R - DVD

Fox Western Classics (Rawhide / The Gunfighter / Garden of Evil)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A trio of terrific westerns 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Nowadays, the Western is almost a dead genre, a far cry from the days in which it dominated the movies. Of course, even in its heyday, it had various stages. Earlier Westerns tended to focus on adventure, with cowboys and Indians and bank robbers. Around the 1950s, a new subgenre began to appear, the so-called Adult Western. These Westerns tended to focus more on character and less on action. The Fox Western Classics features three such movies.

The Gunfighter is considered to be one of the first Adult Westerns, with Gregory Peck has the title character. He is a man considered the best gunfighter of his era, a title that he is forced to defend. He takes refuge in the town of Cayenne, where an old friend is marshal and his estranged wife is living under another name with their son. Even here, however, danger lurk.

Rawhide is perhaps the least "adult" of the three movies. Tyrone Power is working at an isolated stagecoach station and is taken hostage by a band of robbers planning on robbing an incoming, gold-laden stage. Complicating matters is Susan Hayward and her infant niece who are trapped at the station also. Hugh Marlowe leads the band of robbers, but it's Jack Elam who provides the real danger.

Hayward and Marlowe are also in Garden of Evil, also directed by Rawhide director Henry Hathaway. This is the epic of the three, with Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark leading the cast and a young Rita Moreno in one of her first (brief) roles. It is shot in Cinescope and scored by the great Bernard Hermann. Cooper and Widmark are a couple passengers on a California-bound steamer that is stranded in Mexico with engine problems. Stuck in port for weeks, they let themselves be hired by Hayward, who needs them to rescue her husband (Marlowe) who's stuck in a mine. Getting there is an arduous enough trip, but getting back may be more perilous, with Apaches dogging their every move.

In quality terms, these are all four-to-five star movies, and there are enough extras - including commentaries and featurettes - to make this a top notch set. If you enjoy Westerns, this is a trio of near classics that is worth viewing.

Editorial Review:

Disc 1: Garden of Evil (1954) Feature Film Disc 2: The Gunfighter (1951) Feature Film Disc 3: Rawhide (1951) Feature Film

Red Dwarf Complete Collection (18DVD)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

What can I possibly say that hasn't already been said? 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review Red Dwarf? Me? What can I possibly say that hasn't already been said?

Red Dwarf is one of the best science fiction / situation comedy series ever produced. I tell a lie, it is the best. The situation? Imagine being the last surviving human, nothing funny about that, but set onboard a spaceship some 3 million years into the future with companions that include a creature which evolved from a cat, an over-zealous underachieving holographic crew-mate, a computer with a sense of duty, direction, and humor that's more than just slightly off-center, a sanitation mechanoid that so wants to be human, plus a long lost girlfriend... if you can, imagine what day to day life in such a situation might be like. Got it? Good. Now forget it and instead get ready to laugh until you cry!

I first saw Red Dwarf on our local PBS station. A long-time fan of Doctor Who, Red Dwarf quickly became a favorite of mine. It has remained so all these years later.

You may find yourself trading places with the characters of Red Dwarf, which is to say in it's own weird way the show reflects the struggles, the failures, and the triumphs which make us all human, a credit to its creators. As bizarre as a given situation may be, and some are very bizarre, words like outrageous, absurd, and unreal are routinely redefined by Red Dwarf while at the same time through each (situation) a thread of humanity is woven. Sometimes the thread is frayed, sometimes it is twisted, but it is always evident, making plausible the Red Dwarf Universe.

There haven't been many sci-fi comedy shows made. Red Dwarf defines the genre in a lot of ways. In it's day The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (another favorite of mine) was just as odd, trail-blazing, and funny as Red Dwarf is today, but with one rather obvious difference between the two, Red Dwarf has the distinction of longevity... running from February 15, 1988 to April 5, 1999.

I needn't say more about the series. Any number of others have summed it up as well or better than I possibly could. I'm just glad I have the complete series on DVD so that whenever I need a good laugh (or need to stop taking life so seriously) I can hang with the boys in the Dwarf. And did I mention how easy amazon.com made it for me to get a complete set of replacement discs when I discovered one in the original set was defective? It was about as easy as it gets.

