself now even more in awe of her accomplishments and looking at and enjoying her work from a new perspective thanks to this interview.
Editorial Review:
Over four decades, Barbra Streisand has reached the pinnacle of every art form she has encountered. She is the first artist ever to earn a Grammy, a Tony, an Emmy and an Oscar. In this program, this beloved entertainer speaks revealingly about herself and her craft. Inside The Actors Studio, with host James Lipton, is seen in 80 million homes on Bravo.
The Best of Insomniac Uncensored (Vol. 1)
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
An All Out Party that Lasts All Night Long... 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful.
After hearing his comedy album only a few days ago, I knew that I would have to check out his show, "Insomniac with Dave Attell." The guy's funny, sarcastic and very entertaining. So I knew the show would be good. After seeing an episode of the new season, I decided to get the DVD "The Best of Insomniac with Dave Attell: Volume 1." The show goes to show you that the fun and hijinx of comedy doesn't end when the act or set is over.Dave Attell is the host and takes you on a journey full of booze, women, interesting people and wild parties. As soon as his comedy act is over, that's when he takes you for a ride you won't forget. And what's great is that this is an uncensored look, meaning that the language and other shenanigans that could never air on Comedy Central without being bleeped or blurred is here. Get ready to enjoy the nightlife as you cruise around with Dave in the cities of Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, New York and Montreal.
The show is very original and unique. It doesn't fail to entertain for a second. It's 107 minutes long, giving you tons of material to watch. Although it would've been nice to have the complete season of the show, this is still a nice thing to have. And you know there will be a Volume 2 coming out in the near future.
"The Best of Insomniac with Dave Attell: Volume 1" is more than enjoyable. It's funny, edgy, entertaining and memorable. If you've seen the show on Comedy Central or love Dave Attell, then check out this DVD as soon as you can. I can hardly wait for a Volume 2 and I would love it if a complete season would be released on DVD. Still, this DVD is not too shabby.
Editorial Review:
Comedian Dave Attell, host of Comedy Central's Insomniac, knows how to turn wanderlust into an unbroken string of all-night partying. In this Best of Insomniac volume, Attel hits no fewer than five major North American cities using the same game plan: Stake out a comedy club, then prowl the streets for girls to chat up, guys to taunt, bars to close, and assorted weird, weird stuff to see, all inexplicably taking place while most of the continent is taking its beauty rest. The garrulous Attell insinuates his way into late-night karate lessons in New York, ice-fishing in Montreal, a geek-heavy sci-fi convention in Chicago, and the usual blur of human revelry on New Orleans's Bourbon Street. If a random encounter turns into a memory, great; if not, we just move on. Highlights include a dog-friendly pub, fishy initiation rites, and capricious nudity. --Tom Keogh
In Living Color - Season 5
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11
Average rating: 3.0 of 5
I enjoy watching In Living Color Season 5 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.
I have been looking for this dvd set for a long time and to get from amazon has made me very happy , and the price was nice , another thing is that you had plenty of them is in stock. I will always use amazon for all my dvd's purchase.
signed David Haskins
IN LIVING COLOR SEASON 5 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
THIS WAS A VERY FUNNY SEASON...JAMIE FOX REALLY SHOWS HIS COMEDIC TALENT DURRING THIS SEASON. THE OTHER REGULAR COMICS ARE JUST AS FUNNY!!! I LOVED THIS ONE KUDOS!!
Very good but had one disappointment 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Very good but I was disappointed to find out
the "Droop There it is" song is not on any of
the discs. I bought Season 5 especially to
have that hilarious song as I am getting older.
I wonder why they cut it out of this.
Editorial Review:
The final season of In Living Color was as outrageous as the first four, having thrust its courageous cast into stardom, especially Jamie Foxx, David Alan Grier, Chris Rock and Jim Carrey. As usual, nothing was sacred and no public figure was safe, as the hilarious sketches challenged censors and viewers with piercing parody. So bid a fond farewell to one of the freshest, funniest sketch shows of all time with this this 3-disc Collector's Edition, featuring all 26 hilarious Season Five episodes.
Inspector Lynley - A Great Deliverance
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Editorial Review:
Talk about a puzzling case. Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard (Nathaniel Parker, Far from the Maddding Crowd) is assigned to investigate the gruesome murder of a farmer in a seemingly peaceful country village, but it’s his new partner, Sgt. Barbara Havers (Sharon Small, About a Boy), whom he’s finding indecipherable. Havers is as gritty, rumpled, and working-class as the Inspector is refined, well-heeled, and sophisticated.Is the murderer the farmer’s shy daughter who was found next to her father’s decapitated corpse? The nephew who stands to inherit the farm? The estranged wife who’s protecting her new family from an unsightly past? Or is it a suspicious village resident with a shady past and a weak alibi?
Based on the best-selling mystery by Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance introduces Inspector Lynley with first-rate performances and abundant amounts of nail-biting suspense.
Special DVD features include: virtual tour of the Mystery! studio; Q&A with Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small; selected cast filmographies; selected cast list; biography for Diana Rigg, host of Mystery!; bibliography for Elizabeth George; selected cast list; link to the Mystery! Web site; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.
On one DVD9 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.
Instant Star - Season 1
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Great DVD Release 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Instant Star has been a popular teen favorite the past few seasons. Fans of the show will be pleased with the DVD release of the first season. The season one DVD includes the first 13 episodes of the show. The downside is that season one aired so long ago these episodes seem like light years ago. It would have been good if they would have released the first and second season together on DVD.
