Showing posts with label family films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family films. Show all posts

Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Vol. 2: Legacy of Power (2004) Review

Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Vol. 2: Legacy of Power (2004)
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These are the episodes that will be on Volume 2,
1404: "Legacy of Power"
1405: "Back in Black"
1406: "Diva in Distress"
1407: "Game On"
1408: "Golden Boy"
Great that Tommy is a Ranger again.

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Little Rascals Vols. 3-4 (1955) Review

Little Rascals Vols. 3-4 (1955)
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I loved "The Little Rascals" when I was growing up. I'm glad to see they have a nice mix of episodes with my favorite characters. Spanky, Alfalfa, Jackie, Buckwheat, Marianne, and Pete (the dog!) are all here!
If you are unfamiliar with the Little Rascals, it was a series of short comedies filmed in the 1920's and 1930's called "Our Gang". The films were about poor kids and their very funny escapades. (Note: there is racial stereotyping that was common at the time of filming, not that that is any excuse!) These were intended to be stand-alone films. In some films, the gang had parents. In others, they live in an orphanage. There were plenty of other inconsistencies like this from episode to episode. Hal Roach sold the original series to MGM, bought it back, and renamed it, "Hal Roach's Little Rascals". More episodes were filmed into the early 1940's. No episodes were ever produced for TV, but it started playing on TV in 1955 under the name, "The Little Rascals". Jackie Cooper played "Jackie". (Robert Blake played "Mickey", but not in any of these episodes.)
Here is an episode guide, with a tiny description:
Teacher's Pet: Jackie brags to a nice woman about the tricks they plan to play on the new teacher. Guess who their new teacher is?
School's Out: Jackie is worried that the new teacher, Miss Crabtree will get married and leave. So when the gang thinks she has a boyfriend, they try to discourage his interest.

Readin' And Writin': Brisbane tries to get kicked out of school after his mother reminds him that he can be president if he does well.
Spooky Hooky: Spanky and Alfalfa want to skip school and go to the circus, so they send Buckwheat and Porky to put a fake doctor's note on the teacher's desk. When they find out the teacher is taking the class to the circus, they do everything they can to get the note back.
Sprucin' Up: Spanky and Alfalfa show off to the new truant officer's daughter.
For Pete's Sake!: After Marianne's doll is destroyed by the local bully, the gang tries to get her a new one. They end up trading Pete, the dog, for a doll!

The Kid From Borneo: The gang decides that a wild man from Borneo wants to eat them up.
Dogs Is Dogs: Pete, the dog, ends up at the pound after he is accused of eating Mr. Brown's chickens.
The Pooch: Stymie steals a pie, but is forgiven when he gets the other kids' dogs from the dogcatcher.

Dog Heaven: Pete, the dog, is upset because Joe spent money on a girl rather than a promised dog collar. Pete saves the girl from drowning, but gets in trouble when Joe thinks Pete pushed her into the water.

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Fat Albert's Greatest Hits The Ultimate Collection (1972) Review

Fat Albert's Greatest Hits The Ultimate Collection (1972)
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Very happy to hear Fat Albert is coming out on DVD. I grew up on this wholesome show that taught me values and how not to look down on somebody who is different. Not easy for a white boy from Georgia to do. Thanks Bill, I love that big guy. :)
The feeling I get when watching them has never left me. Recently I found a copy of the Christmas special and it put tears in my eyes. I simply can't wait to get all of these on DVD. Like many of my other favorite shows, it's overwelming emotionally that these are coming to DVD.
This is a "best of" set featuring 20 favorites based on internet research thru search engines. But there's some confusion as to whether all episodes will be realised as Season sets or in a random manner like this set. It's hard to believe, but at this point I'm avoiding this one so I don't risk having to rebuy some of these next year.
The company UrbanWorks Entertainment says that they have acquired the rights to most of the episodes including the specials done for Halloween, Christmas and Easter but excluding the 1969 pilot episode "Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert" that only aired once and was owned by NBC not CBS which aired the rest of the series. They will begin releasing all of them in 2005. So it just sounds like this is an expensive "teaser". :(
I say wait. Personally I'll have to condition myself not to order this or pick it up if I see it in the store. Wish me luck. ;)
And Hey, Hey, Hey! Have a happy day! :D

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The Donna Reed Show: Season Three (2009) Review

