Wiseguy - Sonny Steelgrave and the Mob (Season 1 Part 1) (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)Despite music omissions, I bought the earlier 3 volumes of this fantastic show and enjoyed them immensely, particularly the first 2 sets, which had some great extras. It was all downhill from there, as this set was vomited out of the factory and onto the store shelves by Cannell Productions and Studioworks!
As others have pointed out, disc 1/episode 3 has practically unwatchable video due to poor compression, and disc 4 has no option for show only audio, you are stuck with Ken Wahl's audio commentary and nothing else. Even Ken Wahl must have been frustrated by this when he got his comp set, as the 2 episodes on the set are 2 of his most favorite, and even he can't watch them without listening to himself talk over it!
The only good thing about this set is disc 3, which has the great Washington, DC story arc. However, Cannell messed that up, too, as the opening title credit sequence features the one from the prior storyline, whereas I clearly remember that the DC episodes had a title sequence featuring characters from that arc!
And finally, more music has been replaced, as Ken Wahl HIMSELF points out on his commentaries!
What a cheap, shoddy job--I will not be fooled into buying further volumes of this series (and there are supposedly 2 more to come!) I will be sticking to my own VHS tapes instead!
(And by the way, I've read on Studioworks' own site that the manufacturers'suggested retail price was something like $39.99, so I'm not sure how other sites are charging more for it)

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Vinnie Terranova (Ken Wahl), a tough, street-wise undercover agent, infiltrates the organized-crime syndicate in Atlantic City where, with one slip of his cover, he could end up a dead man. Partly because of his smarts and "wiseguy" attitude, special Agent Terranova has been trained by the Organized Crime Bureau (OCB). In his precarious position, only a select few know his true identity including Frank Mc Pike, his supervisor in the OCB and "lifeguard" his only communications link to the Bureau while undercover. In Sonny Steelgrave & the Mob, Federal Agent Vinnie Terranova establishes an ex-con rap to infiltrate the organized crime of Atlantic City.

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M Squad - The Complete Series starring Lee Marvin - 15 DVD Box Set, Plus Bonus CD - The Music From M Squad Review

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(More customer reviews)It's great that this series is out in a full 117 episode box set, but whoever is responsible for the video transfers obviously didn't know what they were doing. 16mm syndication prints were the source elements for the transfers and if they were professionally done they would look far better than they do here. It appears that someone ran these off on a home system of sorts as there is no control over contrast levels at all. Sometimes the episodes have completely blown out contrast and are murky in the extreme, other times there is no contrast at all, with everything appearing a milky gray color. The prints are dirty, with hairs often getting in the gate and the sound quality is like mud on some episodes. This show was originally shot on 35mm film and if a proper transfer had been done, it could have looked glorious. As-is, some episodes look like they came off of bad kinescopes, which isn't the case. Even using 16mm prints should have yielded much better results than this. I certainly hope the original elements survive on this show and hopefully someone will one day give this show a proper presentation. Until then, we're stuck with this mess. Yes, I'm glad to have the DVD collection, but it's obvious that every expense was spared in the making of it.

