One Step Beyond Review

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(More customer reviews)Can't some company, somewhere give "One Step Beyond" the respect it deserves? I have long admired this fantastic, bizarre anthology series. I remember watching it as a kid first run on television and being scared to death.
"Your tour guide into the unknown" John Newland is enough to scare the pants off of anybody, especially the way he wanders through a lot of the episodes. He's usually not content to just show up at the beginning like Rod Serling. While Serling presented himself as the sardonic writer/host of "The Twilight Zone," Newland as director/host of "One Step Beyond" is presented with all the charm of a funeral director who has just heard about a 25 car pile-up on the interstate. He's just plain creepy.
The episodes presented here are, for the most part, great. It's the prints for most of the episodes that are lousy. Most are too dark and are full of scratches and specks of dirt. But the worst sin of all is that many are so choppy from splices that it ruins a lot of the dialogue, and dialogue is an important element in the enjoyment (and sometimes understanding) of "One Step Beyond." These prints look like worn-out 16mm films found in the backroom of some television station.
Why can't some company out there give the same treatment to "One Step Beyond" that was done a few years ago with "The Twilight Zone"? In other words, clean up the picture and the sound, digitally remaster each episode, or, better yet, find the original negatives and work from those. Let's see this "journey into the unknown" the way it was meant to be. Geez, it that asking too much?

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The X-Files - The Complete Fifth Season (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although most diehard fans of THE X FILES are in agreement as to the merits of Season's Three and Four, the 5th year seems to have elicited more of a mixed response. Certainly the season, to which I give an unqualified recommendation, was unique from a number of perspectives.
Most crucially, the chronology of the production was different from any of the previous years. The crew went into production of the X FILES MOVIE in the summer of 1997 immediately after finishing Season 4. For this reason Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny were, for the first time, aware in advance of where the show's mythology arc would be leading them. It seems impossible that this foreknowledge would not affect their performances; the sustained dramatic intensity characteristic of Season Four was loosened quite a bit in Season Five.
The actors weren't alone in having a tough time adjusting to this odd schedule. The excellent staff writers, having in the two prior years wrung out the most consistently creative scripts in the history of the show, now had their own work looming as their most formidable obstacle! So, from the writing standpoint it is hardly a surprising that Season Five would present a unique challenge. What is remarkable is that apart from a few notable misses ( and one complete bomb ), this year had so many excellent scripts, especially in the "stand alone" episodes.
In contrast to its immediate predecessor, Season Five's strengths are weighted toward scripts displaying some of the humorous eccentricities of the 3rd year, most evident in Vince Gilligan's three contributions ( a sort of equivalent to Darin Morgan's famed triptych from Season 3 ). His "Bad Blood" is an absolute tour de force for the actors. The script draws on subtle aspects of the Scully/Mulder personalities and then "tweaks" them, presenting their differing recollections of a single case; slightly distorted perspectives from both agents with neither one corresponding exactly to what actually occurred. Gilligan's knack for characterization also shines in his "Unusual Suspects", which fleshes out the Lone Gunmen in way that had not heretofore been done. His "Folie a Deux" is not quite at the same level but contains some classic X FILES moments.
John Shiban's "Pine Bluff Variant" is a tightly scripted espionage thriller, one of the finest examples of his writing. David Duchovny seems to revel in the physicality of this episode.
Chris Carter's bizarre but touching "Post Modern Prometheus" ( filmed in black and white ) is essentially an X FILES fairy tale, owing as much to David Lynch as to the gothic horror novel written by Mary Shelley.
"Kill Switch" was written by the science fiction authors William Gibson and Tom Maddox. I'm not familiar with their work but the episode, with its blending of computer technology and contemporary "cyberpunk" subculture, is very well done. The beautiful oldie "Twilight Time", sung by the Platters, is nicely integrated into the framework.
Frank Spotnitz' "Detour" links with previous episodes ( "Darkness Falls" and "Quagmire" ) in its forest setting and environmental theme. This fun "monster of the week" script ( hellishly difficult to film ) has a beautiful scene with Scully and Mulder stranded together in the woods ( mirroring the "holdout" scenes in the other "forest" episodes ).
"Chinga", credited to Stephen King and Chris Carter, is easily the weakest episode of the season as well as the worst script I can recall from the first five seasons. Carter obviously had to dress this one up in a way that plays strictly for laughs.
As regards the mythology arc, the two season opening episodes ( "Redux" / "Redux II") were part of the trilogy linking the previous season's cliffhanger and features some flashback sequences similar to Oliver Stone's "JFK". This two-part script, while quite good, was the first of many future myth episodes that were somewhat self consciously "explanatory" in nature. A heaviness began to set in, with the episodes from mid season ( "Patient X"/"The Red and the Black" ) suffering from increasingly confusing and tangential plot developments. I attribute these problems primarily to the conflicts between the storyline the film would be using, which effectively shut the writer's out of being able to develop the "A" material for television. Additionally, a tinge of ambivalence crept into David Duchovny's performances.
In the prior year Scully's bought with cancer set the stage for the more purely dramatic type of storyline seen in the 5th season's introspective two-part episode titled "Christmas Carol" / "Emily". This script features well-known "Scully" themes from prior seasons: her grief and guilt over her murdered sister, the loss of her ability to conceive, the flowering of a previously dormant religious faith, the emotional bond with Agent Mulder. As some of the steam went out of the myth-arc storyline in the following years, the longstanding "Scully" storyline moved into the foreground and grew into a highly complex melodrama focusing on the two agents interdependence. This approach was not without its aesthetic pitfalls but it seems fitting that the unique Scully/Mulder "symbiosis" would dominate THE X FILES in its final seasons.
Finally, the concluding episode of the Fifth Season was appropriately named "The End", the title reflecting not only the myth arc plotline but also signaling the end of the show's production in Vancouver. The location in British Columbia furnished so much of the shows ambience that it's hard to imagine THE X FILES ever becoming the phenomenon it did without it being filmed there. There are clear signs that point to the Vancouver era ( esp Seasons 3 thru 5 ) as the absolute creative apex of THE X FILES. The location, along with the vital and often cited contributions of the actors/writers/crew, played an important role in lifting the show to the heights of its well-deserved success.