The first season chronicles Jude's semi rise to stardom. After winning the Instant Star competition she receives a record contract with G Major Records. Her producer is "Little Tommy Q," who used to be in a boy band named Boyz Attack. Tommy is all grown up now and he is her producer who she has a crush on it seems. Adding to the story is her close relationship with her male childhood best friend Jamie. At this time in the series, Jude is still in high school and living with her parents who are still married. Her sister Sadie is a little older than her but they attend the same school.
The first season is primarily about her recording songs for G Major and dealing with various unexpected trappings of sudden fame. First she has conflict with a fellow recording artist named Eden. Then she finds love with a rapper named Shay. Things really heat up when her and her producer Tommy share an unexpected kiss on Jude's 16th birthday. It's all not a smooth ride as she also has to deal with her parents crumbling marriage.
Instant Star is a television series packed with drama. It's a series that teens and adults will find intriguing and it was created by the same people who created the series Degrassi The Next Generation. Bonus features includes deleted scenes, bloopers, cast auditions, music performances and more.
Editorial Review:
And the first ever Instant Star is …. Jude Harrison!Jude is thrilled to be the first season winner of the Instant Star TV show. But after the fanfare, with a record contract in hand and a pile of dreams, she is hit by a stark reality. Will Jude be able to make it on her own or will she be forced to change by her record company? What will her new life be like? The claws of the music industry come out immediately and Jude is faced with some serious decisions. Will Jude be able to "play the game" or will she quickly become yesterday's news?
The Best of Insomniac Uncensored (Vol. 2)
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Editorial Review:
Fans of comedian Dave Attell's charmingly seedy TV series Insomniac will be pleased by this two-disc set, which features twice the episodes included in the previous set as well as some amusing extras. This time around, the ever-garrulous Attell visits nine U.S. cities for lowbrow fun after dark, as well as Amsterdam to commit each of the Seven Deadly Sins in a single evening. In addition to the usual bar-hopping, he also attends Miami's debauched FantasyFest, cruises with strippers in Las Vegas and deals with perpetual daylight in Alaska, all of which feature the nudity and strong language missing from the broadcast versions. However, the show's highlights remain Attell's repartee with people on the street, where his quick and salty wit takes center stage. Comedy Central's DVD set includes audio commentary by Attell and his producers on several episodes, a handful of inconsequential deleted scenes, and clips from some of the network's other programs, including Crank Yankers. --Paul Gaita
Inspector Morse: Dead on Time - Collection Set
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3
Average rating: 5.0 of 5
Editorial Review:
AS SEEN ON A&E AND PBS MYSTERY!"...Elegant, complex..." - Entertainment Weekly
Award winning actor John Thaw (Kavanagh Q.C., Goodnight, Mister Tom) stars as the melancholy, enigmatic and romantic Inspector Morse, a man who never uses his first name and who finds solace in real ale, classical music and difficult crosswords. Together with his able Sergeant Lewis (Kevin Whately), Morse uses his considerable intellect and passion for truth and justice to investigate death and murder in the English university town of Oxford.
Who Killed Harry Field? - Stars Geraldine James, Freddie Jones and Ronald Pickup.
Greeks Bearing Gifts - Stars Martin Jarvis, James Hazeldine and Jan Harvey.
Promised Land - Stars Rhondda Findleton and John Jarratt.
Dead on Time - Stars Joanna David, Richard Pasco, Adrian Dunbar and Samantha Bond.
Happy Families - Stars Martin Clunes, Anna Massey and Rupert Graves.
The Death of the Self - Stars Frances Barber, Michael Kitchen and Georges Corraface. approx. 10 hrs. col.
Special Features: Cast Biographies / Selected Filmographies / Trivia
The Incredible Hulk - The Television Series Ultimate Collection
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
The Original Hulk 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
A great collection of episodes to add to your DVD collection. Anyone that likes old shows that exspand from the early to mid 1970s til early 1980s will enjoy this collection. There are only about twenty episodes but they are worth it.
Truly The Greatest Hits Of The Incredible Hulk In One Great Set! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Back in 2003 when Universal was all gung-ho about the cinema debut of the updated, and critically panned, Hulk movie, they dug into the archives and pulled out this as the original series first ever box-set. Many fans were outraged that they were given this best-of 14 episode set rather than complete seasons. Of course a few years later, they got what they wanted, but this box-set should have been given a better chance. Think of this as a great addition to the "casual" fan. Featuring episodes from the first four seasons (for some strange reason NO shows from Season Five are included), this is like "Hulk 101", but not without a few flaws. For some reason the shows are not in chronological order, jumping all over it's six discs, that of which aren't labeled with each episode nor is the box telling you where each episode is. Another quirk is that even though most of these shows would be considered the best of the series, it's as if most of the better ones were two-parter shows. In fact, ten of the hours are, while eight are not. And finally, each season is not represented equally here, with Season Two getting six shows, Four has five, One has only two, and Season Three only one. But there's no denying that they make up some of the best hours the show ever produced. Even though five years of release separate them, the video/audio quality between this "Ultimate" release and the "Complete Seasons" are the same, and that's not a bad thing. So due to the quality of the shows contained, I've overlooked it's flaws and suggest it to any fan that would like a "Best Of The Hulk" in their collection.
With all the recent Marvel films that have come out over the past ten years, this television chapter should be revisted by all. Minus the hairstyles and clothing, it truly doesn't look aged that much. And I would take an actual actor sprayed green over fakey cartoonish CGI anyday. A worthy addition to your Fantasy/Sci-Fi DVD collection.
-RedSabbath Rating (8.5/10)-
Editorial Review:
Eighteen favorite episodes as voted upon by the fans of the tv show. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 07/24/2007 Starring: Bill Bixby Run time: 865 minutes Rating: Nr