Rumpole of the Bailey - The Complete Series

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An immensely popular series broadcast on PBS from 1978 to 1992, RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY set a new bar for all courtroom dramas to come. Balancing suspense and satire as deftly as the scale of justice, Horace Rumpole tirelessly defends the downtrodden while undressing the upper classes. A timeless mixture of comedy and drama, RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY was one of television's most celebrated courtroom dramas. Flawlessly adapted by John Mortimer from his best-selling Edgar Award-winning novels, and starring the esteemed Leo McKern (A Man for All Seasons), this 14-disc DVD Megaset™ includes all 42 episodes from the seven seasons of RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY. DVD Features: Feature-Length Bonus Movie Rumpole's Return; Mortimer's Musings--An Interview with John Mortimer; McKern's Memories with Actress Abigail McKern (Daughter of Leo McKern); Episode Introductions with John Mortimer; Spot the Barrister-Highlighting John Mortimer's Impromptu Appearances; Newspaper Evidence; John Mortimer Biography; John Mortimer Bibliography and Selected Credits; About the Old Bailey; Official Executioners of Newgate Prison; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Rosemary & Thyme - The Complete Series

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The hit British series that combines glorious gardens with classic whodunits

Stunning gardens provide the backdrop for this hit British mystery series starring Felicity Kendal (Good Neighbors, The Camomile Lawn) as Rosemary Boxer and Pam Ferris (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Matilda) as Laura Thyme, professional gardeners and amateur sleuths. From their former careers as a university plant biologist and a police officer, Rosemary and Laura bring unique investigative talents to their horticultural and human mysteries.

Locations featured in the series include manor houses in the English countryside; London's Kew Gardens and Regent's Park; the French Riviera and Italy's Ligurian coast; a Surrey vineyard and the hills of Málaga, Spain. Guest stars include Anthony Andrews, Oliver Ford Davies, Phyllida Law, Julian Wadham, Margaret Tyzack and Michael Maloney. Great fun for mystery fans and green thumbs alike! As seen on public television.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE an interview with Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris, production notes, location notes, photo galleries, cast filmographies, and a trivia quiz.

Roseanne - The Complete Third Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Still missing scenes! 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

There are still scenes missing from this season. Many of the Roseanne episodes have opening scenes, and there arne't any in this dvd. I'm disappointed because I bougth this dvd thinking that the episodes are unedited.

Roseanne Rocks 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Roseanne was one of the funniest and best sitcoms on TV. The third season is funny and reminds everyone of their own family growing up.

Editorial Review:

All hail the domestic goddess! In this top-rated third season, Roseanne Conner and family continue to push the sitcom envelope as they deliver one of the most acclaimed and daring shows in television history. Relive all the classic hilarity as Roseanne explains the facts of life to Darlene, Dan endures PMS, Becky moves in with Jackie, D.J. turns weird, Nana Mary visits, Valentine’s Day gets forgotten, curfews are broken, surprise weddings and pregnancies rock the house and much more! Season Three of Roseanne includes appearances by Tom Arnold, Ned Beatty, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Garrett, Judy Gold, Alyson Hannigan, Tobey Maguire, Martin Mull, Estelle Parsons, Natalie West, and Shelley Winters

Rawhide - Season Three, Vol. 2

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Best season 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Thanks to Paramount for releasing another season -- and this is arguably the best. Season 3 contains "Incident of the Fish out of Water" "Incident on the Road Back" and "Incident of the New Start" which all lend more humanity and backstory to the characters. This season also contains "Incident of the Boomerang" one of the best in all 8 seasons. Enjoy!

Head 'em up, move 'em out! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I'm anxiously awaiting the release of this latest volume of one of the best shows ever made! Major thanks to Paramount for continuing to release episodes that haven't seen the light of day in many, many years.

Where is Wish ! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I can hardly wait to get the next release of my favorite TV program "Rawhide".All to this point have been of great quality and sound and I expect this one will be the same.Sit back and watch some episodes from years gone by. Did I say episodes, sorry I meant incidents.

Editorial Review:

Rawhide is the tale of tail boss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming) and rugged cowhand Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) driving cattle across the old west while meeting up with adventure and drama along the way.

The Rockford Files - Season One

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 147 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

excellent content, terrible two sided DVDs 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent series.
Horrible two sided DVDs. I returned DVDs to Universal at my expense with all the paper work. The ones I got back were just as bad as the original ones.
Fortunately, the rest of the seasons come in the one sided format.

Editorial Review:

The world's most unlikely detective comes to DVD for the first time ever in all 23 thrilling Season One episodes of The Rockford Files. Emmy(r) winner James Garner stars as the offbeat Jim Rockford, an ex-con-turned-private-investigator who would rather fish than fight, but whose instinct on closed cases is more golden than his classic Pontiac Firebird. From his mobile home in Malibu, this wisecracking private eye takes on the cases of the lost and the dispossessed, chasing down seemingly long-dead clues in the sun-baked streets and seamy alleys of Los Angeles. Including an interview with James Garner himself, this phenomenal DVD set contains 23 TV hours of classic Rockford action and includes such stellar guest stars as Lindsay Wagner, James Woods, Abe Vigoda, Suzanne Somers and Ned Beatty. The Rockford Files are now open and declassified for mystery fans everywhere!