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This collection documents all the truth that was out there during the 1997-8 campaign of the beloved science fiction series, THE X-FILES. Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gilian Anderson) track suspicious cases that may be attributed to the supernatural or involve interplanetary activity. Memorable moments from this season include Mulder's appearance on Jerry Springer's talk show and Scully working with her partner to fake Mulder's death. Episodes include "Foiie a Deux," "Chinga," "Kill Switch," "Redux," and "Bad Blood," a favorite episode among fans dealing with vampirism.

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Dragnet, Volume 1 (1951) Review

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(More customer reviews)This might not be the very best Dragnet DVD available on the market today, but it does feature four good episodes, including:
1. The Big Show
2. The Big Shoplift
3. The Big Hit-Run Killer
4. The Big Crime
Dragnet focused on the methodical procedures used by the police to solve cases and employed a documentary film approach to tell its stories. The 1950s black & white version of Dragnet is generally recognized as being superior to the color version that appeared in the late 1960s and was largely based on the radio version of Dragnet that began in the late 1940s. Although Sgt. Joe Friday (Dragnet creator Jack Webb) had several different partners in the 1950s series, all episodes on this DVD feature Ben Alexander as Officer Frank Smith, arguably Friday's best known partner, and certainly the best known of the 1950s version.
All of the episodes included are in the public domain and so you will find them on other Dragnet DVDs. However, the episode "The Big Crime" is tougher to find than the others and deals with the crime of child molestation, which is somewhat surprising to see in a 1950s television series.
The video images and audio from this Alpha Video release are generally good, though the episode "The Big Show" has some print damage in the early goings. Expect to see some film speckles and the occasional scratches on each of the episodes. That said, this is a decent release for fans of the original Dragnet television series.

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Sky King, Vol. 1 (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have nothing against this four episode release from Critics Choice of the "Sky King" series . . . the episodes look fairly good (though far from pristine), the price is right, and a couple of the episodes even include original vintage commercials (a real plus among collectors). So why the "Buyer Beware" title? The episodes included on this DVD are the exact same four episodes that were released on another DVD from Alpha Video which Amazon also carries. Apparently, only four episodes from the series lapsed into the public domain and that's why multiple releasing companies are offering the same episodes.
The four star rating is well deserved for this entertaining show that many of the Baby Boomer generation enjoyed during the 1950s and 1960s and can again, thanks to this DVD release.

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Seinfeld Collection: The Complete Seasons 1-7 Review

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(More customer reviews)If my rating was based on the product, I would give this 5 stars. However, I wouldn't recommend buying this set at the current price of $199.99. If you buy each of these seasons separately through Amazon, you get them for less than $135. Seems like a better deal to me!