The Donna Reed Show: Season Three (2009)
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Wow, talk about fast releases! I am not even finished viewing The Donna Reed Show's Second Season and Arts Alliance announced that Season Three will be available to purchase on December 1st,2009! In this Season 3, there are 38 episodes which will be featured on 4 discs with bonus material. With only 5 more seasons to follow, it looks like we'll have The Donna Reed Show's complete series faster than any series ever put on dvd. I just hope in all this speed that they keep the film quality as good as the first 2 seasons, as the quality is good, but not great. After seeing The Lucy Show's remastered quality that is almost pristine perfect, this show looks passably good, and I hope they keep it this way.
In this third season, daughter Mary is now 16 and learning to drive. Brother Jeff is now a teenager himself at age 13. Donna Stone starts to show a little "woman's liberation" when she wants to start her own business and teaches a Japanese Geisha wife how to become more American by not catering so much to her husband. There are great guest star appearances as well by Jay North as Dennis the Menace and poor Mr. Wilson, along with Tony Martin, Harvey Korman, Jack Albertson, George Sidney and more. It's another great season in the Stone family as you watch family life in America in 1960 and 1961!
Starring Are:
Donna Stone-Donna Reed
Dr. Alex Stone-Carl Betz
Mary Stone-Shelley Fabares
Jeff Stone-Paul Petersen
SEASON THREE EPISODES:
1.(15 Sep 1960) WEEKEND-A weekend at Lakeview Lodge isn't as great as it was advertised to be.
2.(22 Sep 1960) THE MYSTERY WOMAN-Donna can't recall a woman she saw at lunch whom she hasn't seen in 13 years.
3.(29 Sep 1960) DONNA DECORATES-Donna is re-decorating her home, when another neighbor from Hilldale, Dennis (the Menace) Mitchell helps her, making a huge mess! Donna calls Mr. Wilson, who saves the day. (Jay North and Joseph Kearns guest star)
4.( 6 Oct 1960) THE LOVE LETTER-Nick the handyman from Greece asks Jeff to help him write a love letter in English to his girlfriend, only Donna finds it and thinks Jeff is in love.
5.(20 Oct 1960) HOW THE OTHER SIDE LIVES-Mary's wealthy friend Ginny is spending a weekend at the Stone residence and Mary is worried with no maid, pool or tennis court at her home.
6.(27 Oct 1960) ALEX'S TWIN-Mary thinks the new boy at school, Elroy is perfect, because he reminds her of her father Alex, only Alex doesn't see any similarities. (Jack Albertson guest stars)
7.(3 Nov 1960) WORRIED ANYONE?-Donna worries about Mary getting rides from Scotty, whose car is made from parts from the junkyard.
8.(10 Nov 1960) HIGHER LEARNING-Jeff's principal suggests Jeff goes to a higher school of learning because Jeff scored as a genius on an IQ test, but Jeff is upset as he just made quarterback at school.
9.(17 Nov 1960) NEVER MARRY A DOCTOR-Twenty dollars for a charity is missing in the Stone house, and the charity chairwoman makes Donna think that Donna's cleaning lady, who has financial troubles is a thief.
10.(24 Nov 1960) IT ONLY HURTS WHEN I LAUGH-Alex is a patient in the hospital.
11.(1 Dec 1960) THE MODEL DAUGHTER-Mary goes to Charm School and "wins" a free scholarship to a modeling school, but soon finds many extra expenses needed for modeling classes, and that the other girls "won" this scholarship too.
12.(8 Dec 1960) DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS-Always asking for her mother's advice, Mary decides to make her own decisions when she goes out on the town, but Mary has to make the biggest decision when her group runs out of money at the end of the night.(Harvey Korman guest stars)
13.(15 Dec 1960) DONNA GOES TO A RE-UNION-While Donna attends her college re-union, Jeff adopts a dog.
14.(22 Dec 1960) SOMEONE IS WATCHING-Jeff wants a new motor scooter, like his friend Gordie, but Alex says no when Gordie drives it into the Stone's tree.
15.(29 Dec 1960) THE LEAN AND HUNGRY LOOK-Donna's dinner dress doesn't fit, nor does Alex's tux, so diet and exercise are on the Stone family agenda.
16.(5 Jan 1961) CHARACTER BUILDING-Donna writes a letter to the editor about parents making certain that their children finish what they start, when she see's she needs to follow her own advice.
17.(12 Jan 1961) WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER-Jeff gets depressed when everything he does seems to go wrong, so when he does "not very good" movie star imitations, his family tells him they are great, to build his ego, which works so well, Jeff decides to do these imitations in the Schools Talent Show.
18.(19 Jan 1961) VARIATIONS ON A THEME-When Alex decides to sell the family's never used piano, suddenly Mary wants to play it every day, but only because her current boyfriend plays.
19.(26 Jan 1961) THE STONES GO TO HOLLYWOOD-Alex has to go to Hollywood to discuss his suggestions for a Children's Clinic and the family get to go, very excited about meeting stars. (George Sidney guest stars)
20.(2 Feb 1961) DONNA DIRECTS A PLAY-Donna gets to take the place of the director for Mary's drama group.
21.(9 Feb 1961) TRIP TO NOWHERE-With Alex out of town, Donna takes Mary and Jeff camping at the park right in town.
22.(16 Feb 1961) THE GEISHA GIRL-The new doctor in town has a Japanese wife, who caters to her husband's every need, making the Hilldale wives dislike her, until Donna Americanizes this new bride.
23.(23 Feb 1961) THE BUSY PEOPLE-Donna signs herself and Alex up for painting lessons, hoping this class will give them more time together.
24.(2 Mar 1961) TONY MARTIN VISITS-Tony Martin gets a speeding ticket while driving through Hilldale and when in court sees Donna fighting her parking ticket, when he decides to fight his ticket too. (Tony Martin guest stars)
25.(9 Mar 1961) AUNT BELLE'S EARRINGS-Alex's Aunt Belle comes for a visit.
26.(16 Mar 1961) POODLE PARLOR-Donna and her friends want to open a poodle parlor in Hilldale, but Alex thinks the idea is a waste of time, making the women want to open one all the more. (Jack Albertson guest stars)
27.(23 Mar 1961) MARY'S HEART THROB-Mary meets the older son of the children she baby sits for and he wants her to help him join the Foreign Legion.
28.(30 Mar 1961) DONNA'S HELPING HAND-Donna wants Alex to take the job as the head of The Board of Health, so he'll have a better life with more regular hours.
29.(6 Apr 1961) THE MERRY MONTH OF APRIL-Income tax time has Alex furious that Donna bought a new hat for $49.50, when he owes the government money, only the hat isn't Donna's, but her friend's.
30.(13 Apr 1961) MUSIC HATH CHARMS-A musical tobacco jar that reminds Alex and Donna of their honeymoon breaks, when Alex finds a replacement not knowing that Donna and Mary also bought one and Jeff glues the original, making 3 now.
31.(20 Apr 1961) LET'S LOOK AT LOVE-When two boys toss a coin to see which one will take Mary to the dance, infuriated Mary sees this, stops dating and devotes herself to Science studies.
32.(27 Apr 1961) FOR BETTER OR WORSE-Alex and friend Joe decide they don't need their wives permission to go fishing, only Alex doesn't know Joe gives his wife an expensive gift first.
33.(4 May 1961) JEFF, THE TREASURER-After Jeff is entrusted with money for the class picnic, he can't find it. (Doodles Weaver guest stars)
34.(11 May 1961) THE GOOD GUYS AND THE BAD GUYS-The school bully makes fun of Jeff being in the school choir, so Jeff works out to get ready for a fight.
35.(18 May 1961) MILITARY SCHOOL-Mary doesn't want to go to the dance when her date Herbie wants to bring his friend Ken along, but changes her mind when she see's Ken in his military uniform, then Herbie see's a different Mary.
36.(25 May 1961) MARY'S DRIVING LESSON-Scotty agrees to teach Mary to drive, but will he still want to date her after?
37.(1 Jun 1961) THE MUSTACHE-Alex grows a mustache causing family controversy. (Doodles Weaver guest stars)
38.(8 Jun 1961) MARY'S LITTLE LAMB'S-Mary and her boyfriend decide to make money to paint his car, by having a nursery school, unknown to Alex who needs his sleep on the weekends.


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Supercar - The Complete Series (1960) Review

Supercar - The Complete Series (1960)
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What I consider the real `marvel of the age" is that at long last I now own all 39 episodes of my favorite 60's TV show and pop culture touchstone in beautiful clear editions. I get to dump all my horrid multi-generation standards converted VHS copies into the trash! Cool!
Better still: this is a better put-together set than the "Fireball XL5" box from a few months ago. There is one non-episode specific commentary track from Sylvia Anderson on the pilot episode, "Rescue", in which she describes the state of the company in 1959 and how they were able to get Supercar financed and on TV. There is also a great 30 minute documentary on the late special effects supervisor Derek Meddings with behind the scenes shots and reminisces from his former crew, a brief video tribute to Meddings from "Lord Of The Rings" director Peter Jackson, a 4 1/2 minute audio recording of a fan-club flexi-disc issued by a chain of petrol stations, a production stills gallery and a send-away coupon to receive a free copy of the new Supercar comic book. The episodes themselves are beautifully remastered, and look sharp and clear with little to no film defects. Thanks heavens they took good care of their negatives thru the years! It's also nice to be able to see the here-to-fore impossible to find second season episodes, with the revised opening theme and slightly modified vehicle design. (I do note, however, that my JVC brand DVD player has some difficulty navigating around the discs smoothly).
I've no idea why this show continues to bring me so much enjoyment over four decades since it first aired. But I'm grateful to be able to visit Black Rock Lab once again, and to be able to carry this icon of my youth with me into the future. So, Gerry Anderson (and A&E Video), a five year old boy salutes you with increasingly arthritic 48 year old hands.

