P - DVD

The Prisoner - Set 1: Arrival/ Free for All/ Dance of the Dead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

You Will Be A Prisoner 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a great series!! Highly reccommended,once you see it you will never escape The Village :). A must for your Sci/Fi/Spy collection. BCNU

A few words to the wise 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 11 people found this review helpful.

Yes the Prisoner series was expertly photographed (for 1966 anyway). It had very good Shakespearean acting but that means it isn't much like real life as acting Bard-style is pretty unrealistic. It should be awfully hard for modern-day americans to identify so well with Shakespearean-acting old time Europeans. The central character/actor who plays Number 6 is a nervous type in reallife. In the book The Official Prisoner Companion it states a crewmember testifying that the lead actor indeed had a problem with intimacy on the set of The Prisoner. Raed that book, that info in it and draw your own conclusions about what that says about this man's attitudes towards women in reallife. Yes he's married to a lady but question is what does this say about his attitude towards women. Lastlyu, it is only a tv show not real life don't try hard to make perfecty sense out of it and remember tv is never quite like real life.

Editorial Review:

"The Prisoner," one of the most remarkable and challenging science fiction series of all time, follows "No. 6," a former government operative sent into a seemingly idyllic but twisted prison known as "The Village," where he struggles to retain his identity in the face of sophisticated and relentless attempts by the powers-that-be (known as "No. 2") to extract his secrets. "The Arrival" (pilot episode)--A first look at the Village, and The Prisoner, Number Six, its newest resident. "Free for All"--Elections are about to be held in the Village, including the position of Number Two. Will Number Six run, and can he win the election, and his freedom? "Dance of the Dead"--Sadistic, secretive experiments are performed on Number Six as the Village prepares for its annual carnival.

Project Greenlight 2 (The Complete Second Series Plus Film The Battle of Shaker Heights)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Better than the series but not true to the winners 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 12 people found this review helpful.

The time and budgets are shortened and the stress levels are high on all of the winners of the PGL contest. But let's face it. that makes for some good reality TV.

The Battle of Shaker Heights has as much class as any movie in it's genre. It has heart and humor, well balanced and does the three project winners proud. The DVD, yes I actually bought and watched it BEFORE writing my review, has a little more of a glimpse into what really went on behind the scenes and not just the good for Reality TV stuff. These are some great talents that were put in a situation to make them look bad. It is good TV but not good business for the PGL Executives.

I recommend you get the DVD, watch the movie with commentary, and see a glimpse of some of the stuff that was cut from the series. These items shed a little more light on the fun the cast and crew had making the film and the dedication that was much more dramatic than blowing a few conflicts out of proportion.

To all the players in PGL, I commend the effort, and hope that those who put the show together can try not to use shock value in the future and show us why these people really do have a reason to love their work.

Editorial Review:

Miramax Home Entertainment along with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Chris Moore present PROJECT GREENLIGHT ... a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the Hollywood filmmaking process that documents all the hurdles and pitfalls encountered by first-time filmmakers as they bring their labor of love to the big screen! This special three-disc collection includes the complete second season of the acclaimed HBO series, extensive bonus material, and the finished theatrically released project THE BATTLE OF SHAKER HEIGHTS -- starring Shia LaBeouf and Amy Smart.

The Prisoner - Set 2: Checkmate/ The Chimes of Big Ben/ A, B and C/ The General (Bonus)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The chimes ring a little truer this way. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Patrick McGoohan's classic 1967 miniseries begins as an offbeat spy thriller and ends as a surrealistic allegory. It concerns an ex-secret agent (McGoohan) held captive in The Village, a prison camp that looks like a vacation resort. Everyone is identified solely by number, and our protagonist is No. 6. The Village is managed by No. 2, who reports to an unseen and unidentified No. 1 -- and who gets replaced regularly. THEY want to know why No. 6 resigned, he wants to know who THEY are and where he is.

