Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show-50th Anniversary Edition (1955) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)From TV's Golden Age comes this vastly underrated sitcom with the brilliant Phil Silvers in the role of Sergeant Bilko, a conniving motor pool sergeant in peace time Middle America. He has at his his beck and call a platoon of fiercely loyal privates and a duo of devoted corporals played by Harvey Lembeck and Allan Melvin (the latter of whom provides an audio introduction for each episode on the DVD). Bilko's primary foil is Colonel Hall who is wonderfully portrayed by the avuncular Paul Ford. But Bilko and his crazy cadre will take on all comers, be they a visiting Senate investigative committee, crooked gamblers or a new strictly-by-the-book officer.
Bilko is the classic comic anti-hero. Whether his best laid planes pay off or not (and those of you familiar with sitcoms of the 50's and 60's know all about get-rich-quick schemes) the laughs are a sure thing. All this comedy and it comes sans the scatological references and overuse of sex that are mar today's TV fare.
The hallmark of Silver's comic brilliance is that you often now what's coming but its funny just the same. Bilko was the perfect vehicle for him with its wonderful writing and deep supporting cast (where did they ever find Maurice Gosfield?)
This DVD presentation is long overdue but worth the wait. In addition to the fine prints of these shows comes such special features are vintage commercials, Silvers' Emmy victories at the 1956 version of that TV award show and the obligatory talking heads from today.
Whether you remember the shows from their initial airings, or grew up with scattered reruns as I did or are brand new to Bilko, this DVD set will, like Phil Silvers, not disappoint.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show-50th Anniversary Edition (1955)

Phil Silvers plays Ernie Bilko, a motor pool sgt in the US army. He is based at Fort Baxter, a small camp hidden away near a town called Roseville, in the wilds of Kansas. The camp is supposedly run by Colonel Hall, but it's Bilko that calls the shots. Whether it's poker games, betting on the horses, or when ever he was short of money, which was just about all the time, getting his platoon to cough up. Along with the other Sgt's from the Mess Hall, Signals, and Supply, Bilko is continually at war with Colonel Hall, who is desperately trying to put a stop to the gambling once and for all.

Get 60% OFF

Click here for more information about Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show-50th Anniversary Edition (1955)

Read More...

Perry Mason - Season Two, Vol. 2 (1957) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For nine seasons Raymond Burr ruled the courtroom in "Perry Mason." After serving for almost two decades as a "heavy" in Hollywood noir films, Burr was cast against type as the thoughtful, dogmatic Mason. Burr is surrounded with a first-class supporting cast here -- Barbara Hale as faithful "Della Street," William Hopper as the wise-cracking, woman chasing P.I. "Paul Drake," William Talman as long-suffering D.A. "Hamilton Burger," and Orson Welles favorite Ray Collins as "Lt. Tragg." Along the way you'll enjoy seeing classic T-Bird's and Corvette's, girls in tight-fitting sweaters, and dozens of plot twists and turns. In fact, you won't totally know "who done it" until Perry sweats a confession out of some oily character or shapely dame with about three minutes remaining -- the way crime dramas are supposed to play out. In this set you'll catch terrific character actors Hugh Marlowe, Leo Gordon, Ken Lynch, John Agar, Mala Powers, John Anderson, Dick Foran, R.G. Armstrong, and crooner Frankie Laine. Snap up more of "Perry" today!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Perry Mason - Season Two, Vol. 2 (1957)

Perry Mason is an attorney who specializes in defending seemingly indefensible cases. With the aid of his secretary Della Street and investigator Paul Drake, he often finds that by digging deeply into the facts, startling facts can be revealed. Often relying on his outstanding courtroom skills, he often tricks or traps people into unwittingly admitting their guilt.

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about Perry Mason - Season Two, Vol. 2 (1957)

Read More...

Perry Mason - Season One, Vol. 1 (1957) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First, to clear up the error in a prior review...this set will be captioned. The official announcement stated this.
For years PM has only been seen in butchered syndicated versions with 6 minutes or more missing from each episode. These DVDs will be mastered from the original elements and will be the complete 52 minute versions. PM was filmed, not videotaped, which will result in very high quality DVDs.
Although all 9 seasons were excellent, the first season is remarkable in that the cast found their stride immediately and delivered 39 noir-like episodes that are as suspenseful as any Hollywood movie. 19 of these episodes will be in the set with 20 to be included in Volume 2.
Paramount has an excellent record in fast tracking releases of their classic shows, hopefully PM will be as well.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Perry Mason - Season One, Vol. 1 (1957)

Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is an attorney who specializes in defending seemingly indefensible cases. With the aid of his secretary Della Street and investigator Paul Drake, he often finds that by digging deeply into the facts, startling facts can be revealed. Often relying on his outstanding courtroom skills, he often tricks or traps people into unwittingly admitting their guilt. The series began in 1957, running until 1974, and later revived in a series of TV movies. In over 270 episodes, Perry never lost a case!

Click here for more information about Perry Mason - Season One, Vol. 1 (1957)

Read More...

