Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Second Season (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)Nothing lasts 12 years without having something going for it. In the case of Hawaii Five-O, it easy to dismiss it as a typically television crime drama that got lucky by finding its audience and keeping it. The same could be said for Law and Order. Except, in television years, luck usually runs out after two or three years. Gimmicks get old, the formula is figured out, and sharks are jumped so often they don't even complain.
But shows that last five years, much less 12, have to have something besides luck, gimmicks, and great scheduling. Hawaii Five-O had a number of things going for it. First of all, let's be honest. The setting was, and still is so lush and exotic that it is easily intoxicating. Hawaii is beautiful, and most people either live there or want to live there. Filming on location has always been a blessing when it's been done, and probably no more so than on this series.
Next, Jack Lord, playing Five-O chief Steve McGarrett, was one of a long line of no-nonsense law enforcement figures. The strength, integrity, and dedication of these kinds of characters cannot be overstated, and these characters will always have lots of fans rooting them on, not unlike Law and Order's Jack McCoy.
Finally, watching shows like this is always a treat because you see so many stars that were either big stars enjoying a working Hawaiian vacation, or lots of up and coming stars before they got their big break. Hawaii Five-O was a natural draw for both categories, and it's fun to watch them and remember when.
It's also fun to remember when you could look forward to hearing one of the best and most recognizable theme songs in television history. Not a small thing when you add it with the other factors. Hawaii Five-O had a lot going for it then, and it has a lot going for it now.

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Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, the show followed Jack Lord as he played Steve McGarrett, head of an elite state police unit investigating "organized crime, murder, assassination attempts, foreign agents, felonies of every type." James MacArthur played his second-in-command Danny ("Danno") Williams, with local actors Kam Fong, Zulu, Al Harrington, and Herman Wedemeyer, among others, playing members of the Five-O team. Guest stars included Helen Hayes, Ricardo Montalban, Leslie Nielsen, Herbert Lom, Hume Cronyn among others. McGarrett's nemesis is the evil Wo Fat - "a Red Chinese agent in charge of the entire Pacific Asiatic theatre.

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The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection (1944) Review

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(More customer reviews)MPI Home Video has made a terrific decision here, combining all of its previously released DVD boxed sets of this classic 14-film series into one affordable package. It is a must buy for any Sherlock Holmes fan, or anyone who enjoys classic mysteries, who does not already have all of these wonderful films.
When these were first released on DVD it was truly a cause for celebration, as it represented the completed painstaking restoration of all 14 classic films by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
The UCLA Theatre Archives did an award-winning job in restoring and thus preserving these great films from 35mm master copies into the digital format, sometimes literally being forced to piece together the celluloid remnants that they found.
It took the archivists several years to complete the entire project, but was well worth the wait. The result is that the black and white images seem as fresh today as when the films were released to theatres more than 40 years ago. The archivists deserve a hearty thanks from all movie fans concerned with preserving America's classic cinema heritage for future generations to enjoy.
This boxed set includes a facinating feature on what it took to restore the films. Well worth watching, it's wonderful that it's included.
Atmospherically, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is arguably the best of the 14 Holmes films, and the only one based specifically on a Conan Doyle story. It, and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," are the only two "period" films in the series and run longer, the remainder taking place in then modern-day England and America of the late 30s and early 40s and run about 90 minutes each.
Because the "regular" series was made during World War II, there are many references to it, as well as some facinating patriotic drum beating on the part of Holmes that concludes many of the films.
In both "Hound" and "Adventures," Holmes dons his deerstalker cap, popularized by original Strand Magazine illustrator Sidney Paget who made the image synonymous with the great detective. It is interesting to note that in the first of the non-period films in the series, Holmes reaches for his handy deerstalker, but is stopped by Watson. "Holmes," Watson said, "you promised." Leaving the deerstalker on the peg, Holmes grabs a "modern" hat instead.
Rathbone is especially sharp in "Hound of the Baskervilles," and is partnered by Bruce, who plays a bumbling Watson throughout the 14 films that was not Conan Doyle's vision of the great sleuth's biographical "Boswell." Nonetheless, the pairing is hugely entertaining and satisfying.
The creation of the moor, the sinister grimpen mire and truly terrifying hound remains fantastic and does much to engender this story as one of Conan Doyle's most popular with modern-day
readers and viewers alike.
The final scene represents the only reference any of the 14 films made to Holmes' "seven-percent" cocaine habit as Rathbone asks Bruce to retrieve "the needle." The scene, criticized as too risque by 1939 audiences, caused the film's producers to make a conscious decision to omit any additional mention of Holmes' recreational drug use in future outings.
All of the films are really enjoyable and bear up wonderfully well under repeat viewings. For me, two of the best films of the "regular" series are The Scarlet Claw, where a village believes the supernatural is at work killing people, and Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, where Holmes must solve the riddle of the Musgrave Ritual.
Not matter your age, these films deliver hours of enjoyment, and thanks to the UCLA Theater Archives and MPI, will for generations to come. I only wish that Rathbone and Bruce had lived to see their great work released to new audiences in this pristine DVD condition.