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SUPERCAR - COMPLETE SERIES - DVD Movie

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Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series (1963) Review

Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series (1963)
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Kennedy was in the White House when this aired. No one had heard of the Beatles yet. All televisions were black and white and most ran on cathode tubes. I was 7 years old. This is a great treat to anyone who wants to relive the children's programs of their youth. It is not sophisticated like "Thunderbirds", though. Thunderbirds had effects that still make you wonder how they did them. It also had scripts that approached B movie quality. Fireball is in black and white and is quite primitive by comparison. Still, it will make you want to grab some milk and cookies and watch with delight.

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In the year 2063, the World Space Fleet is extending mankind's reach beyond the solar system. Leading the charge is the incredible spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by the dashing and daring Colonel Steve Zodiac. With his steadfast crew--the brilliant professor Matt Matic, the lovely space doctor Venus and Robert the Robot--Steve patrols the vast reaches of Sector 25, where strange races inhabit distant planets.In 1962, legendary producer Gerry Anderson (Space: 1999, UFO) turned his attention to space for the first time. The result was FIREBALL XL5, a rarely-seen gem that paved the way for later supermarionation masterpieces like Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons. This definitive collection includes all 39 black and white episodes of FIREBALL XL5, digitally restored and presented in their original production order. Return to Galactic Sector 25 as FIREBALL XL5 flies again in this DVD set.

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Leonard Bernstein - Young People's Concerts / New York Philharmonic (1961) Review

Leonard Bernstein - Young People's Concerts / New York Philharmonic (1961)
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This series of concerts is a truly wonderful achievement. It must surely rank among the finest treasures of the television medium.
Bernstein aside from being a brilliant musician is a wonderful teacher. To think that these concerts were conceived for children. In today's context this would probably be more suitable for the general adult music lover, someone with at least a modicum of musical knowledge. I'm not sure how today's children would respond to them, especially with their dated look and relatively dry subject matter.
The concerts technically are not concerts at all but music appreciation classes, led by a brilliant maestro, full of passion for his subject and backed by a superlative orchestra. The topics covered range from the disarmingly simple like "What is a Melody?" to the simple yet profound, "What does music mean?" Does music have meaning? He covers standard music subjects like sonata form, symphonic music, concerto form and tries to define what is classical music. In all these subjects, he is never anything less than compelling. He also explores little discussed topics like the significance of intervals and the concept of modes. One drawback of the TV broadcast format is that he is limited to a mere one hour to explain each topic. By the end of the session on musical modes he is so pressed for time he can only zip through the the remainder of his notes. In the episode on Folk Music, he touches on the relationship between language and music, a theme he would pursue in far greater depth and length in his Harvard Lectures of 1973. The other aspect of the concerts is the introduction of lesser known composers to his young audience. Particularly treasurable is the episode on Mahler. Bernstein, the long-time champion of Mahler, spends the entire hour introducing his young audience to the then obscure composer's works, this at a time when even regular concert-going audiences were unfamiliar with them. The other episode among this group that stands out is his tribute to Aaron Copland in "What is American Music?". Bernstein proclaims Copland as the greatest living American composer and has the man himself conduct exerpts from his Third Symphony. Unfortunately Kultur has omitted another episode devoted entirely to Copland, "Aaron Copland Birthday Party" which discusses Copland's lesser known works and has the composer himself conduct his famous El Salon Mexico. Among Bernstein's many guests, are the great soprano Christa Ludwig and the baritone Walter Berry, featured in the 125th joint anniversary of the New York and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras - "A Toast to Vienna" (Christmas 1967). Other guests include the Israeli soprano Netania Devrath singing Villa Lobos' haunting Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5. My favorite surprise appearance was by Marni Nixon, the unjustly uncredited singing voice behind Hollywood's greatest musicals (she was the singing voice for Natalie Wood in West Side Story, Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady and Deborah Kerr in The King & I). Here we get to see her in the flesh, singing exerpts from Canteloube's achingly beautiful Songs of the Auvergne. The series fittingly ends with Beethoven's operatic paean to freedom, Fidelio.
On the technical side, much leeway has to be given because the picture quality varies from downright poor to above average (for its period). The earliest concerts have problems with lens distortion which create an effect similar to looking through a goldfish bowl. One must understand that when these concerts began, way back in the Fifties, television broadcast technology was relatively primitive. There was no such thing as videotape. To record a live concert broadcast for later transmission or for posterity, they used a primitive technology called kinescope recording. Essentially this entailed putting a film-based motion picture camera in front of a TV screen and capturing the moving images from the TV screen onto film. That was their version of the videotape. Hence the poor quality of the initial few episodes. However, quality gets progressively better until eventually color is introduced in the Nov 1967 concert. Only the last six concerts are actually in color. Still, you're not buying this set for how beautiful the picture looks. Soundwise, it is mostly in mono but helpfully remixed to 2.0 and 5.1 surround. A pleasant surprise is that the final two concerts are actually recorded in native dual-channel stereo - and pretty effective stereo at that. Overall, the sound is not great but more than acceptable for its purpose.
My only regret with this set is that it contains just 25 out of the total of 53 Young People's Concerts that Bernstein actually gave. Here is a listing of the episodes contained in the set:
1. What Does Music Mean?
2. What is American Music?
3. What is Orchestration?
4. What Makes Music Symphonic?
5. What is Classical Music?
6. Humor in Music
7. What is a Concerto?
8. Who is Gustav Mahler?
9. Folk Music in the Concert Hall
10. What is Impressionism?
11. Happy Birthday, Igor Stravinsky
12. What is a Melody?
13. The Latin American Spirit
14. Jazz in the Concert Hall
15. What is Sonata Form?
16. A Tribute to Sibelius
17. Musical Atoms: A Study in Intervals
18. The Sound of an Orchestra
19. A Birthday Tribute to Shostakovich
20. What is a Mode?
21. A Toast to Vienna in 3/4 Time
22. Quiz-Concert: How Musical Are You?
23. Berlioz Takes a Trip
24. Two Ballet Birds
25. Fidelio: A Celebration of Life
Some episodes not found on this set include:
Anatomy of a Symphony Orchestra
Bach Transmogrified
Charles Ives: American Pioneer
Farewell to Nationalism
Forever Beethoven!
Holst: "The Planets"
Liszt and the Devil
Modern Music from All Over
Overtures and Preludes
The Genius of Paul Hindemith
The Road to Paris
The Second Hurricane
Thus Spake Richard Strauss
Hopefully Kultur will release these and the remainder soon.
For those who may be interested, the transcripts for most of these concerts are available online either from the Library of Congress (Leonard Bernstein Collection) or Leornard Bernstein's official website. The LoC has high quality color scans of all the handwritten manuscripts and typewritten transcripts bequeathed to it by the Bernstein estate, complete with Bernstein's barely legible scribblings and annotations.

