DVD Boxed Sets

One of the all-time best movies ever made, this lyrical and nostalgic film made by multi-talented Robert Redford lives on a long time after the final credits have rolled. It’s a screenplay written from a very short coming-of-age-in-Montana memoir by Norman MacLean. A River Runs Through It concerns the lives of two brothers (one steady and reliable, the other a bit of a wild scamp – that would be Brad Pitt). Their minister father is the quintessential early century patriarch who gives both sons the gift of the art, beauty, dance, mystery, and sacrament of fly fishing, a strong metaphor for Life itself.
Trouble sets in when the younger boy gets into serious gambling/drinking, and the family bonds are tested in ways they never expected.
Beautiful screenplay, stellar acting, gorgeous cinematography. Just simply one of the best.

The O.C. is much better than I expected it to be. I had been hearing so much about this show but was not really that interested in seeing it. I read the reviews here on amazon and saw nothing but positive reviews which of course made me curious to check it out. I ended up purchasing this first season and I have to say I was really pleased with how good the show is. I like the fact that the show is not just about kids in high school, but also their parents and family and how they all interact. The cast is really good and believable enough to either make you love them or hate them. The show is very emotional at times and it is very addicting. I think what scared me away before I ever saw an episode was that I figured The O.C. was just another show about rich kids in California like Beverly Hills 90210 and/or Melrose place. The show is so much more than those other shows and has just the right amount of drama mixed in with just the right amount of heart. I highly recommend The O.C. for anyone who likes must see TV. I can’t wait until season 2 comes out on DVD.

The first impression of the film from DVD was everyone looks ugly, aged and worn out.
It was partly due to the 70′ look and the lighting by the cinematographer.
As the movie proceeds, I kept on expecting something moving, meaningful and rewarding.
Is it a biopic? a social satire? a comedy? a drama?
Or all of the above?
I endured to the end and I was angry.
Why would Taylor Hackford made this film and asked his talented wife to take this role?
Any time a husband/wife team get involved in making a film takes an unnecessary risk to
undermine the value of the film.
It is not even a good soap opera. The storyline is pedestrian. The characterization is superficial.
Helen Mirren was miscast. The love scenes between her and the young boxer were uncomfortable
to watch and unconvincing. The boxer with a steel plate in his head and could go on with 4 rounds
of fight is ridiculous, not to mention his miraculous recovery from ICU overnight.
Joe Pesci made good effort, although he can only play a variation of his character for every movie
he’s in.
A very disappointing viewing experience.

Defying Gravity is the story of eight astronauts who begin a record setting tour of the solar system. The mission is billed to both the crew and the world as an example of human achievement and satisfying humankind’s desire to explore the unknown, but it soon becomes clear that there is much more to the mission than this. Before reaching their first destination, Venus, the crew discovers the ‘Beta Object’, and the true nature of their quest is revealed.

This show is full of mystery and unanswered questions that leave you with great anticipation for the next episode. Throughout the season, we get to know the crew through their interactions on the spaceship Antares and through their memories of what happened on Earth before the mission. The characters struggle with the complications of friendships, romance, and passion both on the Antares and Earth, which test their integrity and strength as human beings. In addition to the interpersonal challenges, the Beta Object is affecting the crew physically, mentally, and emotionally. We are left wondering if these changes will help or hurt the astronauts on their journey…

Defying Gravity does an outstanding job of appealing to all viewers, regardless of whether they consider themselves SciFi fans or not. Sadly, this television show went mostly unnoticed due to poor management by the ABC network. While it may not have gained the huge following desired by ABC during its short-lived debut, it has a loyal fanbase and the potential to achieve great success if properly advertised and scheduled.

If you’re looking for laugh-out-loud humor and outrageous family values then the outrageous Bundy Family is the right choice. “Married… with Children” is the long-running FOX comedy sitcom that changed our view of the typical family comedy. The comedy series follows the lives of luckless shoe salesman Al Bundy (Ed O’Neill), his dysfunctional family and his bothersome next-door neighbors. In the tenth season, the Bundy Family is shocked when Peg’s (Katey Segal) overbearing mother comes to live with them. Al and his NO MA’AM crew form a church to gain tax-exempt status. Bud (David Faustino) borrows money from the mob to finance Kelly’s (Christina Applegate) exercise video. Jefferson’s (Ted McGinley) anniversary surprise to Marcy (Amanda Bearse) ends badly. The tenth season marks the passing of the family pet Buck but was later reincarnated into the new family dog Lucky. The tenth season features some very enjoyable episodes with guest appearances by Tim Conway, Alan Thicke, Terry Bradshaw, Shannon Tweed, Richard Moll, Dan Novello, Ben Stein and Pat Morita. The episode “Enemies” was a pilot for another failed spinoff attempt from FOX.