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The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection stars Basil Rathbone as the legendary Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as the venerable Dr. John H. Watson. The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection is comprised of all 14 classic films on 5 discs: "THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES: ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES,""SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR,""SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON,""SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON,""SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH," "SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE SPIDER WOMAN," "SHERLOCK HOLMES THE SCARLET CLAW," "SHERLOCK HOLMES IN PEARL OF DEATH," "SHERLOCK HOLMES HOUSE OF FEAR," "SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE WOMAN IN GREEN," "SHERLOCK HOLMES PURSUIT TO ALGIERS," "SHERLOCK HOLMES TERROR BY NIGHT," SHERLOCK HOLMES DRESSED TO KILL."

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Monk: Season Three Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the more clever television creations of the new millennium, Monk combines the high-grade suspense of a traditional TV drama with the quirky humor of a big screen comedy. Originally developed for ABC, the show became an instant prime-time lynchpin for the USA network, proving itself one of the more successful shows on cable TV...
In Monk, Tony Shalhoub stars in the title role of Adrian Monk, a former San Francisco detective placed on psychiatric leave. A true legend in the community, Monk solves unsolvable crimes via his towering intellect, photographic memory, and meticulous observations. But the one case that alludes Monk is the 1997 murder of his wife Trudy, which forever altered Monk's capacity to perform his job. Suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and a number of odd phobias, Monk requires a personal assistant, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), for even his most basic daily activities. Yet Monk remains a police consultant on difficult cases, and he hopes to persuade Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) to give him his old job back. But Stottlemeyer and colleague Lt. Randall Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), harbor doubts about Monk's mental faculties. As Monk solves cases though, those doubts dissipate and Stottlemeyer and Disher learn to appreciate Monk's special talents - despite his inability to cope with the day-to-day activities of a normal detective... Nevertheless, he remains a de facto investigator as he and Sharona aid the San Francisco police department in solving numerous high profile cases...
The Monk (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan" in which Monk and company take a trip to New York City to investigate a lead on Trudy's murder given to Monk in the previous year's season finale. But while settling into their hotel, a riot breaks out in the lobby, and three people are killed, including the Latvian ambassador (who was just standing next to Monk). With Monk's identification of the killer's left ear being the only eye witness description of the perpetrator, the NYPD must rely on Monk's unique skills in order to solve the crime... Other notable episodes from Season 3 include "Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather" in which Monk is pressured by a local mafia boss to help solve the murder of five of his henchmen, and "Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever" in which Monk witnesses a Chinese gangland murder, prompting the FBI to place him in the witness protection program - harboring him in a cabin out in the middle of nowhere...
Below is a list of episodes included on the Monk (Season 3) DVD:
Episode 30 (Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan)
Episode 31 (Mr. Monk and the Panic Room)
Episode 32 (Mr. Monk and the Blackout)
Episode 33 (Mr. Monk Gets Fired)
Episode 34 (Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather)
Episode 35 (Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf)
Episode 36 (Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month)
Episode 37 (Mr. Monk and the Game Show)
Episode 38 (Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine)
Episode 39 (Mr. Monk and the Red Herring)
Episode 40 (Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra)
Episode 41 (Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever)
Episode 42 (Mr. Monk Gets Stuck in Traffic)
Episode 43 (Mr. Monk Goes to Vegas)
Episode 44 (Mr. Monk and the Election)
Episode 45 (Mr. Monk and the Kid)
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MONK:SEASON THREE - DVD Movie

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Andy Barker, P.I.: The Complete Series Review

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(More customer reviews)Andy Barker, P.I., was a short-lived NBC comedy created by Conan O'Brien. I don't care for O'Brien's humor and was surprised at how much I liked this show. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments packed into the 6 episodes, it was better than a night of comedies in Prime Time. There is a dry, quick humor that you have listen to closely so you don't miss anything. If you watch the episodes a second time, I guarantee you will hear/see something different, but equally hilarious.
Andy Richter is spot on with his comedic delivery, as are all of the supporting characters of this sharp, funny series. I just wish there were more episodes. I would even watch it online if it were revived.
If you only watch one episode, watch the one about the chickens.
Note: There are only six episodes of the show in this DVD set - all that were created. The series was canceled very quickly for low ratings. What some forget is that NBC released ALL of the episodes online before running them in Prime Time.

