Iron Jawed Angels (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)This 2004 HBO movie depicts the struggles of the early suffragette movement, which eventually gave women in the United States the right to vote. Spanning the years from 1912 to 1920, it stars Hilary Swank as Alice Paul who led the fight with ultimate courage. There's some interesting history of which I was unaware. And the filmmakers seem to get the theme across. At the time, it was a state-by-state decision as to whether or not women could vote. But Alice Paul wanted to make it a constitutional amendment. There is, of course, is in-fighting in the movement itself with the old factions, led by Anjelica Huston, as Carrie Chapman Catt, preferring to not make a fuss and quietly let each state decide. Alice Paul, however, confronted the establishment head on and brought down some dour consequences on herself and the group of women who followed her lead.
At first I was annoyed at the film. I felt their wardrobes too lavish and the potential romance between Alice and a Washington Post cartoonist was silly. I also thought the women seemed a bit too modern and politically correct. And, frankly, I thought of turning off my DVD and never reviewing this film.
But then there was a scene in which the police turned their backs on protecting a festive parade in which women and children were demonstrating. When the mobs attacked the women I felt real tears dripping down my face. And then, later, when the women were horribly mistreated in prison, I found myself crying again, especially when they force-fed Alice Paul and we see them pushing tubes down her throat and through her nose. By the end of the film I understood exactly what these brave women had gone through in order to give me a privilege that I take for granted. I also know that I have learned a new appreciation for my right to vote and will never take that right for granted again.
While not perfect, I applaud this film. It brought me a new understanding. It will bring it to you too. Recommended.

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Oscar-winner Hilary Swank stars in a fresh and contemporary look at a pivotal event in American history, telling the true story of how a pair of defiant and brilliant young activists took the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote. DVD Features:Audio Commentary:With Director Katja von Garnier and writer Sally RobinsonFeaturetteOther:HBO Films Spot

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Cagney & Lacey - Season 1(The Complete First Season) (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)This four-disc set represents the first and long-overdue U.S. DVD release of the landmark police drama Cagney & Lacey.
This remarkable series, which dealt with controversial social topics, ended up being quite controversial on its own. It began with a pilot in 1981 starring Loretta Swit and Detective Christine Cagney, and Tyne Daly as her partner, Detective Mary Beth Lacey. When the show debuted as a series the following year on CBS, Cagney was portrayed by Meg Foster while Daly reprised her role. The show suffered poor ratings and Foster only last six episodes. She was replaced by Sharon Gless in the pivotal role of Cagney, while Daly remained in unforgettable portrayal of Lacey. It was widely reported that Foster's portrayal of the very tough Cagney along with Daly as a second woman lead, was making viewers uncomfortable that Cagney might be gay. Officially, the network explained Foster's replacement by saying they feared viewers might have trouble "telling the two leads apart."
Ratings remained low and the show was cancelled after only one season, but the saga was far from over. An unprecedented outpouring by fans who worked tirelessly to bring the show back on the air was rewarded by its return in 1984. It finally went off the air in 1988 after 125 series episodes, while four reunion movies followed.
The 22 of the first season episodes featuring Gless and Daly are on this set, along with a new two-part documentary about the show.
Cagney & Lacey redefined gender roles in TV dramas. Now, it hardly seems possible that a series starring two women leads would be a pioneer in overcoming the glass ceiling that prevented women from obtaining untraditional jobs, but it was. While another groundbreaking cop show, Police Woman, starring Angie Dickinson, should also be lauded, it was Cagney & Lacey that went much further in focusing the series spotlight on two professional women, and dealt directly with the sexism that they encountered among the public and within the own New York City police department. Eventually, Cagney was promoted to Detective Sergeant.
Through the years, the show also dealt with drug abuse, alcoholism, racism, rape, and balancing a home life while having a successful career. Daly was two win four Best Actress Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Lacey, while Gless won two of the coveted awards for Cagney.
The primary cast included Al Waxman as Lt. Bert Samuels, John Karlen as Harvey Lacey, Carl Lumbly as Detective Mark Petrie, Martin Kove as Detective Victor Isbecki, and Dick O'Neill as Charlie Cagney. Sidney Clute, who played Detective Paul La Guardia, was only in four episodes before passing away. Show creators and producers decided to leave his picture and name at the start of each episode for the remainder of the series as a tribute to the fine actor.
This set includes the following episodes: Witness to An Incident, One of Our Own, Beauty Burglars, High Steel, Hot Line, Internal Affairs, Mr. Lonelyhearts, Conduct Unbecoming, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Recreational Use, Hopes and Dreams, The Grandest Jewel Thief of Them All, Affirmative Action, Open and Shut Case, Jane Doe No. 37, Date Rape, Burn Out, Chop Shop, Let Them Eat Pretzels, The Gang's All There, A Cry For Help, and The Informant.
Let us hope that the remainder of the series, including the pilot and the Foster episodes, will also be released on DVD much sooner than it took for this first boxed set to be released.

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A ground-breaking show that re-defined its genre, Cagney and Lacey was something entirely new:a cop show featuring two strong and intelligent female detectives, with real lives and real problems--ordinary women doing extraordinary jobs.Now recognized as a true classic, this remarkable show tackles poignant social issues and explores the human side of hard-boiled detective work. Starring Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless as one of the most compelling detective duos of all time, this Emmy Award-winning drama is landmark television at its finest.