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M SQUAD - THE COMPLETE SERIES STARRING LEE MARVIN! 15 DVD Box Set, Plus Bonus CD: The Music From M Squad! 117 Episodes! One of the most memorable of the early television police dramas, M Squad debuted in 1957 running for three seasons on NBC.There were many black and white crime dramas competing for viewers in the late fifties, notably Dragnet, Arrest and Trial and Checkmate. M Squad stands apart because of its unique combination of story, production values, musical score and a great cast portraying crime fighters getting down and dirty on the mean streets.Lee Marvin, a decorated WWII Marine veteran of the South Pacific,where he received the Purple Heart in the Battle of Saipan, stars as Lt. Frank Ballinger, a no-nonsense Chicago plainclothes cop in the elite M Squad Division. The Squad's (M-for Murder) task is to root out organized crime and corruption in America's Second City. Marvin's portrayal of a tough undercover officer, whose perseverance and potential for violence, but with utter cool, permeates each gritty episode, gave Marvin name recognition with the public, and did much to make him a star. He would go on to many starring roles (The Dirty Dozen, Cat Ballou) and to win a coveted Oscar for Best Actor.Frank Ballinger's boss, Captain Grey, is played by Paul Newlan, a fine actor who brings weight and substance to the role of running the M Squad. It is perhaps his most memorable role.In addition to the regular cast, a who's who of television luminaries and stars-to-be made guest appearances on the show. Among the guest stars were Angie Dickinson, Charles Bronson, Janice Rule, Leonard Nimoy, Ed Nelson, DeForest Kelley, H. M. Wynant and a young Burt Reynolds.But is wasn't just the crisp, taut story lines and great cast that made M Squad memorable.First, it was shot in gritty, film-noire style black and white. The excellent high contrast cinematography brings Chicago to life, with all of its easily recognizable landmarks, swanky penthouses on Lake Michigan, and the seedy darker side of the city. In fact, M Squad did for Chicago what the Naked City did for New York. Second was the musical score. In keeping with the film noir look of the series, the producers enlisted conductor Stanley Wilson to lead the orchestra in arrangements by legendary jazz men Benny Carter, and a young John Williams (Star Wars). For the second season, the great jazz artist Count Basie wrote the enduring M Squad Theme. It was a perfect marriage of image and sound. Lee Marvin, who wrote the liner notes for the RCA Victor release of the Music From M Squad album in 1959, put it this way: I am ... constantly amazed at the manner in which our characterizations and situations are supported, highlighted and intensified by the fine musical score ... I love the great beat, the exciting solos and the clean, crisp section work of the trumpets and trombones. As I listen, my imagination paints thumbnail sketches of the Loop, Bayshore Drive, the South Side, and the other localities which set Chicago apart from other cities. It's sort of like an armchair tour of America's second largest city. - Lee MarvinThe resulting television series is hard to match for its intensity and its humanity. Marvin's hard-nosed Frank Ballinger is the archetype of all the tough-guy, big-hearted crime fighters, from Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe and Hammett's Sam Spade, to later incarnations portrayed by Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel.In sum, M Squad is that rare television series that has it all. It's about time that long-time fans and newcomers have a chance to experience high quality DVDs of this great show.

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The Twilight Zone - Season 4 (The Definitive Edition) (1959) Review

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(More customer reviews)The 4th season consists of 1 hour episodes. They include:
#1 In His Image
A science enthusiast creates a perfect mechanical man, one who compensates for his own shortcomings. Starring George Grizzard, Gail Kobe, Katherine Squire, Wallace Rooney.
#2 The Thirty-Fathom Grave
A man is haunted by the sounds from a submarine that sank 20 years ago. Stars Mike Kellin, Simon Oakland, David Sheiner, John Considine, Bill Bixby.
#3 Valley of the Shadow
A reporter discovers the secret of a small village but can he escape it? Stars Ed Nelson, Natalie Trundy, David Opatoshu, James Doohan.
#4 He's Alive
A young hatemonger is inspired by the ghost of Adolf Hitler. Stars Dennis Hopper, Ludwig Donath, Curt Conway, Paul Mazursky.
#5 Mute
A young couple experiment with telepathy. Stars Ann Jillian, Frank Overton, Barbara Baxley.
#6 Death Ship
An astronaut refuses to admit that he and his crew may be dead. Stars Jack Klugman, Ross Martin, Frederick Beir, Mary Webster.
#7 Jess-Belle
A girl strikes a deadly bargain with a witch to ensure the attention of a young man. Stars Anne Francis, James Best, Laura Devon, Jeanette Nolan, Virginia Gregg.
#8 Miniature
An introverted young man falls in love with a doll in a museum. Stars Robert Duvall, Pert Kelton, Barbara Barrie, Len Weinrib, William Windom.
#9 Printer's Devil
A newspaper editor who is facing bankruptcy hires a man who claims to be the Devil. Stars Robert Sterling, Patricia Crowley, Burgess Meredith.
#10 No Time Like the Past
A time traveler attempts to change history by warning the victims of impending disasters. Stars Dana Andrews, Patricia Breslin, Malcolm Atterbury.
#11 The Parallel
An orbiting astronaut passes into a strange parallel world. Stars Steve Forrest, Jacqueline Scott, Frank Aletter, Philip Abbott.
#12 I Dream of Genie
A store keeper discovers Aladdin's lamp. Stars Howard Morris, Patricia Barry, Mark Miller, Jack Albertson.
#13 The New Exhibit
Famous murderers from history become the star attraction of a wax museum. Stars Martin Balsam, Will Kuluva, Maggie Mahoney.
$14 Of Late I Think of Cliffordville
A remorseless businessman makes a deal with the Devil in order to go back in time. Stars Albert Salmi, Julie Newmar, John Anderson.
#15 The Incredible World of Horace Ford
A toy manufacturer relives his boyhood. Stars Pat Hingle, Nan Martin, Ruth White.
#16 On Thursday We Leave for Home
The leader of an expedition to a remote asteroid cannot bring himself to face the dissipation of his authority that returning to Earth would bring. Stars James Whitmore, Tim O'Connor, James Broderick.
#17 Passage on the Lady Anne
An unhappily married couple take a cruise to save their marriage. Stars Lee Philips, Joyce Van Patten, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Cecil Kellaway, Gladys Cooper.
#18 The Bard
A hack TV writer conjures up William Shakespeare to act as his collaborator. Stars Jack Weston, John Williams, Burt Reynolds, John McGiver.