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From the hilarious minds of Conan OBrien (The Tonight Show) and Jonathan Groff comes Andy Barker P.I., an off-the-wall comedy about earnest, hard-working CPA-turned-detective, Andy Barker (played by Andy Richter, Late Night with Conan OBrien), and featuring the extraordinary writing talents of Conan OBrien (The Simpsons), Jonathan Groff (How I Met Your Mother), Jane Espenson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Josh Bycel (Psych). The show premiered on the NBC network and was immediately greeted with critical praise.Bonus Features: * Going Where The Numbers Take You: An intimate look back at the series with Andy Richter, Conan O Brien, Jonathan Groff, Tony Hale, Clea Lewis, Marshall Manesh and Jason Ensler.* Writers Class 101: A look at what it takes to write a series like Andy Barker P.I. with co-creator Jonathan Groff and writers Jane Espenson, Josh Bycel and Jon Ross.* Cast and crew commentaries.* Gag reel.

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The Maigret Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)It would be great if the due care had been taken and these episodes of the MAIGRET series had been lovingly restored the way many bad movies are now routinely. But at least these shows are on DVD and we can again enjoy the gripping and often deeply moving stories and be reminded again what a wonderful actor Michael Gambon is. He is one of the few actors to play a detective who projects the intelligence that his character is supposed to have, and buttresses it with wit and humanity to spare. And he is often brilliantly supported by both the series regulars and a great selection of guest stars (think only of Frances Cuka as the desperate and embittered niece of a murder victim in "Maigret and the Mad-Woman" or Christopher Benjamin as the troubled husband of a missing woman in "Maigret and The Burglar's Wife" and you'll get the idea). And unlike many period films or TV shows, this one recreates the frayed edges and hum-drum details of life as it was lived 50 years ago, which gives the shows a comfortable, lived-in quality that adds to their appeal. And yes, someday, someone will hopefully restore the prints to their original condition. I mean, they've probably done it for movies by Russ Meyer--doesn't something this good deserve deluxe treatment?

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One of the bestselling authors of all time, Georges Simenon is most famous for his more than 100 novels and short stories featuring Chief Inspector Maigret of the Paris police. Concerned more with "why" than "who," Maigret’s profound perception of the realities of human behavior and extraordinary psychological insight make him one of fiction’s most interesting and unique sleuths.Michael Gambon brings the timeless, tantalizing exploits of Georges Simenon’s legendary detective to life in twelve episodes of mystery and intrigue. From Montmartre to the remote French countryside, Maigret encounters the dark side of the human psyche. Yet he manages to maintain both compassion and a sense of humor as he explores the complex motives that lie behind every crime.

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Law & Order Special Victims Unit - The Third Season (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)The third season of SVU brought about further great stories of dark human drama which continually draws in a large audience. The role of Dr. Huang, introduced near the end of season 2, became a recurring character. This meant we'd see a lot less of L&O staples Dr. Olivet and Dr. Skoda, which is the only negative about Huang's intro, IMHO.
Season 3 had some of the best episodes. I especially like the episode "Stolen", in which Munch and Cragen continue an investigation originally started by the late Max Greevey from season 1 of the original Law & Order. Shows some nice continuity between the shows. But at the same time, this was a hard one for me to watch, involving the custody case and the boy being torn between his bio-father and the parents who raised him.
"Wrath" was another good episode, in which three seemingly unconnected murders point to a man who Benson once wrongfully busted, and now wants revenge!
One episode that surprised me though, was "Sacrifice", starring "Saved by the Bell" & "NYPD Blue" alumnus Mark-Paul Gossellar as a supposedly gay porn star who is discovered beaten half to death, and is very uncooperative with the detectives, to protect a secret which left me rather sad at the end. But it was good writing!
Another episode, "Ridicule" proved somewhat prophetic as Diane Neal, the future Casey Novak who took Alex Cabot's place in season 5, played one of three women accused of raping a male stripper. The defense lawyer in this episode was played by the great CCH Pounder.
The episode "Monogamy" features a guest appearance by the late John Ritter whose pregnant wife was viciously attacked in a parking garage, and the baby stolen. Can the detectives find the baby before it's too late?
But one of my personal favorites from this season was "Protection", guest-starring "Predator" femme fatale Elpidia Carillo as a single mother who's younger son was shot by her drug-dealing ex-boyfriend who is now gunning for her and her surviving son, while the Feds pressure her for testimony against him.
I'm not going to offer a review of all season 3 episodes, but these few samples should prove my point. Any L&O enthusiast who doesn't buy this set is missing a few screws from their heads. But I, like many, wish that Universal would take the hint and release the seasons of the various L&O's more quickly! I'm going to grab the first copy of this set I see! Are you?