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The Judy Garland Show, Vol. 08 - Final Chapter (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)Run, don't walk to your nearest computer. Type in Amazon.com and under DVD type Judy Garland. Find Volume 8 of The Judy Garland Show, click on it and add it to your shopping cart post haste. Then, don't forget to buy it. This is another magnificent release from Pioneer Artists showcasing Judy Garland at her best. Whether you're a fan of Judy Garland, great music, etc. you will love this.
This release includes episodes 11, 20 and 26 of Judy Garland's 1963-64 television series and they're all great. In episode 11 the rapport between Judy and Steve Allen is so apparent. Their medley of songs from his Broadway show "Sophie" is a knockout, especially, "I'll Show Them All" because it's so autobiographical for Judy. The audio commentary by Jayne Meadows is equally fascinating.
Episode 20 includes what for me personally is the highlight of the entire series, Judy's performance of the song "Lorna". For me it captures her humor in the introduction, "We found songs about "Linda"...even "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady", but no one ever wrote a song about Lorna." They took Mort Lindsey's theme song, "A Song for Judy" and Johnny Mercer wrote lyrics for it. Theatre magic was created. Judy's voice is magnificent and it captures the wonderful essence of the entire series with humor, wit and heartfelt feelings.
Episode 26 is a hodgepodge consisting of original material and segments interpolated from episode 22 mainly. Much has been written about the nightmares trying to get this episode taped, but the usable new material is wonderful, "Time After Time", "Suppertime", "The Last Dance", etc. It's amazing that this was taped primarily in the wee small hours of the morning because the usable footage is so good.
The bonus disc is great. Fascinating are the "Where Is the Clown?" sequence and, of course, "Here's to Us" among many others.
While I'm thrilled that this has been released, it's a bit of a letdown knowing that all of the episodes and deleted sequences are on the market. It makes one wish that there were more to be released in the future.
My advice. Buy it immediately!

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Room 222: Season One (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)File this under the category, "good things come to those who wait," and brother, has it been a long, long wait for this Classic TV gem to be rediscovered and released on DVD. Now, thanks to Shout! Factory, the complete first season of the iconic comedy-drama, Room 222, is being released for the first-time ever in a four-disc DVD boxed set.
The series, which premiered on ABC in 1969, explored life at integrated Walt Whitman High School in Los Angeles, as seen through the eyes of Pete Dixon, a black American history instructor whose classes are held in Room 222. It's amazing to look back and realize that integration was considered fairly "new" in 1969!
(The basic plot was similar to the popular 1967 film, To Sir, With Love, which starred the brilliant Sidney Poitier. In the movie, Poitier portrayed an idealistic teacher-trainee dealing with rambunctious white high school students from the slums of London's East End.)
Room 222 was a half-hour comedy-drama that aired on ABC from 1969-1974. While seldom seen in syndication today, the show broke new ground that would later be developed by the major sitcom factories of the 1970's.
Mixing dramatic elements with traditional TV comedy, Room 222 also predated the "dramedy" form by almost two decades! (Note: Director James L. Brooks worked on the series and went on to fame for his efforts in everything from the Mary Tyler Moore Show to the Simpons, as well as countless movies.)
The plots of Room 222 centered around dedicated and student-friendly teacher Dixon (played by Lloyd Haynes) whose mild-mannered style was admired and respected by students. He used American history class as a spring-board to teach real-life lessons in understanding and tolerance.
The series also depended on an ensemble cast of students and other school employees. The optimistic idealism of Pete, his compassionate girlfriend and school guidance counselor Liz McIntyre (played by Denise Nicholas), and student-teacher and later English teacher Alice Johnson (played by Karen Valentine) was balanced by the experienced, slightly jaded principal, Seymour Kaufman (played by Michael Constantine). Among the students were shy Helen Loomis (played by Judy Strangis), Bernie with the wild hair (played by David Jolliffe), militant Jason Allen (played by Heshimu Cumbuka) and genius Richie Lane, (played by Howard Rice.)
These high school employees and a handful of others debated among themselves how to best handle the academic and personal challenges of their students. Each episode also explored serious cultural issues of the day in a realistic way and in a realistic setting, predating later "relevant" comedies known for using comedy to do just that.
During its five seasons on the air, the series dealt with racism, sexism, homophobia, war, dropping out of school, shoplifting, drug use among both teachers and students, illiteracy, cops in school, guns in school, veterans' issues, teenage pregnancy and death. In one controversial episode, a young male student contracts venereal disease and an elderly female teacher loses her job because she gave him advice to deal with the problem.
The series garnered a number of community and educational awards for its positive portrayal of important social issues seldom discussed on TV at the time, and won an Emmy for Outstanding New Series in 1969.
The episodes from the first season included a laugh track. However, by the second season the laugh track was gone, emphasizing that the show was now primarily a drama, rather than a comedy.
The series was broadcast on Friday evenings at 9 p.m., following both The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family, but preceding Love, American Style. Room 222's initial episodes garnered weak ratings and ABC was poised to cancel the program after its first season. But because of the awards the show earned, ABC relented and renewed the series.
The effervescent Valentine became a fan-favorite and a break-out star worldwide. She was frequently depicted in all of the teen magazines of the day.
Include in this four-disc boxed set are all 26 First Season episodes: Richie's Story; Naked Came We into the World; Funny Boy; The Coat; The Flu; First We'll Eat - Then We'll Strike; Teacher's Dropping Out; Out Teacher is Obsolete; Triple Date; Fathers and Sons; Alice in Blunderland; Clothes Make the Boy; Seventeen Going on Twenty-Eight; The Exchange Teacher; El Genio; Arizona State Loves You; Operation Sandpile; Play it Loose; Goodbye, Mr. Hip; One Upon a Time there was Air You Couldn't See; The Whole World Can Hear You; Ralph; I Love You Charlie, I Love You Abbie; The New Boy; Funny Money; and Just Between Friends.
The series' unforgettable theme song was composed by famed film composer Jerry Goldsmith, and written in a 7/4 time signature, which was unusual for the genre.
Thanks to Shout! Factory for this release. Let's hope they keep 'em coming!