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Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic stand among his greatest achievements. These televised programs introduced an entire generation to the joys of classical music. Bernstein conducted his first Young People's Concert on January 18, 1958, just two weeks after becoming Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. Such programs were already a Philharmonic tradition when Bernstein arrived, but he made them a centerpiece of his work, part of what he described as his "educational mission." Looking back on the concerts years later, he referred to them as being "among my favorite, most highly prized activities of my life." When he took a sabbatical season from the orchestra in 1964-65, he still came back to lead the Young People's Concerts. He continued to lead these programs until 1972, even though he had stepped down as director of the Philharmonic in 1969. Bernstein led a total of fifty-three Young People's Concerts during those fourteen years, and covered a broad range of subjects. The works of the great composers were explored, including tributes to modern masters such as Dmitri Shostakovich, Paul Hindemith, Gustav Holst, Aaron Copland and Charles Ives. Bernstein discussed "Jazz in the Concert Hall," "Folk Music in the Concert Hall," and "The Latin-American Spirit." He explained the intricacies of Music Theory in programs such as "Musical Atoms: A Study of Intervals" and "What is a Mode?" He broached complex aesthetic issues such as "What Does Music Mean?" (his first program) with clarity and without condescension. Bernstein also used the Young People's Concerts to introduce young performers to the musical world. The sixteen year-old pianist André Watts made his debut in the concert of January 15, 1963. Originally broadcast on Saturday mornings, the programs were considered so important that for three glorious years CBS presented them at 7:30 p.m. (prime time for television viewing). Eventually the programs were moved to Sunday afternoons. The concerts were translated into other languages and syndicated to forty countries.

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Leave it to Beaver: Season Three (1959) Review

Leave it to Beaver: Season Three (1959)
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Shout Factory has announced that they will release a complete box set as well as seasons 3-6 individually this summer. Totally remastered and will exceed the quality of the Universal releases plus contain bonuses.

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I Love Lucy: The Movie and Other Great Rarities (2011) Review

I Love Lucy: The Movie and Other Great Rarities (2011)
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I received the "I Love Lucy" complete boxed set for a birthday present, and this "I Love Lucy" movie was included, along with the "lost" pilot, several promos and commentaries, and a colorized version of "Lucy Goes to Scotland". What this is, (and I'm sitting here watching it right now)is three episodes of "I Love Lucy",-- "The Benefit" "Breaking the Lease", and "The Ballet"-- filmed totally separate ( and that you've already seen 1,000 times), "bridged" together with "tag" scenes, filmed at a later date, with the actors doing exposition, such as "remember the time when..." and so forth. For instance: one of the "tag" scenes has "Ethel" sitting at a table in her living room with "Fred", totaling up how much money their Woman's Club made after putting on one of their shows. Ethel wants to give Ricky an "appreciation tea" to thank him for helping them, and she discovers that this severely depletes the profits- which leads her to remember another time she and Lucy needed money.
The highlight of this "movie", to me, is that we actually get to SEE what an "I Love Lucy" audience looks like, as the movie opens with the ticket-holders to the show standing on-line outside, waiting to enter the "Desilu Playhouse." An (obvious) actor couple are ushered in, marveling at the sights. The announcer intros Desi Arnaz, who is as gracious and charming as ever. Desi, in smoking jacket, explains the technical stuff to the audience,cracks a few jokes to put them at their ease, then introduces the cast, ending with his favorite Red-head, (or "Rett- Hett", ala Desi) Lucy. You see the cast take their places, and wait to hear "action!", which, to my recollection, is the only filmed occasion where the actors broke character and acknowledged the audience.
I should add that this "movie" was made before Lucy had "Little Ricky", so all of it takes place during the first season. It's also interesting to see the sets from the audience's point of view. This film WAS intended for nationwide release, but, as the Arnazes were about to sign the contracts for the film "The Long,Long Trailer" (not released until 1954, AFTER Lucy had the baby), Desi Arnaz decided that they would only be competing with themselves at the box office, so this movie was shelved.
If you're a "Lucy" fan, it's a must see if only because it's lost footage of Lucy doing "Lucy". I don't know if I'd have purchased this independently, had it not been included with my boxed set, but it IS an unearthed treasure in the archeological dig for fossils of great pop culture....

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In 1953, three classic first season I Love Lucy episodes ("The Benefit," "Breaking the Lease," and "The Ballet") were edited together with newly-filmed connecting scenes to create this never-before-released feature-length film. The film had only a single "test" screening in 1953 at a small theatre in Bakersfield, attended by the Arnazes. But Lucy and Desi had just signed a deal with M-G-M to do "The Long, Long Trailer", and M-G-M, fearing competition, insisted that they shelve the film. And that's literally what happened. I Love Lucy: The Movie was put back on a shelf, in a mislabeled can, and was lost for nearly half a century, until it was discovered in the Paramount vault by Dann Cahn in 2001.

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The Patty Duke Show: Season One Review