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LAW & ORDER:SVU SEASON 3 - DVD Movie

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Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Today the CW officially cancelled the best show on television (understandably, some would say, due to abysmally low ratings). There lingers a chance that the series might be revitalized in a different form, but the hammer has officially fallen. Veronica Mars is unceremoniously over.
Season 3 was the first (and last) season of the show to air on the fledgling CW network. It took a different approach to storytelling than seasons 1 and 2, featuring two separate mystery arcs and a number of one-episode mysteries, rather the season-long affairs for which the show had become known and loved. Despite the change, season 3 works as excellent, intriguing television. The writing is witty and the acting in sharp, as before.
The creator of the show, Rob Thomas, once heard the series described as "Chinatown meets Heathers." That's a perfect description. I would say it also owes heavily to Twin Peaks. Chinatown happens to be my all-time favorite movie. I'm a noir junky, and V-Mars serves it up in lusty, lipsticked, smoke-tinted glory with every episode. Many people are turned off by the concept of a high school/college girl solving mysteries. And they should be. As a premise, this show would easily fail in the hands of most producers. But Thomas and co-writers have created something magical and perfect here. The heroine Veronica is sarcastic, at times mean, overly hard-boiled, and full of acerbic wit. There's nothing candy-coated about Veronica. First time viewers often disregard the show as "another teen drama," and for this reason more than any other it failed to attract a sustaining audience. I urge you to give it a chance. Especially if you have a sarcastic mind, if you've lost faith in the basically good nature of humanity, if noir interests you, or if you just like an intelligent mystery or exceptionally well-acted drama, this may be what you're looking for. It was for me.
Admittedly, I watch very little television, but to put things in perspective this is a short list of the TV shows I've watched and loved over the years: Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Freaks and Geeks, Deadwood, and Wonderfalls. I would place Veronica Mars at the top of this delightful heap. (Actually, looking at that list, every show was cancelled before its time save BSG which is still on the air. Maybe that says something. Maybe not.) Recently, my wife and I started re-watching season 1 and 2 of Veronica Mars with a friend. His comment after one episode was this, "This show shouldn't be on television. It's too... challenging, too beautiful." I couldn't have said it any better. Unfortunately, our friend was right in the end. V-Mars was too challenging, too beautiful. And now it's gone.

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Hearst College, jewel of the Pacific. A citadel of higher education set amid rolling lawns and swaying palms. But since Hearst is in Neptune, California - and since Veronica Mars is among its incoming freshmen - you know it's also a noir netherworld of lies, betrayal, secrets and (of course) murder. Veronica, Logan and more of your VM favorites join cool new characters for a Season 3 of seething mystery and sardonic wit. College is indeed a learning experience as Veronica aces a crim class led by a hunky prof, solves the case of on-campus rapes that began in Season Two, and gives a grad seminar in sleuthing when two faculty members take sudden, eternal early retirements. Frosh year is gonna be freaky!DVD Features:Deleted ScenesFeaturetteGag ReelOther

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Bored to Death: The Complete First Season (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) is a freelance writer with one novel under his belt, a 447,000 rating on Amazon, and serious writers' block. He writes the occasional article for his friend George Christopher (Ted Danson, in a hilarious role), the bored-to-death editor of an Esquire-type magazine. Meanwhile, his buddy Ray (Zak Galifianakis)is a frustrated graphic novelist, comic-strip artist trying to hawk his work, with meager results. Zak's girlfriend Leah controls his every move, while Jonathan's girlfriend Suzanne moves out after Jonathan refuses to clean up his act according to her straight-edge wishes, i.e., no drinking, no pot smoking.
After losing his roommate/lover, Jonathan is unable to write, and suffers from a serious case of the doldrums. He mopes around his apartment, doing very little but reading Raymond Chandler novels and getting smoked up. Schwartzman is very good at conveying this bright-guy-turning-into-a-loser character. Apparently inspired by the Chandler novels, he decides to try his hand at being a private eye himself. Despite having no background whatsoever in police work, he figures he has nothing to lose and advertises on craigslist as an "unlicensed" private detective. He hopes that by doing this he will pad his bank account, as well as find inspiration for his writing. Thus, the hilarity ensues.
The series is stylish, with lots of allusions to Raymond Chandler potboilers, complete with gorgeous, troubled dames, topcoats, hats, and all the Chandler-esque parafernalia. Jonathan hasn't a clue as to what he's doing, but somehow his escapades all work out, with George and Ray as his Keystone cops sidekicks. Each episode is done tongue-in-cheek, requiring a large dose of literary license from the viewer. If the viewer has a sense of fun and enjoys a well-crafted farce, this isn't hard to do. I hope this series catches on, because in my household, this is half an hour of very entertaining television. All the actors do a fine job, my favorite being Ted Danson, who seems to thoroughly enjoy acting a fool and probably getting paid enormous amounts of money to do so. Some of the scenes are sidesplittingly funny; others have a Woody Allen-ish charm, as Schwartzman is exactly the kind of appealing nebbish that Allen always played. I hope for more "Bored to Death" episodes of this caliber in Season 2.