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TWILIGHT ZONE:DEFINITIVE EDITION SSN - DVD Movie

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The Mod Squad - Season 1, Volume 1 (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)Time to rejoice, the original counter-culture Classic TV Police Series phenomenon that remains an iconic favorite, replete with one of the best and most memorable TV musical themes ever composed, will at along last be released on DVD in season boxed sets. Can you dig it?
Season 1 Set 1 will include the first 13 episodes and is expected to include interviews with the cast.
Premiering Sept. 24, 1968, during the height of the Viet Nam War and Civil Rights Movement, Mod Squad lasted for five action packed seasons with episodes that dealt as much with social issues as it did crime in the streets.
Set in Los Angeles, the premiss was simple enough: Three young people in trouble with the law are given the opportunity of avoiding jail sentences by infiltrating the counter-culture as undercover cops and exposing criminal who prey on youth. The idea is for them to bridge the generation gap between the youth and the "fuzz."
The three "delinquents" were Pete Cochran, portrayed by Michael Cole, who was arrested for car theft; Julie Barnes, portrayed by Peggy Lipton, who ran away from her prostitute mother in San Francisco; and Lincoln Hayes, portrayed by Clarence Williams III, who was arrested during the Watts riots. Tough talking Capt. Adam Greer, portrayed by Tige Andrews, was in charge of the special squad and eventually became a father-figure to them. (Lipton, who later played Norma the waitress in another cult classic - Twin Peaks - was nominated for an Emmy for her role as Julie, and won a Golden Globe in 1970 for her portrayal of the character.)
In the series, Cochran drove an old green "woody" side-paneled stationwagon that became a lasting symbol of the show, along with cooooool bell-bottomed pants! Sadly, the wheels were destroyed in the second season when the car was set ablaze by an arsonist.
The stellar series spawned a block-buster movie in the 1990's that was horrible by comparison, failing in all respects to capture the chemistry and remarkably innocent sincerity of the original.
Included in this set are the first 13 of the 26 episodes that comprised the first season: Teeth of the Barracuda: Bad Man on Campus; What a Pretty Bus; When Smitty Comes Marching Home; You Can't Tell the Players Without a Programmer; A Time to Love, A Time to Cry; Find Tara Chapman; The Price of Terror; A Quiet Weekend in the Country; Love; Twinkle, Twinkle Little Starlet; and The Guru.
Episodes expected in the Season 1 Volume 2 DVD set are: The Sunday Drivers; Hello Mother, My Name is Julie; Flight Five Doesn't Answer; Shell Game; Fear is the Bucking Horse; A Hint of Darkness, A Hint of Light; The Uptight Town; A Reign of Guns; A Run for the Money; Child of Sorrow, Child of Light; Keep the Faith, Baby; Captain Greer, Call Surgery; Peace Now - Arly Blau; and A Seat by the Window.
Created by the legendary TV mogul Aaron Spelling, he produced it along with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard. Harve Bennett replaced Spelling in later seasons.


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Meet Pete, Linc and Julie: The Mod Squad. This trio consisted of rich, long-haired Pete Cochran, Lincoln "Linc" Hayes from the tough streets of inner city Los Angeles, and beautiful flower child Julie Barnes, a runaway from San Francisco. They're recruited by police captain Adam Greer (Tiger Andrews) for a covert unit that will help bridge the generation gap. Each week these three cops with love beads wrestled with criminals – and their own consciences. They may have been the "fuzz," but they were determined to never compromise their values. They were The Mod Squad!