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When Room 222 premiered in 1969, it quickly made Friday nights worth staying home for. A compelling series about life at a multiracial Los Angeles high school, it left an indelible mark on popular culture by using the half hour form to explore socially relevant issues (more than a year before All In The Family) and by starting the still-popular trend of high school television series. Created by the now legendary James L. Brooks (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, The Simpsons), the program was praised for dealing realistically with such subjects as prejudice and drugs.Pete Dixon (Lloyd Haynes) is a dedicated and popular history teacher who fights the good fight on the side of his students. Joining him in his idealistic approach to education are guidance counselor Liz McIntyre (Denise Nicholas) and student teacher Alice Johnson (Karen Valentine). Experienced and slightly world-weary principal Seymour Kaufman (Michael Constantine) provides a balance to the youthful idealism of the 60s cultural revolution but at the end of the day everyone is on the side of the students. Season One guest stars include Teri Garr, William Schallert, Bob Balaban, Kenneth Mars, Bud Cort, Donald Moffat, Larry Linville, Beah Richards, Paul Winfield, Nancy Wilson, Bernie Kopell, Rob Reiner and more.Bonus Features: * Forty Years On: All new interviews with creator James L. Brooks and cast members Denise Nicholas, Karen Valentine and Michael Constantine

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The Outer Limits - The Original Series, Season 1 (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)With talents like Joseph Stephano and Leslie Stephens as producers, some of the best Sci-Fi Writers and a lot of talented 60's actors and even actors that went on to great fame like Robert Culp, David McCallum, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall and Martin Landau, this was one of the first quality Sci-Fi series.
Twilight Zone was out there, but at times it was not really pure Sci-Fi, often more mysterious and horror, Thriller hosted by Boris Karloff (PLEASE PUT THESE OUT on DVD) were pure horror and the long running Alfred Hitchcock Present was straight mystery, so SCI-FI fans were captivated from the opening line with that mysterious voice telling you your telly has been taken over for the next 60 minutes. The acting was top notch, the writing literate and thought provoking, and you will even see many of the episodes were later cannibalised later to make movies, such as SOLDIER with Michael Anshara, repackaged in the 80's as The Terminator. To think you get 32 original episodes on 4 double-sided discs is just amazing.
There are a few puppies in the series...In the second year of the series Stephano played a less controlling interest. He believed in thoughty mind twisting Sci-Fi, while Stevens wanted the monster of the week, so some monsters did get a little Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea-ish (Think they even shared a couple with monster doing double time!). But all in this in one super buy is a must for all those Baby Boomers that would once more would like their telly taken over.
Warning to those who have not seen the series, these are vintage, high quality Black & White episodes. I think it adds to the spookiness as they could film in lower light, creating those sinister shadows.