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Meet Jonathan Ames: writer, romantic, unlicensed private detective. Moonlighting from his job as a novelist and writer for a New York magazine, Jonathan is looking to jettison some heavy emotional baggage (his girlfriend just dumped him, okay?) through an unusual second careerof cracking cases of missing persons, espionage and infidelity in the Big Apple.
DVD Features:Audio CommentaryBEHIND THE SCENES

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The Shield: Season Seven - The Final Act Review

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(More customer reviews)One thing about "The Shield" is how well the show holds up on multiple viewings. It's probably because of the attention to detail and the numerous story arcs going on in any single episode. This continues to be the case in the 7th and final season of the show.
Season 7 finds Det. Vic Mackey, at the end of the line. Season 6 finished with Vic walking out on his last chance to keep his job with the LAPD and making a deal with former police Captain, now wannabe-Mayor Aciveda to take down the crooked developer who has been bankrolling Aciveda's political career. Meanwhile, Vic's strike team is beginning to come apart at the seams, all of their former bad deeds are bubbling to the surface, and on top of that Vic's ex-wife and daughter are terrified of him. Vic's a dirty cop with a perverted sense of justice. He thinks that if he can nail this crooked developer AND take down the Armenian mob, it will make up for all the horrible things he has done.
The season plays out almost as a tragedy, and is the strongest season of the Shield since the powerful season 3. Watching these episodes again, I'm most struck by the relationship between Dutch and Capt. Wymms. Both actors do terrific work as seemingly the only people in the precinct who seem to care about Mackey's abuses, and the quest to bring him down strains them to the breaking point.
The rest of the cast is solid as always. David Rees Snell, who plays Ronnie Gardocki on the strike team, shows a whole lot more here than he has in the past. But the real standouts are Michael Chiklis as Mackey, and Walt Goggins as his longtime best friend/failed protege Shane Vendrell. Goggins is outstanding in the final episodes. He's done horrible things and he can barely live with himself, yet he continues on to try and help his wife and children.
The show ends in about the only logical place it could end. The last three episodes in particular are shattering. The writing, acting, and direction are all fantastic, and "The Shield" goes out on a highly satisfying and emotional peak. A must own.

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The final season of this gritty, hard-hitting, award-winning cop drama comes to DVD! This season, Vic's relationship with Shane is put to the test as they work against each other to bring down the Armenian mob. Dutch plays hardball to get a homicide witness to come forward. The Strike Team tries to rescue a drug kingpin's daughter, and Vic is pressured to take down Pezuela, leading him to seek an immunity deal for him and Ronnie in exchange for them helping ICE take down Beltran.

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Law & Order - The Fourth Year (1993-1994 Season) (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, the advertisement here is a little confusing. It's listed as the 4th year, but also lists Dennis Farina as the star, and Farina didn't come aboard the series until the 15th year, after Jerry Orbach's departure from the series.
The fourth year of Law & Order brought about some major changes to the series, with the departures of Captain Cragen and Paul Robinette from the series, replaced with Lt. Anita Van Buren and Claire Kincaid, bringing the first lead female characters into the series.
There were several great episodes in this season, including one of my favorites where the detectives and lawyers were trying to track down a shooter in Buddy Holly glasses. This story was left somewhat unresolved, which led to a 2-part crossover with Special Victims Unit in its first year, and this show's 10th season. That's just one of many great stories from this season that I'm looking forward to having in my collection!
The season finale also led to the departure of Michael Moriarty from the series as Assistant District Attorney Ben Stone. The following year, his character was replaced with Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy, who has been on the show ever since.
All in all, I am anxious to add this set to my collection, and I hope you'll enjoy it too. After all, with all these reality shows flooding the airways these days, DVD sets are becoming more and more appealing. I prefer to spend my TV time watching something worthwhile like Law & Order, rather than trash like The Bachelor or Temptation Island. Do you prefer quality to trash?

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Honored with over 50 Emmy nominations since its groundbreaking first season, Law & Order continues to excel at bringing powerful stories to a devoted television audience. Now, all 22 captivating episodes of Season 4 are on DVD for the first time ever. Relive each gripping moment as New York's toughest detectives and prosecutors take on the hard-hitting cases that make the news - from blackmail to mail bombs to murder. It was during the fourth season that Emmy nominee S. Epatha Merkerson and Jill Hennessy joined New York's toughest team of prosecutors and investigators: Jerry Orbach, Chris Noth, Michael Moriarty and Steven Hill. Loaded with 43 never-before-viewed deleted and extended scenes, this dynamic three-disc set is a must-have for fans everywhere.