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Arrest and Trial Review

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(More customer reviews)During the Fall of 1963, a new police and lawyer show debuted on ABC. Titled "Arrest and Trial," this unique show was made for a 90 minute time slot. The first half of the show featured the "Arrest," with detectives Ben Gazzara and Roger Perry gathering the evidence and apprehending the suspect. The "Trial" portion starred Chuck Connors aided by Don Galloway as defense attorneys, with John Larch and John Kerr as prosecutors from the district attorney's office. Sound familiar?
There's no question that the basic structure and format of "Arrest and Trial" influenced the modern "Law & Order." But there's a major difference in the two shows. "Law & Order" is, essentially, a well written and acted police and judicial procedural. "Arrest & Trial," while retaining many of the procedural elements, is much more of a character study of the accused and those around him - friends and family - and how law enforcement and the judicial system affect their lives. Disc 2 of the set represents the series well and features three episodes dealing with the theme of addictions: Mickey Rooney is a drug addict accused of murder; Nick Adams embezzles money from his employer to pay for his gambling habit; Dewey Martin is a paroled convict dealing with alcoholism who has a difficult time adjusting to the outside world.
The series was produced during the era of the early to mid-1960s when the bar for televised drama was set very high with shows like "Route 66," "The Fugitive," "Combat!," "The Defenders," "Naked City" and others sharing the primetime airwaves. "Arrest and Trial" shares the superior writing, acting, and direction of those other shows. So why wasn't it a hit? One reason may have been its odd running time - 90 minutes - rather than the standard 60 minute format for most televised dramas of the era. But there were other shows that ran for 90 minutes during the 1960s like the Westerns "The Virginian," "Cimarron Strip," and, for a time, even "Wagon Train." More probably, it had to do with the competition. Broadcast by ABC on Sundays from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., "Arrest and Trial" went head-to-head with the second half of "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Judy Garland Show" on CBS, while NBC offered "Grindl" and the second longest running Western in TV history "Bonanza." Sadly, "Arrest & Trial" was cancelled after only a single season of 30 episodes. Co-stars Gazzara and Connors would move on to more successful series, "Run for Your Life" and "Branded," respectively.
This release of "Arrest and Trial," as well as several other DVD releases from the Timeless Media Group, is the product of a unique licensing arrangement that Timeless has with NBC Universal. In a cost cutting measure, Universal is only licensing the use of the episodes to Timeless; it is not providing restored or remastered prints to Timeless. Instead, Timeless is assembling episodes on its own using 16 millimeter films from collectors and other sources. As a consequence, the prints utilized for this release are far from perfect, often exhibiting scratches, dirt and other imperfections. While this may not be the most ideal way to release a television series on DVD, the prospective purchaser of "Arrest and Trial" needs to consider the rarity of this series and the likelihood of a better release. Frankly, this was a series that I believed would never see a DVD release, and so I'm appreciative that a DVD releasing company would take a risk on such a comparatively obscure series. Each of the three discs contained in this box set contains three episodes, with episodes running in the 75 to 76 minute range, so you're getting a representative sampling of nine of the thirty episodes that were produced. There are no extra features included on this release. The quality of the writing, acting, direction, and overall production transcend a flawed visual presentation. I can very easily recommend this to vintage TV fans and anyone who appreciates a quality televised drama, but videophiles will have numerous issues with this release and are probably best advised to steer clear. "Arrest and Trial" as a series merits five stars, but subtract a star for the lesser visual quality.


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NYPD Blue - Season 2 (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this on "tvshowsondvd.com", dated 7/01/2004:

They often say, "No news is good news," but that's not the case when it comes to DVDs. If a studio has been releasing a show on DVD and then you don't hear anything about a subsequent season, the assumption is that the sets were selling poorly and no further sets are planned. When Fox removed the January 13th listing for season 3 from their consumer site, things were looking grim for the series. We all assumed the worst: that Season 3 wouldn't be released.

Earlier today we got some good news from Fox; they plan on releasing the set, they're just looking for a good time to do so. With the TV-on-DVD schedule becoming crowded, Fox wants to find a release date where the title will get good exposure and sell enough copies so they can continue releasing the series. We don't know when that'll be, but we wanted to bring NYPD Blue fans some good news, since our previous news was rather depressing.

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Various

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The Untouchables - Season 1, Vol. 2 (1959) Review

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(More customer reviews)After getting the first volume, I was more than pleased with it. The stories are fun thoughtful and action packed. These are tales of bad guys, I mean bad guys who face off with the Untouchables. Good guys who could not be bought. I will be the first to admit that we are not talking history here, but you get the feel of an era in American history. Prohibition and bathtub gin, mobsters and molls. Put a great dramatic and action filled story together and frame it with narration by Walter Winchell and you get classic entertainment.