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You hold in your hands an artifact from a time now vanished forever - a compendium of portals into worlds unknown. A four-disc set that controls over 27 hours of transmission from the 1963-64 series, this vessel has sought you out for one specific purpose: to expand your mind to "The Outer Limits"!

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Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season One, Vol. 1 (1964) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was my favorite TV series in the 1960s. While sometimes derided by serious Sci-Fi fans, Voyage was very successful in its day, and actually lasted a season longer than Star Trek. The casting of Richard Basehart was a real coup, and David Hedison, who turned down the Captain Crane role in the VTTBOTS movie, came aboard in the TV show. Featuring special effects that still hold up today, VTTBOTS originally started out as serious sci-fi, whose first season episodes still stand tall with the best of TV sci-fi. The second season brought color episodes, a re-designed Seaview, and a new invention, the Flying Sub, to help expand the action. As often happened with Irwin Allen's shows, writing became spotty as time went on. Solid sci-fi stories were often sandwiched between "monster of the week" shows. Even the cast was surprised when the show was picked up for a fourth season. From what I've read, Basehart was anxious to get out of the grind of a TV series, and frankly back into what he considered serious acting. So one will notice an episode or two where he's absent, or obviously being doubled (the episode with the giant sea spider and the hyper fast submarine was one where he was doubled, and he literally duped his lines). There's also another episode where Basehart's son John had a guest part (playing a crewman named "Johnson". Get it? John? Basehart's son?).
I had the pleasure of meeting David Hedison at a convention a few years back. He recounted many fine stories about Voyage, including his relationship with Basehart, working with Irwin Allen, and his years as Captain of the Seaview.
I have waited a long time for this to come out on DVD. I am glad to see it is finally going to hit the DVD shelves!

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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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Leave it to Beaver - The Complete First Season (1957) Review