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Law and Order - The Third Year (1992-1993 Season) (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)Law and Order's third season is the beginning of the golden years of the show, six or seven seasons in which this became one of the best crime shows ever. Part of it is the plots, but a larger part is the addition of Jerry Orbach to add both character and humor to a narrowly written role. The show itself is 5 stars, but I knock off a star for yet another season in which the transfers and extras leave something to be desired. Still, very much worth buying.
What makes this season golden? Nostalgia for the early 1990s helps, with big hair, Times Square full of strip clubs, crime labs using old IBM 386 computers, colored shirts and narrow ties, and a general feeling that a far more gritty New York made a better backdrop for a crime show than today's sanitized version.
Some of it is the writing and source material. Episodes include the standard ripped-from-the-headlines stories - Tailhook (Conduct Unbecoming), sweatshop workers (Wedded Bliss), doctors assaulting patients (Helpless, Promises to Keep), drug smuggling rings (Consultation), hackers (Virus) - but one reason the first few seasons are more robust is that they had just started to scratch the surface of historical crimes, like a restaging of the Malcolm X murder (Conspiracy) and a medical device company scandal (The Corporate Veil). This means that while the bang-bang plot advancement really comes into its own this season after a couple of years of slower episodes, the writers don't have to resort to cheap plot tricks to keep things interesting. Routine false leads and judges throwing out evidence every episode can wait for the formulaic later years. I also particularly like several of the non-Hollywood endings, like Prince of Darkness ("What happened to the little girl?" "She was picked up at school by her uncle." "She doesn't have an uncle.")
But a larger part is the acting. With the mid-season addition of Orbach - who plays first-year Briscoe a bit more troubled and edgy than in later years - the Law side of the series finally has two actors that don't think that playing an NYPD detective is beneath their talent. Briscoe's trademark wisecrack helps ("They brought the hookers in? I thought they were on the room service menu"), but there's a chemistry between Orbach and Noth that makes the makes plots come to life. In addition, several of the regular guest stars (Tovah Feldshuh and Lorraine Toussant as memorable defense attorneys, Leslie Hendrix's first appearances as the irascible medical examiner) add life to the show in their brief roles. Finally, one fun part of watching the early years are the stars who have gone on to bigger careers: Claire Danes, Edie Falco, Sam Rockwell, Gloria Foster (the oracle from the Matrix), Desperate Housewife Felicity Huffman, Alias' Ron Rifkin, ER's Paul McCrane and Julianna Margulies.

As I have for the first two season sets, I take a star off for transfers and extras that aren't up to the quality of the show. I have mixed opinions about cheaply producing double sided DVDs in three slim cases without any written material, but at least it takes less space on my shelf. Transfer quality is in fact better than the first two seasons, but it's clear remastering was cursory as there is still periodic flecking. After no extras in the first two seasons, at least this set includes some. However, they're still disappointing especially after the long delay in putting this out. The 8 deleted scenes don't add much, although we finally see one of Briscoe's brassy middle aged girlfriends (for the only time in the series!) A five minute interview with and six minute tribute to Orbach by fellow stars doesn't even include the master of ceremonies of his celebration, Sam Waterston; they would have been better served just putting a copy of that on the DVD instead of getting Trial By Jury actors on the profound effect his 4 episodes with them had on their careers. What the series really needs is interviews with writers and actors on the various episodes. At least they don't include an ad as they did in the first year.
However, this is very much worth picking up for Law and Order fans. I just wish if Universal is going to price something at a premium that viewers can watch for free on basic cable, they'd at least add premium content. Maybe next season.

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LAW & ORDER:THIRD YEAR YEAR - DVD Movie

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Remington Steele - Season 1 (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)As one of my top three all time favorite shows, Remington Steele has it all: mystery, romance and humor. While the mysteries were strongest in Season 1--"In the Steele of the Night" won an Edgar Award--the series stayed pretty strong until near the end of the last full season. We won't even mention the follow-up "movies" that comprised the final season. It's fun to watch this first season and see familiar faces from film and TV before they became stars, such as Annie Potts, Delta Burke, Sharon Stone, and Pierce Brosnan himself. Don't miss nepotism at its best with guest appearances by Stephanie Zimbalist's father, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, and Brosnan's first wife, Cassandra Harris. Also, don't look for Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond) yet; she didn't join the cast until the second season after James Read and Janet Demay left.
A list of season one episodes follows.
1. Licence to Steele
2. Tempered Steele
3. Steele Waters Run Deep
4. Signed, Steeled and Delivered
5. Thou Shalt Not Steele
6. Steele Belted
7. Etched in Steele
8. Your Steele the One for Me
9. In the Steele of the Night (Edgar Winner)
10. Steele Trap
11. Steeling the Show
12. Steele Flying High
13. A Good Night's Steele
14. Hearts of Steele
15. To Stop a Steele
16. Steele Crazy After All These Years
17. Steele Among the Living
18. Steele in the News
19. Vintage Steele (top fan favorite)
20. Steele's Gold
21. Sting of Steele
22. Steele in Circulation


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Before he was Bond... he was Remington Steele...Private eye Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist) grudgingly accepts a new partner when a mystery man (Pierce Brosnan) assumes the identity of her fictitious boss, Remington Steele. Together, the two battle crime as as their feelings for each other.