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The Untouchables chronicles the campaign of Eliot Ness (Robert Stack), the young U.S. Prohibition Bureau agent, to smash the beer and booze empire of Al Capone in 1920s Chicago.

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Mr & Mrs North - 4 Episodes (B&W) Review

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(More customer reviews)Specifically regarding volume 1 (of 8) from Alpha Video. This single disc contains four episodes but they are not the first four episodes from the 1952-54 television series and Steve Kaplan, Alpha's owner, does not provide original episode titles except for the third episode which has an on-screen title card. The first episode (Nosed Out, season 1, episode 6) has the best picture quality and the other three are soft, slightly overexposed/thin contrast, and missing frames.
Episode 2 is "The Frightened Bride" (season 1, eps. 22); episode 3 is "Target" (season 2, eps. 2); and episode 4 is "The Third Eye" (season 1, eps. 18). The Frightened Bride has a poorly written script from M. Coates Webster with major flaws.
This is the first of eight volumes (discs) released by Alpha which are also available as an eight volume collection. It is the best price deal.

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Mr & Mrs North - 3 Episodes (1953) Review

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(More customer reviews)Specifically regarding volume 1 (of 8) from Alpha Video. This single disc contains four episodes but they are not the first four episodes from the 1952-54 television series and Steve Kaplan, Alpha's owner, does not provide original episode titles except for the third episode which has an on-screen title card. The first episode (Nosed Out, season 1, episode 6) has the best picture quality and the other three are soft, slightly overexposed/thin contrast, and missing frames.
Episode 2 is "The Frightened Bride" (season 1, eps. 22); episode 3 is "Target" (season 2, eps. 2); and episode 4 is "The Third Eye" (season 1, eps. 18). The Frightened Bride has a poorly written script from M. Coates Webster with major flaws.
This is the first of eight volumes (discs) released by Alpha which are also available as an eight volume collection. It is the best price deal.

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Walker Texas Ranger - The Final Season (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's so odd to see that the final season of Walker, Texas Ranger, especially with Walker, Trivette, Gage, Sydney and Alex rather than seeing C.D. Parker in early seasons. But anyway, here are the episodes that are on the 9th and final seaosn. (The show debuted in the spring of 1993 so it technically has aired as a mid-season replacement before being ordered a full season that fall.)
1.) Home of the Brave
2.) Deadly Situation
3.) White Buffalo
4.) The Avenging Angel
5.) The Winds of Change
6.) Lazurus
7.) Turning Point
8.) Retribution
9.) Child of Hope
10.) Faith
11.) Golden Boy
12.) Desperate Measures
13.) Division Street
14.) Saturday Night
15.) Justice for All
16.) 6 Hours
17.) Medieval Crimes
18.) Legends
19.) Unsafe Speed
20.) Without a Sound
21.) Blood Diamonds
22.) Reel Rangeers
23/24.) The Final Show/Down (2 hr. series finale)
Great show but next time they should start from the first season. Not the last.

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Starring karate champion, Chuck Norris, WALKER, TEXAS RANGER centers around Cordell Walker, a contemporary Texas Ranger who is old-fashioned in his method of dealing with criminals, which entails using a lot of force.Joined by his partner, Jimmy Trivette, Walker does not shy away from his "eye for an eye" approach to law enforcement.

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Magnum, P.I. - The Complete Third Season (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)Magnum P.I. is my favorite TV show of all time. Season 3 is my 2nd favorite season. (Season 2 is my favorite.)
Here are the episodes from season 3:
Did You See the Sunrise? - This 2 hour episode is my favorite episode of this season. This is a complex tale about the Vietnam War, a POW camp, physical and psychological torture, brainwashing, and assassination. This episode helped to define the intensity and seriousness of the series. Magnum has some very traumatic flashbacks to the Vietnam War. This is the episode that introduces the Maggie Poole character. This is also the episode where Higgins constructs his model of the Bridge On The River Kwai. We find out that Magnum's favorite movie is Stalag 17. This episode is classic Magnum all the way through.