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(More customer reviews)"LEAVE IT TO BEAVER: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON" .........
At-A-Glance DVD Stats:
Number of Episodes -- 39.
Number of DVDs -- 3 (Dual-Sided; Dual-Layered; DVD-18).
Video Aspect Ratio -- Full Frame OAR (1.33:1).
Audio -- Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English only).
Color or B&W? -- B&W.
Any Bonus Stuff on the DVDs? -- Yes ... The LITB "Pilot" Episode ("It's A Small World").
Subtitles -- English and Spanish.
"Play All" Option Included? -- Yes.
Chapter Stops Included? -- No.
Are These Episodes Complete and Unedited? -- Yes.
Booklet Included? -- No.
DVD Distributor -- Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
DVD Release Date -- November 22, 2005.
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The 1950s-1960s family sitcom "Leave It To Beaver" had never been made available to fans via any kind of major studio release on home video throughout all these many years of home-video formats (Beta, VHS, LD, or DVD) -- until the long-awaited date of November 22, 2005, when Universal Studios Home Entertainment released "Leave It To Beaver: The Complete First Season" on DVD.
And the first 39 "Beaver" episodes look just terrific here. The video quality for these black-and-white programs is extremely good, and the audio is very good too (by way of the very pleasant and clean-sounding Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtracks that faithfully reproduce each episode's original Mono audio).
Thankfully, Universal has done a bang-up job with the digital transfers here, and these shows (which were originally photographed on film, not videotape) look and sound fabulous on these DVDs.
There is, however, a good deal of fine "film grain" contained within a lot of these episodes, but I'm assuming that is simply inherent to the type of film stock that was used for this series. The grain isn't very distracting (at least I don't have a major problem with the grain speckles that exist here). Interestingly, though, I've noticed that many scenes in these episodes don't seem to have any "grain" in them at all, while other scenes contain a lot more. The "outdoor" shots look almost completely grain-free.
Another very pleasing thing to me personally is the fact that all these DVDs pass the "freeze-frame test" with flying colors (i.e., when pausing or freezing an image on screen, the video doesn't "blur" at all; it stays rock-solid and clear while in "pause" mode; which, IMO, is a sign of a good film-to-DVD transfer).
All things considered, I could not be happier with the way these episodes look on these DVDs! And thus far I have no complaints about the performance of the sometimes-temperamental two-sided discs that Universal insists upon using for its TV-DVD releases. Nary a hitch has been experienced while playing these discs.
According to the stats on the packaging, the episode running times here average out to exactly 26 minutes per program (including the 40th episode in the set, the Pilot), which indicates to me that the following pleasing terms apply here: "Full"/"Complete"/"Uncut"/"Unedited"! And this is great to see, because the syndicated versions of this series that have aired on commercial TV for decades have all been hacked to pieces, with each episode having at least a few minutes sliced out of it due to commercial time restraints.
I did a "time check" for each of the seven LITB shows on Side A of Disc #1. The results made me smile (in an "uncut" and "complete" sort of fashion). Here are those run times (not counting the 22-second Universal fanfare and logo that's included prior to every episode, which can be quickly bypassed via the Chapter button):
"Beaver Gets 'Spelled" -- 25:48.
"Captain Jack" -- 25:48.
"The Black Eye" -- 25:49.
"The Haircut" -- 25:44.
"New Neighbors" -- 25:44.
"Brotherly Love" -- 25:37.
"Water, Anyone?" -- 25:44.
So I think it's safe to say that when fans view any of these 39 programs, they will probably be seeing them uncut for the first time since their original network TV airings in the late 1950s. I'm guessing that everyone who buys this DVD set will be seeing some scenes in a lot of these episodes that they had never seen previously. That fact kind of serves as an "added value" item all by itself.
I'm also glad to see that these DVDs retain all of the "Previews" (or "Teasers") for the first-season "Beaver" programs. These brief preview clips were shown just prior to the opening titles and give an overview of what's coming up in that episode. These pre-show snippets, which last about 20 to 30 seconds each, were only done for the first season. Hugh Beaumont served as "narrator" for the teasers on the first 16 episodes. For the year's final 23 shows, however, Hugh's voice is not heard, with just an episode clip provided (sans any voice-over narration).
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"Leave It To Beaver" premiered on CBS-TV on Friday, October 4, 1957, and continued on network TV for a total of six seasons, finishing its 234-episode run in 1963. Each of the six seasons consisted of exactly 39 episodes, a hefty number by today's seasonal standards. CBS carried the show for the first season only. For the final five years, "Beaver" was a part of the ABC-TV schedule.
The storylines used for "Beaver" were always very simple and uncomplicated, which is probably why it's so charming and appealing. No major earth-shattering disasters ever befall the Cleavers. Nobody ever gets hurt (except an occasional scraped knee), the parents (Ward and June) rarely fight about anything serious and never threaten to leave each other (like you might see on a show today), and above all, these characters really seemed to care about each other, without getting overly sappy and sentimental about it. All of these traits helped make "Leave It To Beaver" what it was each week in 1957, and what I believe it remains today: just a good, clean, fun, uncomplicated half-hour of entertaining television.
Starring Jerry Mathers as "Theodore (Beaver) Cleaver", Tony Dow as his brother "Wally", Barbara Billingsley as "June", and Hugh Beaumont as "Ward", the excellent cast of "Leave It To Beaver" was a well-chosen group in my opinion. While it's true, I suppose, that the acting was a bit on the "stiff" side on many occasions, I still think that this ensemble did quite well on this show. A sense of true believability and realism finds its way quite comfortably into each of these episodes.
Toss into this cast grouping the very funny Richard Deacon, who portrayed Ward's friend and co-worker, "Fred Rutherford", plus Ken Osmond as the ever-sarcastic "Eddie Haskell", Frank Bank as the wimpish (but always likeable) "Lumpy Rutherford", Rusty Stevens as "Larry Mondello", and all of Beaver's and Wally's other various friends, classmates, and schoolteachers, and you've got a really first-rate supporting cast of characters to build stories around.
Some of my favorite shows from this Season #1 Beaver batch include ..... "The Black Eye", "Beaver's Short Pants", "Party Invitation", "The Bank Account", "Train Trip", "The Perfect Father", "Beaver Runs Away", "Tenting Tonight", and my #1 fave from this season, "The Haircut", which has Beaver getting scalped by barber Wally in one of the funniest episodes of the whole series.
There's also the funny "Captain Jack" episode -- which was the very first show to be filmed; but was the second program to be aired. "Captain Jack" has Wally and Beaver sending away for a pet alligator, and includes the very funny scene where "Minerva" (the maid who we never see again) comes running up the basement stairs screaming "Help! A monster! There's an alligator in the basement!" .... This is followed by Ward's skeptical -- "An alligator?!" (LOL.)
"Captain Jack" also has the distinction of being the very first episode in television history to show a toilet on screen. (The "tank" portion of the Cleaver toilet is shown, not the [~gasp!~] "bowl" itself.) :-)
In fact, it was the "toilet" scene in "Captain Jack" that kept that episode from being aired by CBS as the debut show of the series in late 1957. But LITB show executives, including writers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher (who authored a great number of the 234 "Beaver" programs throughout its 6-year history, including "Captain Jack"), stuck by their guns and won the "toilet battle" with CBS bigwigs, and thus "Captain Jack" (toilet scene intact) was approved for network broadcast one week later, being aired on October 11, 1957, as "Leave It To Beaver" episode #2.
And yet another winning Season-One entry is entitled simply "Lumpy Rutherford" -- where we get our first look at "Clarence Rutherford", known to most people as "Lumpy" (or "The Lump"). You'll note how Lumpy goes from being one of Wally's feared enemies to one of his best friends as the series progresses.
There's also a very nifty bonus program located on Disc 3 of this set -- the original "Leave It To Beaver" Pilot episode, entitled "It's A Small World", which originally aired on April 23, 1957, as an installment of the syndicated anthology program "Studio 57". The pilot episode is a pretty decent show too, IMHO, with a good storyline (unlike a lot of series-launching pilots I've seen). It's fun to be able to see the "genesis" of the series via the pilot, and I commend Universal for including it in this collection.
Both Barbara Billingsley and Jerry Mathers co-star in the "Small World" pilot program, but different actors were cast in the roles of Wally and Ward. Paul Sullivan played Wally; while Casey Adams (aka Max Showalter) filled Ward's shoes for the pilot only.
A 13-year-old Harry Shearer (famed voice actor on...Read more›