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Remington Steele - Season 3 (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)The debonair ex-con-man and strait-laced detective return in the third season of "Remington Steele." This smart, funny detective series was one of the last of its kind, wonderfully odd and full of sometimes all-too-realistic crimes to be solved, and this season solidifies its tight storytelling.
During a trip to the Riviera, Laura (Stephanie Zimbalist) decides to go the distance with Steele (Pierce Brosnan) at last -- only to have him enmeshed in a web of blackmail, murder, and a precious dagger. Needless to say, that puts a damper on her romantic plans. Questions about his past crop up again when he turns up in Ireland, suffering from amnesia, after trying to discover his origins.
But Steele's past isn't the only thing on these detectives' minds: a no-calorie cookie, a dead body that has to be kept hidden, restauranteurs trying to kill a savage critic, teenage pickpockets, baseball camps, obnoxious neighbors, Maltese treasure, and three aging movie stars ask for help in finding out who is trying to kill them.
The comedy is still firmly in place: There are sinister plots centering on murder, embezzlement and Steele's attempt to redeem a teenage pickpocket, who reminds him of himself many years before. But woven in those is plenty of barbed humour, such as corporate bigwigs scrabbling on the floor for a fat-free cookie.
Having gotten a solid formula in the second season, "Remington Steele" chugged along with more odd mysteries. Okay, few of these mysteries resemble real crimes (a comic strip inspires attacks on the cartoonist?), but they are often funny, witty and intelligent.
We only get a few hints about Steele's past -- he may be from Ireland, but not much more than that. In one episode, Daniel Chalmers ropes Steele into an old scam, where Steele pretends to be the new Duke of Rutherford. Steele's reaction to this shows how far he's come, and how honest he's become over time.
At the same time, Laura has become more sensitive to his murky past, and his attempts to overcome his criminal past. Sure, Zimbalist and Brosnan disliked each other in real life, but they had electric chemistry in many of these episodes. And Mildred (Doris Roberts) gradually becomes less of a maternal figure, and more of an equal to her younger cohorts.
This season also has returning characters like Daniel Chalmers and Rocky Sullivan, and several new ones like Mulch, a bumbling entrepreneur who is always seeking the Big Moneymaker. Virginia Mayo, Dorothy Lamour and Lloyd Nolan also appear as themselves in one episode, and appear to be having lots of fun.
The third season of "Remington Steele" is steele solid and entertaining, with more exploration of the mystery detective, and quite a bit more comedy.

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Private investigators Laura Holt and Remington Steele are back, spanning the globe and uncovering murder, mystery, and intrigue wherever they go! From the exotic isle of Malta to the Emerald Isle of Ireland, and from the sultry French Riviera to the smoking hot Las Vegas Strip, no puzzle is too perplexing, no job is too dangerous, and no setting is too glamorous for the pair of super sleuths from the Remington Steele Detective Agency in the thrilling third season of Remington Steele!

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - The Fourth Year (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)For anyone who has seen the last 4 seasons of Law and Order: SVU, know what I mean when I say this is the last classic season of the show.
From season 6 and on, the show has dealt with, divorces, the "will they or won't they" quiestion of the Benson/Stabler romance, choosing partners over civilians, FBI agent and possible love interest of Benson, and more recently, baby drama. They'll be little of that in the season 4 box set of SVU. This season follows the protocol of seasons 1-3, which is very little character growth and little to no romantic moments between any of the characters, save episode 12, Risk, in which the characters go undercover and there is a few brief romantic moments between Benson/Stabler.
Now please, do not get me wrong, while this season contains the few elements of the recent episodes, this is still a wonderful season, filled with character driven plots, very memorable episodes, as well as little known gems. Such as the one I mentioned above "Risk" One of the more famous SVU episodes in which the team deals with a drug dealer, and has every member go undercover. Another memorable episode is "Futility" (Or the episode commonly known among fans as 'the one where Fred Savage hits Olivia') And another wonderful episode, and my first ever episode ever in the history of this show, is "Damaged" where a 16 year old sociopath and her sister are involved in a shootout, but the circumstances aren't as clear cut as it may seem.
All in all this is a wonderful season, one which I encourage any SVU fan to buy, and all family and friends of an SVU fanatic to buy seeing how this box set goes on sale December 4th, just in time for the Holidays.

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Burst onto the scene of the crime with all 25 engaging episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - The Fourth Year!Recipient of 15 Primetime Emmy® nominations, including a win for outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Mariska Hargitay) and a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Christopher Meloni), this powerful and intelligent detective series captivates fans like nothing else on TV.Join an elite squad of NYPD detectives who investigate sexually based crimes ripped from today's headlines.Along for the stakeout are such compelling guest stars as Barbara Barrie (in her Primetime Emmy®-nominated role), Judith Light, Pam Grier, Sherilyn Fenn and more!It's a must-have for every fan of the Law & Order series!

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Foyle's War: Set 1 (The German Woman / The White Feather / A Lesson In Murder / Eagle Day) (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Perhaps it's my affection for England - a love that makes my wife roll her eyes - that causes me to have a higher regard for BBC and ITV small screen productions than those of America, which seem so crass in comparison. So many of the former seem uncommonly funny, intelligent, or both. FOYLE'S WAR is an uncommonly intelligent detective drama, a period piece set on England's south coast in 1940. And, to keep the record straight, my wife's dedication to this series is at least as pronounced as mine, if not more so.