New York (7 Episode PBS Boxed Set) (1999) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Burns family has come up with some fine work, from Baseball, to the Civil War; and now the latest, New York. A fine successor.
Ric Burns explores the early history of New York, starting with the God-created attributes of the region and one of the world's finest natural seaports. But the treasure is found in what man has added to the Apple, starting with the Erie Canal, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Subway system. The Bridge's history has itself been the subject of much scholarship, and Burns does it well also. The creation of the skyline, including the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building are some of the series best moments, filled with some of the fascinating type of information that fans of Burns' documentaries have come to expect and enjoy.
The history of New York is the history of immigrants, and the interaction of Irish, Italians, Africans and other groups is splendidly examined. The politics of the City, such as the rise and demise of Al Smith and Jimmy Walker are well explored also.
My few complaints are minor, and don't detract from the work. F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to have become a demi-god to Burns, and after awhile, I found the continued references to him and his
work tiring. More than a few minutes on the early history of Harlem would have been a welcome replacement.
I purchased the DVD version, although I had the videocassettes. Am I glad I did! It has two additional discs, which try to bring the series up to date. Fiorello LaGuardia and Robert Moses, the two most pivotal figures in the history of the City, are splendidly explored. More examination of the development and contribution of Harlem (which I lamented in the review of the VHS version) is also welcomed. New York's post W.W. II predominance as the true center of the Earth is made plain. As the series progresses, we see the value of the City (any city), the destruction of the great and old in the name of urban renewal, and the slow cancer of suburban sprawl.
Even those not from New York will find it to be a rich, interesting history, worth of the length of time one must devote to its viewing. The rest of the world will understand some of why New Yorkers love their home as they do. Those expatriate New Yorkers will be tugged to head back home. All in all, brilliant, brilliant work.

Click Here to see more reviews about: New York (7 Episode PBS Boxed Set) (1999)

Available previously as a 5-part VHS set, New York now boasts two all-new episodes.The series offers fourteen spectacular hours of programming that chronicle the history of New York - from its beginning in 1609 as a Dutch trading post, through the turbulent years of change in the decades following World War II, to its present day status as one of the most important and influential cities in the world. SYNOPSES Episode 1: The Country and the City(1609 - 1825) chronicles the arrival of the Dutch, the impact of the English, the horrors of colonial slavery and New York's critical role in the American Revolution. Episode 2: Order and Disorder(1825 - 1865) looks at New York's rise as a burgeoning cultural center and multi-ethnic port, concluding with the Civil War Riots - America's bloodiest civil disturbance. Episode 3: Sunshine and Shadow(1865 - 1898) turns the spotlight on a period of greed and wealth that fueled the expanding metropolis - even as politics and poverty defined it. Episode 4: The Power and the People(1898 - 1918) follows New York into a new century, examining the interplay of capitalism, democracy and transformation in the wake of an extraordinary wave of immigration and the birth of the skyscraper. Episode 5: Cosmopolis(1919 - 1931) details the African-American experience, the birth of new media industries and the incredible array of human and cultural energies that converged, ending with the construction of the world's tallest building. Episode 6: City of Tomorrow(1929 - 1941) traces the spectacular but often troubling changes that overtook New York due to the crash of 1929 and the beginning of World War II. Episode 7: The City and the World(1945 - Present) chronicles the history of New York from the end of World War II through today, exploring the complexities of the post-modern city and the turbulent years of physical, social and cultural change in the decades following the war.

Get 60% OFF

Click here for more information about New York (7 Episode PBS Boxed Set) (1999)

Read More...

Shark Week: 20th Anniversary Collection (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I pre-ordered this dvd and the day it arrived I popped it in the player. The packaging is very nice w/ a cool 3D Jaws pic on the front. 4 discs: 1 and 3 have 3 shows, 2 and 4 have 4 shows each. With the exception of Anatomy of a Bite (90min), most avg around 45 minutes. The shows range from Shark Bite survivors to Air Jaws & Air Jaws II. $19.99 is a fair price for 14 episodes and I did learn a lot. They seem to dwell quite a bit on the Great White, so footage of the leaping sharks in So. Africa can get a bit repetitive. Also Erich Ricter, the scientist whose bite from a bull shark was highlighted in Anatomy of a Bite, makes quite a few appearances throughout the episodes. You'd think that after 20 years of Shark Week, Discovery would include 14 very different episodes in this compliation. I'm a huge Shark Week fan and never miss a year so that's why this dvd was a MUST-OWN, but I do wish it had maybe 6 more episodes and they could have focused on other sharks like the Mako or Tiger vs. focusing quite a bit on the Great White and Bull Shark.. If you like owning Nature DVDs, and perhaps aren't going to record this year's Shark Week episodes, this is a good deal. Just be prepared to watch the majority of the time about Whale, Bull, and Great White Sharks..

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shark Week: 20th Anniversary Collection (2005)

Get 8% OFF

Click here for more information about Shark Week: 20th Anniversary Collection (2005)

Read More...