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Wonder Woman: The Complete Third Season (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)The third and final season of Wonder Woman is ready and waiting for sci-fi fans everywhere to enjoy. In this great colorful season, 22 episodes (two of which are 2-parters) spotlight the Amazing Amazon from Paradise Island. As with season two, season three continues Wonder Woman's (aka Diana Prince) adventures in Washington D.C. working as a secret agent alongside the dashing Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner). The episodes included in this set are:
My Teenage Idol Is Missing - Singer Leif Garrett guest stars as a teen singer who is kidnapped for extortion. His agent finds a double to stand in for the missing singer's concert while Wonder Woman tries to track him and his kidnappers down. BONUS: Lynda Carter commentary
Hot Wheels - When a Rolls Royce is stolen with a secret microfilm, Wonder Woman whirls into action.
The Deadly Sting - Professional football tampering causes the IADC to become involved.
The Fine Art Of Crime - Actor Roddy McDowell guest-stars as an art sculptor with a terrible knack of thievery. Will Wonder Woman be able to see through his deception?
Disco Devil - A disco owner is hypnotizing key officials. Diana Prince is soon on his trail.
Formicida - A strange woman environmentalist who controls ants terrorizes industrial companies who do not meet her eco-standards. Possessing ant-like abilities herself, she proves to be a match for even Wonder Woman!
Time Bomb - A fortune seeker from the future comes to the present to strike a name for herself. Wonder Woman and another future traveler try to stop her before catastrophy ensues. TRIVIA: This is the first time actors Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark work together, who are two of the best known actors in the later evening series Knots Landing.
Skateboard Whiz - Illegal gambling on the California coast causes Wonder Woman to don her very own Wonder Skate Suit and show off her skateboarding skills.
The Deadly Dolphin - When terrorists use helpless dolphins to attatch bombs to the bottom of boats, Wonder Woman spins into her diving suit to save them.
Stolen Faces - One of my favorite episodes! When Diana Prince learns that a Wonder Woman double was found unconcious, she ties her to a plot to steal wealthy Washington society patrons blind. TRIVIA: Contains one of the BEST Wonder Woman transformation scenes ever! Diana spins in mid-air when pushed off a building and lands as Wonder Woman. :)
Pot Of Gold - The luck of the Irish comes to life as Wonder Woman meets a real live leprechaun.
Gault's Brain - An evil telekinetic brain (you heard me right) proves to be a handful for Wonder Woman when it seeks a perfect body to reside in. TRIVIA: Appearance of the Wonder Wetsuit.
Going, Going, Gone - Submarine hijinks cause Wonder Woman to search for missing cargo.
Spaced Out - Diana Prince finds herself in the middle of a Sci-Fi Convention while investigating the disappearance of a special laser lens.
The Starships Are Coming - UFOs are spotted and Wonder Woman jumps into action. TRIVIA: Actor Tim O'Connor plays a government UFO expert, but earlier played an alien himself in the season one episode Judgement From Outer Space.
Amazon Hot Wax - Lynda Carter flexes her vocal talents in this episode as Diana Prince goes undercover at a recording agency. TRIVIA: Lynda uses her own voice, singing songs from her then recently released solo album Portrait. This episode was one of the few episodes not to be released on the Columbia House video collection due to a problem with music rights.
The Richest Man In The World - A top secret missile device is stolen. Enter Wonder Woman to save the day.
A Date With Doomsday - When a deadly virus is stolen Diana must get to the bottom of the case before a world-wide panic begins. TRIVIA: Appearance of the Wonder Bike suit.
The Girl With A Gift For Disaster - Is Diana's new aquatence just a clutz or is there something more to what is seen?
The Boy Who Knew Her Secret (Parts 1 & 2) - Aliens on the look for an evil inter-galactic shapeshifter track the escapee to Earth. Can Wonder Woman save the innocent humans who get in their way, or will she too become a victim of the alien battle?
Phantom Of The Roller Coaster (Parts 1 & 2) - A mysterious man living beneath an amusement part kidnaps a boy, but not all is as it seems. TRIVIA: The year this episode was made, the spotlighted rollercoaster shown debuted at the Warner Bros. owned Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park.
The Man Who Could Not Die - After a scientific experiment, a man discovers that he physically can not be harmed. Can Wonder Woman save him before he becomes a target for evil groups?
Along with these episodes a featurette focusing on Wonder Woman as a feminist icon will be given. More of the eternally beautiful Lynda Carter and crew's thoughts on the comic book heroine. You can't miss with this great, and final, Wonder Woman DVD set!

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Megalomaniacs. Spies. Thieves. Phantoms. Mad scientists. The world is full of dangerous people. But don't fear -- Wonder Woman is here! Lynda Carter returns as Wonder Woman for all 24 episodes of the third and final thrill-packed season of the series. Teamed with flint-jawed government agent Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) and using the alias of Diana Prince, Wonder Woman whips out her bracelets and lariat to battle evil. And what a battle it is. Her foes include a time traveler from the year 2155, a brain with no body, a dating service that's serving up death, bazillions of hungry ants and a sculptor whose statues come to life and become his partners in crime. Wonder Woman saved the best adventures for last! DVD Features:Audio Commentary:By Lynda Carter on "My Teenage Idol is Missing" - Disc 1.Featurette:"Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Feminist Icon" -- A featurette on Wonder Woman's influence as a female role model - includes interviews w/ Lynda Carter "Wonder Woman"; Dawn Heinecken, Author of "The Women Warriors of Television"; Nina Jaffe, Author of Wonder Woman children's books; Karen Berger- VP/Executive Editor Vertigo and Wonder Woman Editor 1986-1991; Lillian Robinson, Author of "Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes" (DISC 4)

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