Michael Kitchen is Detective Inspector Christopher Foyle, who's ordered to remain at his post as homicide investigator for Hastings and its environs; he'd much rather be doing his bit for King and Empire fighting the Nazis across the Channel. Indeed, his son is a flying officer with the RAF. The two other series regulars are Samantha "Sam" Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks), the Women's Royal Army Corps enlistee assigned as his driver, and Paul Milner (Anthony Howell), Foyle's assistant inspector recently returned to home front duty after being wounded with the Army during the disastrous British invasion of Norway.

In Series One,the murders occur in contexts that include sexual harassment, anti-semitism, police brutality, local jingoism, sabotage, and conscientious objection - all set against a backdrop of Luftwaffe bombing raids and the fear of imminent amphibious invasion by the German Wehrmacht.

The character of Foyle - intelligent, perceptive, reserved, compassionate, wounded by his wife's recent death, worried for his son's safety - epitomizes the phrase "still waters run deep." The viewer embarks into each episode wondering what new layer of Foyle's persona will be revealed. (Not to give too much away, but I've just seen the first episode of Series Two, which gives evidence of an old and tragic love affair involving Foyle and a now-married gentlewoman.) And the evolution of the relationship between Foyle and the occasionally cheeky Sam is one of the major delights of the miniseries as the latter proves she's smart, intuitive, and potentially more useful than just a lowly chauffeur.

The various murders investigated by the trio are never straightforward, but involve clever plot twists and hidden motives, the solutions to which silently gestate in the Inspector's mind before being revealed at the end of the story, much like the Sherlock Holmes mysteries of old.

There are, of course, uneven moments to Series One which allow for only four stars. I trust, as the show matures, that it will only get better. The areas that need no improvement are the period costuming, props and sets, all of which are superbly done and a delight to an Anglophile.


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FOYLE'S WAR SET 1 - DVD Movie

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Law & Order: Criminal Intent - Season Four Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been waiting for Season 4 to be released for a long time and now my hopes are up that by Summer 2009, I may actually have it on my bookcase, along with the first three seasons. I love L&O: CI the best. You can't beat the teaming of Vincent, Kathryn, Courtney and Jamey -- and the episode lineup -- "Beast," "The Good Child," "The View From Up Here," and "Inert Dwarf" -- to name a few. I have watched the fourth season episodes on television, over and over again, and I am still enthralled, still fascinated, and it will be wonderful to be able to watch these episodes COMMERCIAL FREE! So, Bring It On!!

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The legacy of television\'s most successful brand continues with Law & Order: Criminal Intent — The Fourth Year. Analyze crimes from the unique perspective of the lawbreakers themselves as they strategize and execute the plans that end up on the New York Police Department\'s Major Case Squad roster.This collectible five-disc set includes all 23 gripping episodes from the powerful fourth season, and features a distinguished cast, including Vincent D\'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Jamey Sheridan and Courtney B. Vance.Joining them are powerful guest stars such as Chris Noth, Tatum O\'Neal, Rosanna Arquette, Neil Patrick Harris and Peter Bogdanovich.The iconic Dick Wolf brings you entertainment at its finest with the innovative and intelligent Law and Order: Criminal Intent — The Fourth Year.

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Miss Marple - 3 Feature Length Mysteries (The Body in the Library / A Murder Is Announced / A Pocketful of Rye) (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)My favorite Miss Marple film is BODY IN THE LIBRARY, which is included in this set. First off, unlike for some other reviewers, the films are crisp, no dark multi-gen'd versions on my disks. Re the set appearance itself, quite charming overall, as if one should sit down with coffee, tea or cocoa while perusing. The individual disk decor is lovely, with photos from the particular installment, and the disks contain chaptering of the installments (you can elect to view all three eps on disk 1 & 2 in one go or do it on an individual basis). The real drawback with high irritation factor is the BBC-A ads that appear at the beginning of each disk, you can fast-forward through both, but really they shouldn't be there at all. One point of possible confusion is John Castle, who played Miss Marple's inspector nephew elsewhere is actually an inspector of non-relation in A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED. The introduction of the Inspector Slagg character, who resented Miss Marple's detecting skills, is introduced in BODY IN THE LIBRARY. There is also - on Disk 3 - which contains the two-parter of POCKETFUL OF RYE - a half-hour documentary on the birthplace of Agatha Christie celebrating the centenary of her birth. In this, the Orient Express makes an appearance as well as the actors who played Marple and Poirot (david suchet) appearing in character and meeting each other formally and for the first time.

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The beloved dowager detective Miss Marple (Joan Hickson) unravels three of Agatha Christie's most popular brainteasers: A Murder Is Announced, A Pocketful of Rye and the series premiere, The Body in the Library.

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