A&E presents the miniseries in a revised order, intended to arrange events in their proper sequence, but having several additional benefits:

-Showing No. 6's increasing level of confidence and command of his situation

-Beginning with some of the more surrealistic episodes (in set 1), thus foreshadowing the surrealistic and allegorical conclusion.

-Keeping the original concept as intact as possible. McGoohan wanted only seven episodes, but was required to do seventeen. A&E groups five of the seven "essentials" together, at the beginning, in McGoohan's prescribed order. All ten additional episodes are inserted before the two that must conclude the series.

"Checkmate" is now one of the early episodes because of a reference to No. 6 being new. It also gives us our first look at the kind of "treatment" one gets in the hospital. I suspect "Checkmate" was originally postponed to save the large-scale escape attempt for later, but I feel it shows that No. 6 still had a lesson to learn. He'd progressed beyond the half-baked escape attempt in "Free for All," but still hadn't learned how few people he could trust. Although I felt the specific reason for his plan's failure was a bit predictable, I also found it interesting in light of how one of the BIG QUESTIONS would ultimately be answered in the final episode. A&E corrects a technical blooper found in the MPI release. "Checkmate" is an episode where the actor who will play No. 2 also performs the introductory dialog. But in the MPI release, the first few lines are done with that "generic" No. 2 (Robert Rietty) before switching to the correct voice -- with a rather obvious splice.

"Chimes of Big Ben" has been moved from second* to fifth -- which makes perfect sense to me. Yes, it also makes sense to put one of the more straightforward episodes at the beginning, but, as A&E points out, "Chimes" takes place over several months and establishes that No. 6 has been missing for several months, so it cannot precede the three episodes that call No. 6 "new." Furthermore, No. 6 has completed his transition from defensive to offensive tactics, and knows his way around The Village, as evidenced by his taking charge with Nadia. Two details that stood out for me were (1) his giving Nadia the nonalcoholic liquor spiel we saw him getting in "Free for All," and (2) his telling Nadia that an attempt to escape by sea has already been tried -- presumably a reference to "Checkmate." And it seems that No. 6 has learned his lesson from "Checkmate." This time, he involves only Nadia in his escape attempt, because she's a new arrival and hasn't been infected by Village mentality -- or so he believes. What I find interesting about the ending is that it combines victory and defeat. No. 6 fails to escape, but thwarts a plan to trick him into revealing information. The ending also suggest that his own people might be running The Village.

And now for the nonessential episodes. "A. B. and C." originally came early -- third* -- at least partly, I suspect, because it's both straightforward and upbeat. No. 6 doesn't escape, but he does make fools of No. 2 and the lady doctor who's been enlisted to help force information out of him. A&E places this episode later because dangerous drugs wouldn't have been used on No. 6 until other methods had failed. I agree with this reasoning, and would add two more points. First, No. 6 appears to have taken as much command of his station as possible. Second. I prefer this episode as an antidote to "Free for All," rather than a setup for the defeatism of that episode. I also find No 2's terrified discourse with No. 1 on the red phone interesting now that I've seen the whole miniseries and thus know who No. 1 is.

"The General" is what I call a "side trip" episode. Departing from the central conflict, it concerns an instant university-level education that's really a scheme to brainwash most of the Village population This episode introduces us to the gray-uniformed, white-helmeted goons we'll see in the final episode, as well as some of the equipment and underground corridors seen in that episode.

This is one place where I would debate A&E's order. Yes, "General" must come after "A. B. and C." because it features the same No. 2, who states the "No. 6 and I are old friends." But should it come IMMEDIATELY afterward? A&E theorizes that No. 1 said, "Okay, you get one more chance," but he could have just as easily said "You're fired," then later, "I'm calling you back in," as implied by the original order*. A&E also claims "General" must precede "Schizoid Man,"because the No. 12 in "General" has been there "a long time," and so can't logically appear after the recently-arrived No. 12 in "Schizoid Man." This makes it wrong to put "General" IMMEDIATELY after "Schizoid Man," but the insertion of several episodes in between would solve the plausibility problem.