The Patty Duke Show: Season One
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Celebrations should be thrown at local `shake shops' with rock 'n roll blasting on the juke box for the first-ever DVD release of The Patty Duke Show!
The series was one of the best and most beloved Classic TV comedies from the 1960's. Shout!Factory is continuing its string of great Classic TV releases (including Father Knows Best, My Three Sons and The Donna Reed Show) by presenting the complete first season of this iconic series on DVD for the first time.
The Patty Duke Show aired on ABC beginning Sept. 18, 1963. It lasted 105 episodes spanning three seasons - all in glorious black and white!
One year before, Ms. Duke had won an Academy Award® for her portrayal of the blind, deaf and mute Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (at the time, she was the youngest person to have won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress). As a result, she was chosen for her own self-titled vehicle, which featured her in not one, but two prominent roles.
The series followed Patty Lane (Ms. Duke), a `normal' 60's teenager living in the Brooklyn Heights section of New York City, who loves boys, ice cream, and sleep-overs. Her father is the managing editor of the New York Chronicle. In the unaired Pilot, her "identical cousin" Cathy Lane (also portrayed by Duke), whose father also works for the Chronicle as a foreign correspondent, arrives in the U.S. from Scotland to live with Patty's family and attend secondary school.
The series was extremely popular with both teens and their parents, turning Ms. Duke into an early teenaged idol.
As an adult, Ms. Duke has documented her long struggle with mental illness. The brilliant star sadly disclosed that she also suffered abuse during the years this series was produced. As a result, there is a genuine darkness beneath the fictitious veneer of these sweetly, innocent episodes. It is a true testament to her talent and very hard work that none of that was conveyed on screen. In my opinion, this series should still be enjoyed to honor her performances, for which Ms. Duke rightly received an Emmy nomination. (She is also the former wife of wonderful actor John Astin. The couple's son, Sean Astin, is also an actor.)
All 36 half-hour episodes and the unaired pilot are expected to be included in this DVD boxed set, presented on six discs (to provide background material as needed, clips from the Pilot had been utilized through "flash-back" scenes describing Cathy's arrival in the U.S.).
Special features are expected to include interviews with cast members, plus a featurette on the series. The show was created by William Asher, who also created and produced Bewitched; and Sidney Sheldon, who created a host of thrillers but also I Dream of Jeannie in the 1960's and Hart to Hart in the 1990's.
In addition to Ms. Duke, the core cast included William Schallert, who played Patty's father, Martin Lane; Jean Byron as Patty's mother, Natalie Lane; Paul O'Keefe portrayed Patty's sister, Ross Lane; and Eddie Applegate, who portrayed Patty's boyfriend, Richard Harrison in 70 episodes.
Schallert has one of the longest careers in TV and also film, and remains active in his 80's. (Incredibly, there was almost no hit TV show - in all genres - from the 60s through the 80s that he did not appear.)
The dual role played by Ms. Duke presented special effects challenges for the low-tech 60's, as they were rarely ever used in sitcoms of the day. (A VERY notable exception was the daytime gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows.)
In each episode of this series, Ms. Duke appeared as both characters in the same frame through the use of a split screen effect. To complement these effects, child actress Rita McLaughlin was used as Ms. Duke's double (almost always seen only from behind).
First Season episodes are: The Pilot; The French Teacher; The Genius; The Elopement; House Guest; The Birds and the Bees Bit; The Slumber Party; The Babysitters; The Conquering Hero; The President; Double Date; The Actress; How to Be Popular; The Song Writers; The Princess Cathy; Christmas Present; Auld Lang Syne; Horoscope; The Tycoons; Author! Author!; The Continental; Let 'Em Eat Cake; Going Steady; Are Mothers People?; The Con Artist; The Perfect Teenager; Chip Off the Old Block; The Wedding Anniversary Caper; Pen Pals; A Slight Case of Disaster; The Friendship Bit; Patty, the Foster Mother; Drop Out; Leave it to Patty; The Little Dictator; The Working Girl; and The Cousins.
"Cousins," was the unforgettable series theme. The music was composed by Sid Ramin, while the lyrics that stayed in your head like a causality loop, was written by Robert Wells. For those not old enough to have the song still playing in their aged noggins, here it is:
Meet Cathy, who's lived most everywhere,
From Zanzibar to Barclay Square.
But Patty's only seen the sights
A girl can see from Brooklyn Heights--
What a crazy pair!
But they're cousins,
Identical cousins all the way.
One pair of matching bookends,
Different as night and day.
Where Cathy adores a minuet,
The Ballet Ruses, and crepe Suzette,
Our Patty loves to rock and roll,
A hot dog makes her lose control--
What a wild duet!
Still, they're cousins,
Identical cousins and you'll find,
They laugh alike, they walk alike,
At times they even talk alike--
You can lose your mind,
When cousins - are two of a kind!
Here's hoping the remaining two seasons are quickly released.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Patty Duke Show: Season One

From 1963 to 1966, American audiences were treated to the weekly comic hijinks of identical twin cousins, Patty Lane, a normal American teenager living in Brooklyn Heights, New York and Cathy Lane, her Scottish cousin freshly arrived in the United States to finish her secondary schooling. Patty Duke, already an Academy Award-Winner for her role in The Miracle Worker, played the roles of both girls. The Patty Duke Show immediately won over television audiences and ran for three fun-filled seasons, totaling 104 hilarious episodes. For the first time all 36 episodes are available on DVD in this 6-disc set!

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The Donna Reed Show: The Complete Second Season (2009) Review