Route 66 - The Complete Second Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Now you can own all 32 episodes of season two of this treasured television classic, digitally remastered for the highest quality picture and audio possible in the original, full frame 4.3 aspect ratio.

Famous for its catchy Nelson Riddle theme song, intriguing characters, top-drawer writing and stellar guest star appearances, Route 66 was one of the most highly rated shows of the era, establishing the Corvette as an American icon.

Filmed in locations from coast to coast, the adventures continue for Tod Stiles (Martin Milner), an intellectual who has led a privileged and sheltered life, and Buz Murdock (George Maharis), a tough young man, raised in Hell's Kitchen, struggling his entire life just to survive.

The duo encounter folks good and bad even chance encounters with love in shipyards, chicken farms, cattle ranches, rodeos, hospitals, courtrooms, hotels, amusement parks, wrestling rings, religious retreats and wild animal parks.

Guest starring in the sophomore season is a renowned list of stars, including Robert Redford, Douglas Fairbanks, Robert Duvall, Suzanne Pleshette, Lon Chaney Jr., John Astin, James Caan, Lee Marvin, Martin Sheen, Ed Asner, DeForest Kelley, Marion Ross, Peter Graves, Jack Warden, Tuesday Weld and Julie Newmar, among others. One special episode features several of Maharis relatives.

Reba - Season 1

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 131 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

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

Reba is a great series and one the whole family can enjoy. Great actors/actresses!

Hilarious sitcom about an unlikely family... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Reba McEntire stars as Reba Hart, a mother of three whose husband Brock (Christopher Rich) has recently left her for his dental assistant -- who is pregnant. To complicate matters, Reba's just discovered her 17-year-old daughter Cheyanne is also expecting.

Before she knows it, Reba's got a new son-in-law, Van (Steve Howey), who she's helping support while he and Cheyanne (Joanna Garcia) struggle to finish high school before the birth of their child. Meanwhile, Reba's youngest, Jake, is only seven; and smart, sarcastic middle child Kyra (Scarlett Pomers) acts out from the pressures of being the only sane person around.

As if things weren't complicated enough, Reba is forced to deal with Brock's new wife, Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman), a ditzy blonde who idolizes Reba and just doesn't seem to understand why they can't be best friends.

What's a woman to do? Most in Reba's situation would fall apart, but not her. Even when things are at their darkest, Reba's wit allows her to laugh and see the good -- though in no way is her character, or the show, sappy or sentimental. Rather, the imperfect Hart family strives to live each day to the fullest, making the best of each day however they can.

Give this show a try -- I guarantee you'll be hooked instantly!

Editorial Review:

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 02/26/2008 Run time: 506 minutes Rating: Nr

Rules of Engagement - The Complete First Season

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Brilliant show ;-D 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

While Australia continues to be the last in the world with everything, I saw this fantastic show in the States a couple of months back and then because I loved it so much, I bought it on DVD in November and absolutely love it. I love almost anything that David Spade is in, but this is really great regardless.
David Spades character (Russell) is like a 5th wheel to his friends Adam (Oliver Hudson) and Jennifer (Bianca Kajlich) who are an engaged couple and his other friends Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Audrey (Megyn Price) who are a married couple. Jeff is hilarious with his deadpan humour and deep voice and it seems like Oliver Hudson got some comic skills from his mother Goldie Hawn because he's also great (and cute).
There are some good special features here such as bloopers, set tour with Oliver Hudson, from table reading to taping and Rules Of Engagement dvd-rom content.
I love this show so much that I can't wait for season 2 (although it's delayed because of the strike). It's the kind of show you can watch a few times and still laugh at. I really love Jeffs Wooby episode, where Russell has a new date that makes lots of s*xual refrences in her conversation but won't sleep with him. That's got to be the funniest. Do yourself a favour if you love comedy - buy this. It's so good and a definate new favourite show of mine. I can't wait till Australia finally catches up with the rest of the universe. I love it.

Editorial Review:

Two couples and their single friend, all at different stages in their relationships, deal with the complications of dating, commitment and marriage in Rules of Engagement: The Complete First Season. The hit comedy stars Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominee David Spade, Patrick Warburton (TV’s "Seinfeld"), Oliver Hudson, Bianca Kajlich, and Megyn Price. The bonus features include the Table Read featurette, a blooper reel, and a tour of the set.