Ki's Don't Lie - This is the first part of a crossover with the TV series Simon and Simon. Morgan Fairchild also appears. An old Hawaiian statue brings trouble to anyone who possesses it. The complete story, including the Simon and Simon episode, appeared as bonus material on the season 1 DVD set.
The Eighth Part of the Village - Magnum goes to the loading dock to pick up a package for Higgins. The package contains a surprise.
Past Tense - T.C. is forced at gunpoint to fly into a prison and help one of the prisoners escape.
Black on White - This wonderful episode creates some humorous odd couple type moments as Magnum and Higgins are quarantined together in the guest house because they may have been exposed to "African Hemorrhagic Fever." Meanwhile, Higgins is being targeted for assassination by an African Mau Mau who is sneaking around the estate. We hear some fascinating stories about Higgins's military experiences in Kenya. Hearing that handheld Pac-Man game always cracks me up. Bibi Kiamini is such a babe!
Flashback - Magnum wakes up in the year 1936. Other than that, everything else is the exact same as it always is. This fantasy episode is highly enjoyable.
Foiled Again - Higgins enters a fencing competition. During the competition, Higgins kills his opponent. Oops!
Mr. White Death - Ernest Borgnine appears as a professional wrestler.
Mixed Doubles - Magnum is the bodyguard/babysitter for a spoiled brat teenager who also happens to be a professional tennis champion. Her character is so deliberately awful that the episode is kind of fun, in a cheesy sort of way. Just don't take this one too seriously, and I think you'll enjoy it.
Almost Home - Magnum has to clear the name of a World War II soldier who was wrongly court martialed.
Heal Thyself - Magnum has to help an old military friend who has been falsely accused of murder.
Of Sound Mind - Roscoe Lee Browne appears as Magnum's butler. Yes, Magnum has a butler, because he just inherited $50 million dollars. This crazily fun episode is a wonderfully humorous satire. The masquerade party is quite interesting.
The Arrow That Is Not Aimed - Magnum befriends a Samurai warrior, who is trying to protect a valuable ancient porcelain plate from 6 ninjas. This is a wonderful tale of friendship, action, adventure, and humor. I love the way that Magnum finds out which plate is the real one. This is a great episode.
Basket Case - Magnum acts as social worker for a teenager who lives with foster parents. (Yeah, yeah. I know. Not every episode is a winner.)
Birdman of Budapest - In this relatively bad episode, a guest on the estate is driving Higgins crazy. (And no, I'm not talking about Magnum.)
I Do? - In order to solve a case, Magnum pretends to be married.
Forty Years From Sand Island - Magnum tries to find out what really happened at a World War II Japanese internment camp.
Legacy From A Friend - Magnum has to solve a murder case.
Two Birds Of a Feather - This horrible episode was to be the pilot for a new spinoff series. Fortunately, the new series was never made.
By Its Cover - Magnum helps protect an old friend from a corrupt police officer.
The Big Blow - This is a cheesy satire of Key Largo. With a hurricane in progress, several guests are trapped at the estate. All the usual cliches are there, including a woman who is 9 months pregnant.
Faith and Begorrah - This masterpiece of an episode continues a running joke that was started in "The Elmo Ziller Story" from season 2: around the time of World War I, Higgins's father served in the British military. As a result, Higgins has many illegitimate half brothers and illegitimate half sisters scattered all over the world. Naturally, this causes much embarrassment for Higgins. This time, the half brother is an Irish priest. Note how Zeus and Apollo react when Higgins tells Magnum, "He's... illegitimate." The desk clerk at the hotel is played by Donald P. Bellisario, the guy who created the Magnum P.I. series.

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Item Name: Magnum, P.I. - The Complete Third Season; Studio:Universal Studios

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Fugitive: Never Wave Goodbye (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)Never Wave Goodbye is the fourth story of The Fugitive TV series, and is one of the best, combining gut-wrenching emotion with some exciting action.
Kimble now works as a sailmaker in San Diego. Susan Oliver plays Kimble's girlfriend Karen, and Will Kuluva is her uncle, who knows Karen is in love with Kimble and wants him to marry her - much to the consternation of a rival sailmaker (Robert Duvall).
LT Gerard learns of the arrest of a one-armed perp in LA and wants to interrogate the man, believing it will help bring out Kimble. His superior, Captain Ed Carpenter, is reluctant to let Gerard go off like this, disturbed as he is by the lieutenant's obsession.
But Gerard gets his wish and flies out to LA, just as Kimble learns of the man's arrest. He travels to the LA jail and finds he is not the one-armed man who killed his wife. But as he leaves, Kimble stumbles into Gerard, and a chase ensues. Karen helps Kimble escape, but he has to leave.
Or does he? Unable to abandon the woman who so loves him, Kimble decides he and she should fake their own deaths in a sailing accident. Perhaps then they can share the life together they both so desperately want.
It is often painful to see the effort Kimble and Karen undertake to fake their own deaths. It truly draws the audience into loving these characters and hating Gerard - all the right requisites for superb storytelling.