The Donna Reed Show: The Complete Second Season (2009)
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Season 2 of The Donna Reed Show is here, and the wait was wonderfully short! There are 38 new episodes of the Stone Family's life to enjoy. Mary Stone is now 15 and brother Jeff is now 12 years old. Mary at 15, starts to date, as the high school boys and even young college men take notice of the beautiful young woman she is becoming. There are great guest stars on these episodes as well. The beautiful Esther Williams plays Donna's school friend Molly. And a young Marion Ross, the Happy Days mom plays Jeff's new teacher. This second season is just as wonderful as the first, as you follow life in the Stone household through the end of 1959 and halfway into 1960. Hopefully, the next six seasons will follow just as quickly as this one did, as each season just keeps getting more wonderful than the one before with such great stories and guest stars!
Starring as the Stone Family are:
Donna Stone.......Donna Reed
Dr. Alex Stone....Carl Betz
Mary Stone.........Shelley Fabares
Jeff Stone............Paul Petersen
SEASON 2 EPISODES:
38. 2- 124 Sep 59 THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS -Mary feels sorry for a short, shy boy who stutters in their school show, so she helps him with his confidence. When he is paired up with Mary for a dance in the show, Mary gets him to wear lifts in his shoes with disastrous results.
39. 2- 2 1 Oct 59 SLEEP NO MORE MY LADY-Excited Donna can't sleep when flying to a convention with Alex, where he is to give a speech, so Alex gives Donna a tranquilizer to help her sleep.
40. 2- 3 8 Oct 59 A PENNY EARNED-Donna cannot make up her mind on whether or not she should buy a new dress. Raymond Bailey (Mr. Drysdale from the Beverly Hillbillies) guest stars as George Collier.
41. 2- 415 Oct 59 A FRIEND INDEED-Jeff takes the blame for a friend Doug,whenever he gets in trouble at school, because Doug's mother constantly berates him. Doug's mother wants Doug to be more like Jeff, who acts so well behaved (when he's away from home.) Donna plans to show Doug's mother the real Jeff at her home, to show her that all boys will be boys.
42. 2- 522 Oct 59 THE FIRST CHILD-New parents constantly call Alex, thinking something is always wrong with their baby.
43. 2- 629 Oct 59 GOING STEADY-Mary gets Jeff to go to a girl's party, just so she can meet the girl's older brother.
44. 2- 7 5 Nov 59 THE NEIGHBORLY GESTURE-Alex is hurt, when Jeff likes their new neighbor.
45. 2- 812 Nov 59 NOTHING LIKE A GOOD BOOK-Donna joins a culture lover's book club and tries to bring culture to her family. When Donna must read WAR AND PEACE in a week and report on it at the next meeting, her culture proves harder to do than she thought.
46. 2- 919 Nov 59 FLOWERS FOR THE TEACHER-Jeff's new teacher is too strict for the boys in his class, so Donna tries to settle matters with this new Miss McGuinness. (Marion Ross guest stars as the new teacher).
47. 2-1026 Nov 59 ALL MOTHERS WORRY-Jeff's friend Phillip has a mother who won't let him play football, as she is too over-protective.
48. 2-11 3 Dec 59 JEFF JOINS A CLUB-Jeff finds out he was not invited to join a club, because he is friends with a boy no one else likes.
49. 2-1210 Dec 59 THE PUNISHMENT-Donna has a dilemma when she can't seem to win when it comes to punishing the children. She is the bad guy when punishing them herself, and when she gets Alex to punish them, she is the squealer.
50. 2-1317 Dec 59 A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION-Donna gets cornered into accepting an invitation from a couple neither she nor Alex likes, and they argue, trying hard to argue without the children knowing.
51. 2-1424 Dec 59 THE HOMECOMING DANCE-Donna and Alex chaperone the Homecoming Dance, when they find out Mary has a blind date with an older college boy.
52. 2-1531 Dec 59 THE LUCKY GIRL-Donna keeps hearing just what a wonderful husband and doctor Alex is and how lucky she is to have him. Donna starts to think if maybe Alex got the short end of the stick when he married her.
53. 2-16 7 Jan 60 THE BROKEN SPIRIT-When Jeff starts to act like a model child, Donna thinks it must be because of the scolding Alex recently gave him, but the truth is Jeff feels responsible for an elderly neighbor's fall down the stairs.
54. 2-1714 Jan 60 THE SECRET-Mary keeps it a secret when she gets an engagement ring from Matt, a freshman at UCLA.
55. 2-1821 Jan 60 THE NEW MOTHER-The Stone Family's friend, little David Barker is so happy when he finds out his father is getting married, thinking he won't have to live in a military school, and will soon have a new mom and real home. David is surprised to find out that things don't always turn out the way you hope for.
56. 2-1928 Jan 60 JUST A HOUSEWIFE-Donna defends housewives when listening to radio show host Jerry Parker asking the housewives ridiculous questions at her supermarket, like When baking an upside down cake, do you stand on your head?
57. 2-20 4 Feb 60 THE FREE SOUL-Alex's Uncle Dan takes a break from his world travels to visit Alex and the family, and while telling his world travel stories, Jeff can't wait to travel and see the world with his Uncle Dan. Amazingly when Jeff asks if he can leave to see the world with Uncle Dan, Donna and Alex say yes.
58. 2-2111 Feb 60 THE FIRST QUARREL-Donna gets involved in a couple's spat.
59. 2-2218 Feb 60 A PLACE TO GO-When Jeff and his friends get into trouble using an abandoned house as their hangout, Donna and the other mothers create a nice meeting place for the children.
60. 2-2325 Feb 60 A NIGHT TO HOWL-Donna and Alex decide to change their routine and go out on a Monday night, when absolutely nothing turns out right.
61. 2-24 3 Mar 60 THE EDITORIAL-When Jeff is made editor of his school paper, the first thing he writes about is too much homework.
62. 2-2510 Mar 60 THE GENTLE DEW-Alex has to lay down the law, when Jeff and Mary are slacking off on home chores and school work, but he really flips his top when Mary comes home late from a bowling date with Roger.
63. 2-2617 Mar 60 THE FATAL LEAP-Donna gets worried when Alex's wild college room-mate is getting married and Alex is invited to the bachelor party. Jack Albertson (from Chico and the Man) guest stars as Jack Richards.
64. 2-2724 Mar 60 THE PERFECT PITCH-When Donna discovers Jeff has perfect pitch, she makes him take trumpet lessons. Poor Jeff only wants to be on the track team.
65. 2-28 7 Apr 60 PICKLES FOR CHARITY-The Women's Medical Auxiliary Dance cost more to put on than the money it brought in for charity. When each member is asked to donate something to bring in $27.00 each, Donna decides to sell 54 jars of her famous pickle recipe.
66. 2-2914 Apr 60 MARY'S GROWING PAIN- Mary becomes infatuated with a new intern at the hospital.
67. 2-3021 Apr 60 ALEX RUNS THE HOUSE-When Donna misses Jeff so much that she joins him at their grandparents farm, Alex is left alone to run the household.
68. 2-3128 Apr 60 THE CAREER WOMAN-Donna's old school mate Molly, who has been a single career woman all these years is now engaged to a doctor. Molly visits Donna to see what it's like to be a doctors wife.(The lovely Esther Williams guest stars as Molly.)
69. 2-32 5 May 60 JEFF,THE FINANCIAL GENIUS-Jeff gets involved in a series of trades with his friends in order to repay a debt.
70. 2-3312 May 60 MARY'S CRUSADE-Mary will not go to the school dance unless her friend Ellen has a date and goes with her. Ellen is rather plain, so Mary works on transforming Ellen into a glamorous young lady who can attract a date.
71. 2-3419 May 60 THE FIRST TIME WE MET-Donna and Alex have very different stories about the first time they met.
72. 2-3526 May 60 THE GOSSIP-Donna tells the town gossip that Kay Watson is having a baby without knowing that Kay wants it kept a secret, as she needs to keep on working. Donna is so upset, that she may have let Kay's secret out.
73. 2-36 2 Jun 60 LOVE'S SWEET AWAKENING-Mary's childhood friend Petie who is now 16 years old, is visiting from military school, and when he sees how beautiful Mary has become, he wants to be more than just Mary's friend.
74. 2-3710 Jun 60 THE WEDDING PRESENT-Aunt Lettie is coming for a visit, and Donna and Alex can't find the wedding present she gave them, so they can display it for her to see. The biggest problem, is they don't remember what she gave them.
75. 2-3818 Jun 60 COOL CAT-Jeff wants to keep a cat that followed him home, that he named Harry, but the Stone Family plan to decide on the cat's fate the democratic way.


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Lost in Space - The Complete First Season (1965) Review

Lost in Space - The Complete First Season (1965)
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I just wanted to express my appreciation to everyone who has posted a review here. I'm really flattered and happy to see the first season LIS DVD box doing so well. Of course I can't be objective about it, but the first season is definitely my favorite. It was a wonderful experience for me to make the show as a kid and it's a wonderful experience now to watch it with my kids and to see that it still excites and pleases people all over our woe begotten beautiful planet. So, on behalf of my fellow LIS cast members (who are still in touch with each other regularly and are still very much a "family") Thank you all for the kind words. Enjoy!
Bill Mumy

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Season 1 of the 1965 sci-fi favorite.

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Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies (1936) Review

Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies (1936)
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Before I obtained this DVD set, I had high expectations. I had seen some of the Mickey Mouse In Living Color set, and was enthrolled at the gorgeous color and clearity of the pictures. Not to mention sound with no hiss or other pollutants. The Silly Symphony DVD set did not disappoint.
It is not my intent to author a history of Disney animation. However, a few facts will lead to a greater appreciation of this set. Disney started in the 20's with a character named Alice, that later developed into Mickey Mouse. Cartoons were all in b/w, and animation not as refined as in the 30s and 40s. From 1924 through 1926, Disney produced only Alice shorts. (Now THERE would be some real TREASURES if Disney ever released these toons! They've never been released commercially!) In 1927 and 28, Disney changed his primary character to Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. These have also never been released. As 1929 drew to a close, other studios began releasing musical shorts - remember that sound with image only began in 1927 - and Walt was under pressure to produce a new product for theaters. One with color and sound. The Silly Symphony was born. Essentially, that's what Silly Symphonies are. They are a cartoon story to a musical soundtrack with almost no dialogue or verbal exchange.
The first Silly Symphonies were composed of simple themes - in fact, there were a set produced that dealt only with the seasons: Springtime and Summer came out in 1930, Fall and Winter came out in 1931. Other titles were Arctic Antics, Frolicking Fish and Monkey Melodies. The animation was nice, but the themes were simple. In 1931 as audiences tired of these simple themes, Disney had to produce something new again, so began the fairy tale editions of Silly Symphonies. Some of these ended up being the studio's best work! By the mid 30's Disney was also doing purely artistic shorts which were somewhat abstract, culminating in a short, not on the DVD, (ouch!) called Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, about musical instruments coming to life in a totally Salvador Dali-like surreal backdrop.
The Disney Treasures DVD focuses on several academy award winners (such as The Old Mill) and the fairy tale/story based Silly Symphonies. Many of Disney's finest efforts are included, such as the Tortoise and the Hare, The Grasshopper and the Ants, Three Little Pigs, 1929's Skeleton Dance, Flowers and Trees, Woodland Cafe, Music Land, and Disney's most lavish Symphony, Wynken Blynken and Nod. The color is great, the sound equally impressive. Many of these shorts were previously released on Disney's VHS line called "Limited Editions Gold" series 1 and 2 in the late 80's. (each series was 6 tapes). In fact, that line contains many SS shorts not on the DVD. However, the DVD does have some 35 different SS shorts on it. Many have introductions by the host of the series, Leonard Maltin. (Note! Many also have intros by Walt Disney - but they are hidden as Easter Eggs! You'll have to search for those Easter Eggs to get Walt's commentary!)
All in all, this is a wonderful package for SS fans, with a nice selection of the Silly Symphony shorts (35 shorts are on the DVD, 36 are not) with subjects to please adults and children alike, gorgeous color and sound, and very attractive packaging. Plus you get a little 6x8 "card" of collectible poster art in the box. If you love 30's animation and especially Disney's, you can't go wrong with this set of DVDs.
(Now, I HAVE to mention one thing. Although the selections on the DVDs are great, I wish they would have made this a 4 disk set, and put ALL 71 SS shorts on DVD at one time. There are some shorts that truly deserved to be on this DVD set, such as The Moth and the Flame, the four "Seasons" shorts, Three Blind Mouseketeers (a precursor to the Mickey Mouse Club!), Goddess of Spring, and certainly Toot, Whistle at el. I guess these are being held for Volume II at some point, but it would have been nice to not have quite as much commentary from Leonard, and more of the shorts instead. No offense Leonard.)
All in all, I give this effort 4 out of 5 stars. Get this DVD, you won't regret it and you'll enjoy it for years!

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This groundbreaking series of 31 uncensored cartoons, released between 1929 and 1939, includes six Academy Award(R) winners and provides an astonishing look inside the evolution of animation. Each boasting a unique cast of characters, these musical shorts served as Walt Disney's proving ground for emerging technology, new musical styles, and experimental forms. In addition to the cartoons themselves, join Academy Award(R)-winning composer Richard M. Sherman (MARY POPPINS) for an overview of the "Silly Symphony" series, and take a peek inside the Disney archives to view some rare and remarkable merchandise, conceptual art, and theatrical posters. Enjoy a nostalgic look back at the original musical shorts that launched a revolution in the world of animation. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.

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Home Improvement - The Complete Fourth Season (1991) Review

Home Improvement - The Complete Fourth Season (1991)
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Season 4 had some big changes in the show.
1.) New Graphics to make the show more homey feeling and was was for 3 seasons.
2.) This season's finale episode launched the show in syndication on Sept. 11, 1995.
Episode Guide.
1.) Back In The Saddle Shoes Again
Jill is laid off and decides to go back to college, causing Tim to become afraid that he will lose Jill to more intelligent men.
2.) Don't Tell Momma
Jill dents the car, so Tim decides to fix it, but he accidentally drops a three-ton beam on it and tries to hide it from Jill. Meanwhile, Brad and Randy are kicked off of the school bus for gluing Vinnie McGurn's, a bully's, butt.
3.) Death Begins At Forty
Tim begins concerned about his health when his 40th birthday nears and Harry, the owner of Harry's Hardware, has a heart attack.
4.) The Eyes Don't Have It
When Tim and Jill find out Mark is having trouble at school, they think it is because they neglect him, but the real reason is that he needs glasses.
5.) He Ain't Heavy, He's Just Irresponsible
Tim's brother Marty comes by to tell him that he's leaving his wife and kids. But Tim's advice turns Marty against him. Meanwhile, Tim creates a hole in the floor and Jill has trouble working on her psychology report.
6.) Borland Ambition
Harry offers to sell Tim 20 percent of his hardware store (that Harry's brother is selling). Jill doesn't let Tim buy it, so Al decides to purchase it. When becomes Al's obsessed with the store, this drives everyone crazy, even Ilene when he skips a date with her, and Tim decides to confront him about it.
7.) Let's Go To The Videotape
After taping Jill's speech, he accidentally leaves the record button on when he critiques her speech. After Jill sees the video, Tim reads some of her psychology books and tapes a fake conversation with his buddies, complimenting Jill.
8.) Quibbling Siblings
Randy feels like the black sheep when Tim spends time with Brad and has him as a special guest on Tool Time.
9.) My Dinner With Wilson
At Thanksgiving dinner with the Taylors, Wilson announces he is moving, but Tim gives him advice in the hopes Wilson will decide to stay.
10.) Ye Olde Shoppe Teacher
Mr. Leonard, Tim's high school shop teacher, comes to visit, but gets angry and leaves after guest starring on an episode of Tool Time.
11.) Some Like It Hot Rod
When Tim has a shot at getting his hot rod in an automotive magazine, Jill becomes busy and accidentally leaves it out in the snow.
12.) 'Twas the Night Before Chaos
Marty and his wife and kids, and Jill's parents come to visit and Tim and Jill try to solve their marital problems. Tim tries to beat Doc Johnson in the Christmas lighting contest.
13.) The Route Of All Evil
After Brad takes a paper route, he has trouble getting up and doing homework but doesn't want to quit because it will disappoint Tim.
14.) Brother, Can You Spare A Hot Rod?
Tim decides to sell his hot rod and buys one to rebuild. Meanwhile, Jill takes Randy shopping for clothes and he is afraid that Jill will embarrass him in front of someone he knows.
15.) Super Bowl Fever
Tim has a Super Bowl party for his friends while Jill is sick with the flu.
16.) Bachelor Of The Year
When Al is published as one of Detroit's "Most Elligible Bachelor" in a magazine, women begin flocking all over him and he starts to ignore Ilene. Mark has to write a report on the most interesting person he knows, and he writes it on Wilson instead of Tim.
17.) It's My Party
At Randy's party, Tim's overpolished dance floor causes Michelle, Randy's girlfriend, to sprain her ankle.
18.) A House Divided
Benny, Tim's friend, moves into his aunt's house while she's away. But a gas leak causes the house to blow up and Benny must stay with the Taylors.
19.) The Naked Truth
When Marty and Nancy are staying with the Taylors, Tim walks in on Nancy in the shower, thinking she is Jill. Meanwhile, Randy goes to a barmitzmah and must come home after he splits his trousers.
20.) Talk To Me
Tim insults Jill on Tool Time, ruins dinner, and drops her ring down the furnace.
21.) No, No, Godot
Tim and Al scalp tickets to a hockey game when Tim can't go, but they get arrested and Jill and Ilene come to bail them out. Meanwhile, Mark paper maches Wilson's face for a school project when he watches the boys while Tim and Jill are gone.
22/23.) Tool Time After Dark (Part 1 and part 2 of 2)
Despite Jill's advice, Tim stays up all night watching Tool Time tapes because of his upset stomach from eating too much Polish food.
24.) Sisters And Brothers
Carrie, Jill's sister, comes to observe Jill's life to see if she would like to get married. Marty, Tim's brother, moves to Detroit.
25.) A Marked Man
Al tells Tim and Jill that one of their boys may have stolen a pocket knife. They don't believe their boys would steal, but they find the knife in Mark's pocket in the laundry.
26.) Wilson's Girlfriend
Jill hooks Wilson up for his first date in twenty years and Tim gives him advice.
Here's to 4 more seasons of this great show!