“Married… with Children: The Complete Tenth Season” won’t win an award for best DVD presentation, but there are enough funny moments in this season to make it worthwhile. All 26 episodes of the tenth season are presented in their original full screen format. The picture quality isn’t stunning but still better than your typical syndicated rerun. The 2.0 Dolby Digital audio is satisfactory. The interactive menus are simple. There are no special features included. Overall, “Married… with Children: The Complete Tenth Season” gets a “B-”.

The season developed well. I continue to like Amy. As for Bernadette, I wasn’t crazy about her when she was first introduced but now I think she definitely adds to the show. Someone recently wrote that it’s about time for Priya to go. Unlike Bernadette, I really liked Priya when she first showed up, however, I also now think it’s time for her to return to India for awhile . . . let Penny have a little more air time. It was a great season 4 finale last night. Oh, one more thing, the smoking monkey a few episodes ago was fantastic! He and Amy work well together.

ORIGINAL REVIEW (still valid): This is my favorite show on television; it makes me laugh out loud. Each character is unique and yet they blend together well when paired up with some or all the of others. I see that some reviewers here don’t like the introduction of Amy. I must admit that when she first showed up I didn’t know if this was going to be a good move. However, as this season has progressed, I have become a fan of Amy. Her relationship with Sheldon is funny, but Amy’s growing relationship with Penny has become very, very funny.

It seems whenever the show takes a turn, I find myself questioning where they’re going with it, but it always turns out to be a hoot. I absolutely L-O-V-E this TV show.

“The Tourist” was made with the best of intentions, there is no denying that. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s ode to Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief (The Centennial Collection) is breezy, charming entertainment. The story here may seem pat on the surface, and upon it’s initial viewing the ending may come out of left field for some. But be sure to pay attention because everything does add up. By design you will not be able to fully appreciate Elise (Angelina Jolie) and Frank’s (Johnny Depp) romantic relationship, which is a major part of the film, the first go around. It’s in that narrative hurdle that many will be turned off by the film or worse, dismiss it all together once it ends, but like I said, a second viewing will certainly clear things up and even make it much more enjoyable. The chemistry between Jolie and Depp is, much like the film, light as a feather. This is something that can also be counted as a detractor but I thought it worked quite well. Films of this style need a breezy air about them and Jolie and Depp easily bring that to the table. In the end “The Tourist” is misunderstood and underrated. I think many contemporary film goers just aren’t familiar with 1950s European romantic mysteries like “To Catch a Thief” making it nearly impossible for them to properly gage “The Tourist.” If you are aware of this style “The Tourist” will be a light, fun diversion. It’s nothing special but it’s certainly nice to see that they tried.

Let me get the positive out there first: this is not s small budget film, and some of the acting is good. There that’s it. Most of the acting is like a junior high play, especially the engineer on the riverboat. It’s really as if she is simply reading her lines off the page for the first time. There is no inflection or pauses in the right places. She’s just mouthing the words with no clue as to their significance for her character or the story. Most of the writing is just terrible. In once scene, a ridiculously gay and cowardly character(who by the way has glasses, even though such minor maladies were supposed to have been “fixed”) falls to his death. Our sidekick half-heartedly calls out his name a few times, then Mark Twain has a coniption fit. This was totally out of character as Twain, up to that point, had been cool, wise and adventurous. Twain barely knew this guy. For Twain to blow a gasket at that point made no sense. And so it is with many of the characters. They are always doing things that don’t make any sense. For starters, if you die and reanimate on this river world, you are not going to immediately become obsessed with finding some chick you dated for a while. There are bigger things to deal with at the moment. And it’s all but impossible to suspend disbelief. Where do they get those clothes, and metal, and intricate machinery? Yes they would eventually come up with things as they find resources, but it would take a lot of time.

It’s a real disappointment because this movie obviously had a decent budget. But they just went the wrong way with it. There was no sense of wonder at the circumstances, there was no normal reactions by the characters to their circumstances. The characters were forced to fit a particular plot that didn’t make sense for them or their circumstances.

If you find the premise interesting, read the books. Do not waste 4 hours on this movie. This is an example of how NOT to do a movie, and in my mind, goes down with Battlefield Earth as one of the worst sci fi movies ever.