The bonus material in this set is limited, but that's not a major problem, considering it includes four episodes. I do wish, however, that the alternate version of "Chimes of Big Ben" had been put here instead of in set 1.

*In both the U.K. and U.S.

Editorial Review:

"Checkmate"--A giant outdoor chessboard features unique pawns, human chess pieces. Number Six joins the game, and starts a game of his own. "The Chimes of Big Ben" (broadcast version)--A mysterious new resisdent offers a tantalizing clue as to where they are imprisoned. Together with Number Six, a plan for escape develops. "A, B and C"--Cruel, dream-invading drug experiments on Number Six attempt to reveal why he resigned. "The General"--A powerful, subliminal "educational" technique, Speed Learn, is made mandatory for all Villagers. How will it ultimately be used?

The Prisoner - Set 4: A Change of Mind/Hammer Into Anvil/Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling/Living in Harmony

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Change that Hammer and Anvil Your Mind, Oh My Darling 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This portion of the 5 tape Prisoner set is to my mind, one of the more intriguing, as it includes one of my favorite episodes, "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling". In this bizarre turn, the Prisoner's mind is transplanted into the body of another secret agent, allowing #6 to see his familiar surroundings, his former lover and the life he left behind when he resigned, but of course, he's barred from enjoying the experience as himself, and to fully realize the joy of being in love. Patrick McGoohan doesn't appear much in the episode, but he narrates the ersatz Prisoner's thoughts, which is just plain strange. "Hammer to Anvil," is a real creep-out, with a sicko #2 that radiates disdain and drips pure evil. Number 2 gets his in the end, in a very inventive twist of fate. The Western episode,"Living in Harmony" is a another trippy expedition, using American t.v. cliches (gunfights, harlots with hearts of gold) to make a powerful anti-violence (and by extension) anti-war statement. Worth viewing, especially today. "A Change of Mind," with its emphasis on mind-control shows just how far the keepers of the Village will go to enforce conformity. Exciting, well-crafted and full of the tension that makes the Prisoner such an intriguing piece of work. A great box set for the Prisoner fan, without a doubt. Be seeing you.

Poirot - Dumb Witness

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A very enjoyable movie! Poirot at his best! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

My very favorite Poirot episode! The only other one that comes close is "The ABC Murders". David Suchet is at his best.

Poirot is again joined by Captain Hastings, as well as "Bob" the fox terrier on this case. The relationship between Poirot and Bob is delightful!

After viewing this movie, I am sad that I now have the entire avaialable Poirot (David Suchet) DVD collection.

A DOGgone Good Mystery!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

+++++

I watched this movie without reading the 1937 Dame Agatha Christie novel that it was based on. I'm glad I did this! Why? Because it forced me to really watch the movie in order to try and deduce who the murderer was.

Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) accompanies Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) to Lake Windermere (England's largest lake located in the north-west part of England) for a holiday and to see Hastings' friend attempt to break a world speedboat-racing record. A wealthy socialite invites Poirot to her estate called "Little Green House" where this socialite has an accident (?) and then she is eventually murdered. The only witness to this murder is a Fox Terrier dog. At a séance, a trained medium accuses the dog of killing the socialite. Eventually another murder takes place.

The dog helps Poirot solve the murder of the socialite. (This proves that this dog is not so dumb after all!)