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The Munsters - Complete Second Season (1964) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a child growing up in the 70's and 80's, I used to come home from school and watch The Munsters. I was absolutely fascinated with this series. The characters were hilarious, and the scripts were excellent! Now, the complete second season, comes to DVD in a 3 disc set. It features all 32 episodes from The Munsters second and final season. Don't forget about the 4 A&E Bios as bonus features! The 4 A&E Bios will be about, The Munsters, "America's First Family of Fright", Fred Gwynne, "More Than a Munster", Yvonne DeCarlo, "Gilded Lily", and Al Lewis, "Forever Grandpa". All packaged, in a Herman Munster head.
Take a good close look at Fred Gwynne's portrayal of Herman Munster. You will see that Herman get's more and more child-like, especially in "Prehistoric Munster", and "The Musician". Herman has now developed a very large booming laugh, the occasional temper-tantrums, and his always popular catchphrases, "Darn, Darn, Darn!!!" and "I'll kill 'em, I'll kill 'em, I'll kill 'em!!!"
Also, take a careful look at Al Lewis' sideburns. In the early episodes of Season 2, ("Herman's Child Psychology," "Herman the Master Spy," & "Bronco-Bustin' Munster") His sideburns were small, but take a look at the episodes called "Cyrano de Munster," "A Visit from Johann", and "Eddie's Brother", you will see that Al shaved much lower, and almost had some sort of a beard going on. A very neat trait for Grandpa to have!
Now, if you've only seen Season 2 episodes from TVLand, then you don't know what the original Season 2 theme is supposed to sound like. The original Season 2 theme of The Munsters is supposed to stop after Butch Patrick's name is shown. More theme music starts again when you see "Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher". That's the way it's supposed to be because when The Munsters originally aired on CBS, commercials used to be in that break between themes. TVLand edited the theme into one long version. The TVLand version, is incorrect. The DVD version, is correct.
Also, don't be shocked if some episodes do not feature the crashing door sound. That's the way it was originally supposed to be, because the producers (Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher) never intended for their to be a crash sound, but later added it to have more of an effect when you would see Herman come through the doors.
The box itself can also be a challenge to handle. What I have found to be handy, is just leave the inner "head" out of the original box.
The last three issues I would like to address, is space of episodes on the discs, B&W film turning sepia, and the audio quality of "Cyrano de Munster."
There are 32 half-hour episodes on this set, and four 40 minute biographies. If you have 3 double-sided discs, why not use the space appropriately? The episodes should have been spaced in this manner, seven episodes on Disc 1 A, and Disc 1 B, then 6 episodes on Disc 2 A, Disc 2 B, and Disc 3 A. Then place the four 40 minute biographies on Disc 3 B.
There is also a visible problem with some episodes turning sepia. Not all the episodes have their original rich B&W format. Some episodes have a yellow-brown tint that is visible by turning up the color on your television set. The only episode with real B&W, is "The Musician."
"Cyrano de Munster," probably has the worst audio quality of any "Munsters" episode. There is a light crackle sound that is continuous from about half-way through the episode, all the way to the start of the closing theme. It's annoying to hear "snap, crackle, and pop" for 10 minutes.DVD info for The Munsters The Complete Second Season
Spoken language: English
Captioning: English, Spanish (On discs 1 & 2 only)
DISC 1; SIDE A
Herman's Child Psychology
Herman, the Master Spy
Bronco-Bustin' Munster
Herman Munster, ShutterBug
Herman, Coach of the Year
Happy 100th Anniversary
Operation Herman
Lily's Star Boarder
DISC 1; SIDE B
John Doe Munster
A Man For Marilyn
Herman's Driving Test
Will Success Spoil Herman Munster?
Underground Munster
The Treasure of Mockingbird Heights
Herman's Peace Offensive
Herman Picks a Winner
DISC 2; SIDE A
Just Another Pretty Face
Big Heap Herman
The Most Beautiful Ghoul in the World
Grandpa's Lost Wife
The Fregosi Emerald
Zombo
Cyrano de Munster
The Musician
DISC 2; SIDE B
Prehistoric Munster
A Visit From Johann
Eddie's Brother
Herman, the Tire-Kicker
A House Divided
Herman's Sorority Caper
Herman's Lawsuit
A Visit From the Teacher
DISC 3
America's First Family of Fright (A&E TV-ography)
Fred Gwynne: More Than a Munster (A&E TV-ography)
Yvonne De Carlo: Gilded Lily (A&E TV-ography)
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa (A&E TV-ography)
(There is just one side to Disc 3) Don't forget to check out:
The Munsters The Complete First Season
Munster, Go Home!
The Munsters' Revenge
... which are all on DVD!
~ENJOY!!!