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The Untouchables - Season Three, Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)The third season for many series can be a turning point. It can settle in and run on pure formula, in which case it will start to sink in the ratings. It can "jump the shark," have actor issues and simply implode. Or, it can do what the great series do - up the ante. Check out the third season of any long-running, accomplished series - it is invariably the best. Season One feels its way, season two establishes relationships and routines, and season three? Well season three stretches the formula. And that's what happens here.
Corruption moves perilously closer to Ness in Season Three. Peter Falk does a masterful turn painting Ness as a bad cop with the help of a crooked newsman. Watching Stack act drunk and depressed in this episode is alone worth the price of the DVD. We actually meet Ness's old partner (Martin Balsam) who now works for the mob. The dialogue between the two is terrific and Balsam is simply outstanding. I think Scorsese ought to watch The Genna Brothers episode and make a movie from it. The quality of the black and white filming is amazing, better than any film noir movie you ever saw. These episodes are verging on true art.
Nit picks? Guys who had names like Rodini in seasons one and two are now named Rader (in deference to previous outrage from Italian-Americans)and the guys sitting around Nitti's table at the Montmarte are now named Sidney, Melvin and Arnold (oy!!) Ness and Hobson running in place in front of a screen of the Tunnel of Horror is a bit cheesy. BUT....Steve London, as Rossman, actually gets some lines!!!
Still...lots of smoking, drinking and method acting galore. And the reperatory company is still in place, with some actors (Nehemiah Persoff, Jack Warden, Will Kuluva, Steve Cochran, Joe Wiseman, etc) back for the 4th or 5th time since the start of the series. And time? Well, it's STILL not linear, but who cares?? You can watch this stuff for hours!! More, please!

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The Agatha Christie Miss Marple Movie Collection (Murder at the Gallop / Murder Ahoy / Murder Most Foul / Murder She Said) (1964) Review

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(More customer reviews)The first thing that catches your eye (rather your ear) about these 4 approximately 90 minute movies made by MGM in the 1960s is the catchy theme music used in the opening and closing credits. These 4 films may not be the in depth stories shown on BBC (and then A&E or PBS) in the mid to late 80s, but they are still delightful thanks to the performance of their star Margaret Rutherford, who brings some humor to the role. The 2 other regulars in them are Stringer Davis as her friend Jim Stringer (notice the similar name) who "strings" along and eventually helps her solve the case, and Charles Tingwell as the Scotland Yard Inspector amazed and sometimes befuddled by the "old bat's" Sherlock Holmes like methods to solve mysteries. In Murder She Said (a sort of variation on 4:50 From Paddington) Miss Marple poses as a maid at a mansion near a train station where she witnessed a murder on a passing train trying to solve the case. Look for future BBC/PBS Miss Marple Joan Hickson in this one as the cook. In Murder At The Gallop, she tries to find a murderer at an equestrian hotel. In Murder Ahoy, she goes aboard ship to when a Naval Captain is a suspect in a murder. Finally in Murder Most Foul, she joins a theatre troup to find a murderer, and I'll leave it at that. I'm glad these will be sold as a set, they are way too short (let alone too funny) to be sold individually. Definitely an addition to your library whether you have the 80s series or not.

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Murder She Said (1961): Margaret Rutherford's debut as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple Murder at the Gallop (1963): Murder and mystery start with a funeral Murder Most Foul (1964): Miss Marple joins a theatrical troupe whose specialty is death scenes. Murder Ahoy (1964): Miss Marple takes the helm in a seagoing whodunit