Who are the people (and other life-forms) associated with this estate? They are as follows:

1. Emily Arundell, wealthy socialite and the estate's owner (Ann Morrish)
2. Charles Arundell, nephew to Emily and speedboat-racer (Pat Ryecart)
3. Theresa Arundell, niece to Emily (Kate Buffery)
4. Dr. Jacob Tannis (Paul Herzberg)
5. Bella Tannis, another niece to Emily and Jacob's wife (Julia St. John)
6. Wilhemina "Mini" Lawson, Emily's aid (Norma West)
7. Dr. Grainger (John Newth)
8. Isabel Tripp, a trained medium (Pauline Jameson)
9. Julia Tripp, aid to her sister Isabel (Muriel Pavlow)
10. Robert "Bob" Arundell (`Snubby,' the Fox Terrier)

As usual, Suchet's performance stands out. He gives a stellar performance as the super sleuth. Also keep your eye on Snubby, the Fox Terrier.

The cinematography is visually stunning. All costumes are authentic looking. As well, the background music adds to each scene.

The DVD has the usual text extras. Newcomers to the series may find these interesting.

Finally, this is the best Poirot in this series I have seen. Why? Because it kept me guessing right to the end and left no "loose ends" in the final deduction scene.

In conclusion, this is a fun movie even if you have read the novel it's based on!!

(1996; made for TV; 100 min: full screen; 10 scenes; British drama; color)

+++++

Editorial Review:

Studio: Acorn Media Release Date: 08/07/2001 Rating: Nr

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd/Lord Edgware Dies

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This beautifully packaged A&E set marks the return of David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in two feature films. Although the films are based on two early Christie novels, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Lord Edgware Dies, the stories have been rewritten to take place after previously filmed episodes in the Agatha Christie's Poirot series, thus accounting for the slightly older-looking cast.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd opens with a retired Poirot cursing at vegetable marrows in his country garden. When his old friend is found stabbed in the neck, Poirot begins an investigation that reunites him with Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) and uncovers a chain of furtive phone calls and secret romances. Unfortunately, the restructuring necessary to adapt the story from text to film takes away some of the shock value of Christie's original ending, which caused quite a controversy when the book was first published in 1926.

Lord Edgware Dies finds Poirot reopening his London office with the help of Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) and Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser). As they celebrate their reunion, Japp quips that there's "only one thing missing... the body." Right on cue, a corpse turns up just moments later. Most of the suspects are actors by profession, but Poirot's "little gray cells" are able to penetrate the murderer's disguise--though only after two more victims heighten the suspense.

The acting is impeccable and the sets are as lavish as ever in both of these adaptations. The main characters' delight in being reunited is sure to be matched only by the delight of Agatha Christie fans who now have two more episodes to add to their collection. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

The Prisoner - Set 5: The Girl Who Was Death/Once Upon a Time/Fall Out

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Perhaps no other series so confounded its loyal viewers as The Prisoner. Why did Patrick McGoohan's British agent resign? Where was the Village? And who, really, was Number 1? The Prisoner ends with its key riddles unanswered. It goes without saying that no Prisoner collection is complete without these final three episodes. A curiosity, "The Girl Who Was Death," isn't cricket for the series. It is a surreal fairy tale that plays like a long-lost episode of McGoohan's previous TV series, Danger Man, with Number 6 avoiding a series of assassination attempts before saving London "from the mad scientist." But "Once Upon a Time" and "Fallout," both written and directed by McGoohan, get back to business, as Number 6 suffers "Degree Absolute"--his most intense, last-man-standing, psychological probe yet--at the hands of Number 2 (Leo McKern, reprising his role from the episode "The Chimes of Big Ben") and at last prepares to meet the elusive Number 1. Those who just want to sample this cult fave series are advised to stick with the intriguing first episodes included in Set One. --Donald Liebenson

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Hollow

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Editorial Review:

Another wonderful Poirot case.

Petticoat Junction: The Sweet Life

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

just what i expected 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

i ordered this as a Christmas gift couldn't find it anywhere except amazon and i got the product within maybe 3 days max thank you for the speedy service, great product, and amazing price

Prison Break, Complete Season One and Season Two

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

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

great prices for both the seasons, just got it today, fairly fast delivery. Great show, love both seasons and the third as well.