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Power up for season four of the Emmy(R) Award-winning hit comedy HOME IMPROVEMENT! Tim Allen is back as Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, a loving husband and father who spends his days as the accident-prone host of the popular television show "Tool Time." The fourth season fires on all cylinders, earning five Emmy(R) Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Patricia Richardson). The laughs are hammered home for all 26 episodes of this hilarious collection. Season Four contains some of the most memorable moments ever as Jill returns to college, Al is named one of Detroit's Most Eligible Bachelors, and Wilson goes on his first date in 20 years! Featuring guest appearances by Dave Chappelle, Michelle Williams, and Lucy Liu, plus new, never-before-seen bloopers, this collection is an absolute must own for any HOME IMPROVEMENT fan.

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Fury, Volume 1 (1955) Review

Fury, Volume 1 (1955)
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For those of us who long for the DVD Collector's Series of "Fury" (the story of a horse and the boy who loved him), this set will have to do for now.
All four episodes in this set are from the earliest shows of the series and the good news is that the pilot episode is up first (the other episodes are 'the Stranger who claims to be Joey's real Father', 'the rabid dog bite' episode and 'the white mare and Joey's jealousy').
The artwork is true to the series with the familiar shot of Bobby Diamond posing with "Fury" (from a later season of the show) and this is a sweet little collectible.
Unfortunately, this set appears to be an old video of an old film transferred to DVD. Fortunately, for fans of the show, the quality is not unlike the television quality a child sitting down to watch reruns of "Fury" in the 1960's would have seen.
I saw "Fury" reruns in the late 1960's and the early 1970's on KTVI-TV, Channel 2, in St. Louis, Missouri at 7:15 a.m. weekdays where it ran for many years after "The Lone Ranger" at 6:45 a.m.
This series originally ran five seasons on NBC (1955-60) and was so hugely popular it ran another six years in reruns on NBC followed by years of syndicated reruns before it disappeared along with most other black-and-white rerun series during American television's strange 1970's obsession with all-color programming.
Bobby Diamond grounded the show with his infectious love for "Fury" and was an apparently gracious actor who worked well with potential show rival kid characters "Pee Wee" and later "Packy" who no doubt came in as the series progressed to give very young viewers someone to relate to as "Joey" aged into adolescence.
The cast was uniformly excellent and the writing fun and always enjoyable.
The episode "The Tornado" (not on this set) is downright exciting and the same is true of many of the series highlights.
Unlike many TV shows for kids, "Fury" always seemed to avoid the traps of oddball camp, excessive sentiment, cartoon violence and, most important, avoided boring stories throughout the run.
"Fury" extolled masculine pursuits and male role models.
"Fury" himself was certainly symbolic of Joey's inner healthy pride and strength as both "Fury" and Joey made a journey from lost orphans to positions of strength and happiness.
With the coming of DVD series collections, we can hope that "Fury" will one day be available on an extensive collection on DVD (it will no doubt be a great hit).
The series grew up and developed through the run and if anyone could see all of the episodes in succession, "Fury" would be assured legions of new fans.
"Fury" could and should be remembered as one of the best and brightest American Television shows ever produced for children (and adults).


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Saved By the Bell - Season Five (1989) Review

Saved By the Bell - Season Five (1989)
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In response to earlier post saying that there was no season 5:
NONE of the episodes on the Season 5 set are on the Season 1&2 or Season 3&4 DVD sets. I now own seasons 1-5 on DVD, and I can attest that these episodes are NOT duplicates of other sets.
While most SBTB websites only have 4 seasons in their episode lists, it seems that there is inconsistency as to how the episodes are listed, and how they are divided into seasons.
These episodes (below) are on the Season 5 DVD set. They are NOT on the Seasons 1-4 DVD sets. (I got the episode numbers from a SBTB website episode list.)
62: The Fight, 63: Student-Teacher Week, 64: Screech's Spaghetti Sauce, 65: The New Girl, 66: The Bayside Triangle, 67: Teen-Line, 68: Masquerade Ball, 69: Day of Detention, 70: Wrestling with the Future, 71: Drinking and Driving, 72: Love Machine, 73: Class Rings, 74: Isn't it Romantic?, 75: The Will, 76: The Teacher's Strike, 77: Slater's Sister, 78: The Senior Prom, 79: The Video Yearbook, 81: Snow White and the Seven Dorks, 82: Earthquake, 83: Best Summer of My Life, 85: School Song, 86: The Time Capsule, 87: Graduation
Two episodes missing from this list (80: Screech's Birthday, and 84: Slater's Friend) were on disc 3 of the Season ONE DVDs.
So, this Season 5 set does NOT contain the same episodes as in other sets. Any true fan of the show can look over those episode titles, and will remember at least some of them (like "Teen Line") and recognize that they are NOT in the sets for Seasons 1 through 4.
While Cody gets an A+ for effort, the episode that he refers to in his review is not a senior class trip, but simply a "class trip." It is the first episode on the first disc from Season 3.

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I Married Joan Collection 1 Review

I Married Joan Collection 1
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This is a very pleasant collection of episodes from Joan Davis's TV series. While the writing is seriously uneven, and there are production shortcomings (it looks much more slapdash in execution than such contemporaneous filmed comedy series like Phil Silvers, Lucy, and Burns and Allen) the talent of Joan Davis still glows.... More sardonic than Lucille Ball (and for some of us, more appealing bcause of this), she was just as adept at physical comedy (and Jim Backus provides solid support). ALthough few episodes in this set are wholly satisfying ("Alienation" might be the best) each one contains at least a few shining moments when Miss Davis's comic smarts come through (any female comedy performer could do worse than to study her technique).... It was probably a tactical error not to shoot the show in front of a studio audience (a la Lucy); had the cast had real people reacting to them-- rather than an often annoying laugh track-- the show might have kicked into overdrive....And if you like Joan Davis on TV, be sure to catch her teaming with Abbott and Costello in HOLD THAT GHOST (1941).

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