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The Shield - The Complete Fourth Season (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)At the end of the third season of FX's the Shield, crooked cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his strike team split up. As the fourth season opens, the Farmington precinct meets their new captain in Monica Rawling (Glenn Close), and it's not long before she makes herself noticed. With Aceveda (Benito Martinez) on his way to political office, Rawling makes her presence felt re-organizing the force with Vic as her right hand man, and they both put their sights on charismatic drug dealer Antwan Mitchell (Anthony Anderson). In the meantime, Vic's ex-partner Shane (Walt Goggins) works vice, and gets in way too deep with Mitchell, which leads to the reformation of the strike team in an effort to save Shane, and themselves, before it's too late. Sub-plots throughout the season include Aceveda discovering a dark side he never knew he had, Julian (Michael Jace) looking to be transfered as he opposes Rawling's approach to the seizures, and Dutch (Jay Karnes) finding romance with Vic's ex-wife (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) while trying to get both his partner (CCH Pounder) and himself out of the doghouse with the DA. Many agree that the third season was a step down compared to the landmark first two, and the fourth season delivers firing on all cylinders. Glenn Close is perfect casting as the no-nonsense new captain, while Michael Chiklis is excellent as always as crooked cop Mackey, who this season, appears to be searching for redemption. The Shield is back on track, and it's once again the best original drama on cable TV. By the end of the season, there is a big change for all the main players, and it will leave you salivating for what's coming next.

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Heart-pounding. Intense. Gripping. Keeping the streets safe has never been more brutal. Season 4 introduced Glenn Close in a leading role and was the highest rated season yet. Live the suspense with THE SHIELD SEASON 4 on DVD!

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The Shield - The Complete Third Season (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Shield" seems to up it a notch with every season. I remember watching the very first season and thinking to myself that there was no way this show could get any darker, more intense or more outrageous. I was proven wrong when I saw the second season, but yet again I made the wrong assumption and thinking there was no way in the world that the next season would be more devastating and brutal.
After seeing Season 3, I have finally learned my lesson and will no longer make that silly assumption. This is because "The Shield: Season 3" takes you even further down the rabbit hole that is this amazingly dark and take-no-prisoners cop drama that pretty much breaks all of the rules. You are given some deeply flawed characters... and yet, we still want to learn more about them and even care what happens to them.
After successfully robbing the money train, the heat is on the Strike Team more than ever. Vic needs to keep his team in line until the dust settles, but that proves to be an impossible task as emotions and paranoia run high among the other participants. Captain Aceveda is still trying to maintain his political career while taking care of The Barn, but something horrific will happen to him that will leave him never being the same again. Claudette is still striving for the position of the "top dog" at The Barn and doesn't make things easier for Vic when she decides to include a Decoy Squad, while keeping a close eye on Vic and his team. Still, Vic has other problems to deal with, and I'm not even talking about his family issues. The Strike Team is in constant danger of being the latest victims of the Armenian Mob, who is willing to kill anyone involved with the whole money train robbery. This is only a small part of the fun that lurks in this explosive third season.
The show is still extremely dark and brutal at times, but it still gets in a lot of the ironic humor in it as well. Fans of the first two seasons will most likely enjoy this new season, as each episode is engaging and addicting. The great writing and execution is still there and by the time you finish these 15 episodes, you'll want more. Michael Chiklis does an excellent job of playing "Vic," and even though there are times you really hate him, there are also times where you cannot help but root for him.
This show is not for those who get offended easily or are extremely sensitive. Just like the other two seasons, these guys pretty much get away with ANYTHING (the only exception I've seen is the usage of the F-word). This is definitely something you'd think you would catch on HBO. There's a lot of violence, language, disturbing situations and content, and there is a pretty horrible rape scene... but it's not what you would think. Anyways, just be cautious. If you can handle the first two seasons, then you shouldn't have too many problems dealing with Season 3. Extras included are commentary on selected episodes, deleted scenes and a making-of documentary.
"The Shield: Season 3" delivers the goods when it comes to addicting and mesmerizing TV. All of the episodes are highly entertaining and you will find yourself having a hard time putting the DVDs away. Once you start, it is VERY hard to stop watching. If you haven't seen the other seasons, then I'd recommend checking those out first, although it is possible to get the gist of what's going on without doing so. "The Shield" has definitely kept its edge, and Season 3 proves that big time. -Michael Crane

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"The Shield" made history with the most Emmy nominations ever for a basic cable drama.It won a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series and star Michael Chiklis won the Emmy and Golden Globe awards for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Get ready as this hard-hitting, award-winning cop drama returns with a vengeance for a pulse-pounding third season.

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Jake & The Fatman: Second Season (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a lot of free time while I'm sitting in motels. I like taking these old crime shows with me because I can simply watch one show, or several. Joe Penny is great in almost everything he does. The Fatman adds a little humor to the crime show.

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Item Name: Jake & The Fatman: Second Season; Studio:Paramount

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