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Moonlighting - Seasons 1 & 2 (1985) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Moonlighting" truly is one of the best television series of all time. It was extremely creative, loaded with great humor and drama, and occasionally some action and intrigue. It faltered a bit in its last two seasons, but even they are worth 5 stars.
The premise: Maddie Hayes (Cybill Sheperd) is a former model running a nearly bankrupt detective agency. David Addison (Bruce Willis) convinces her to run the agency together as partners instead of shutting it down. They bumble their way through many mysteries, solving most of them. Maddie and David couldn't be more different - Maddie is conservative, reserved, preoccupied with being responsible, and slightly repressed and uptight. David is spontaneous almost to a fault, and not terribly responsible. These stark personality differences lead to some very funny banter in every episode. Yet, both have big hearts, and over the course of Seasons 1 and 2, they fall very much in love - even though they cannot admit it - especially to themsevles.
In the typical episode, David and Maddie work on a case. However, there's much more going on. Events in the case parallel events in one or both of the main characters' lives, or their relationship with each other. It's obvious that the writers, directors, cast and crew are having a great time making this show. The writing is very clever, and as the series progresses, the characters occasionally show awareness that they are characters on a television show - to great humorous effect. In later seasons, there are episodes that have themes - such as a black and white film noir take-off, and a hilarious modernized version of Shakespear's Taming of the Shrew. In its first two seasons, Moonlighting is a bit more conventional - though still innovative and still one of the finest television programs ever.
Moonlighting has other strengths. One is Agnes DiPesto, the delightfully quirky receptionist that answers every phone call with a different rhyme. Another is a roster of great guest stars, like Orson Wells, Tim Robbins, Dana Delany, Whoopi Goldberg, and many more (and the ones I named are all in the first two seasons, so you'll be seeing them on this DVD set). Moonlighting also features great music - not just the classic theme song by Al Jarreau. Nearly every episode has great classic tunes. The first two seasons include songs by Little Richard, Patsy Cline, Smokey Robinson, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, The Isley Brothers, and Gene Kelly, and many others.
The picture and sound quality are excellent for a 20-year-old TV show, and better than when these episodes were broadcast on Bravo in recent years. This set is a great value, too, considering that you get a total of 23 episodes (all 5 episodes from the brief Season One, which began late in the year, plus 18 episodes from Season Two, which ran a regular fall-to-spring schedule). The DVD extras are a lot of fun, especially two short documentaries (one for each of the first two seasons) that feature interviews with Bruce, Cybill, the actress that plays Miss DiPesto, and some of the writers and crew members. They all have interesting stories to share about their experiences making Moonlighting.
Highly recommended.
If you're curious about why it has taken so long for Moonlighting to come to DVD, it's because Lions Gate had great difficulty securing the necessary rights to all of the songs featured in the various episodes. The music came from a variety of different sources and record labels, some of which have gone bankrupt or been taken over by other corporations in the last 15 years. A few years ago, Lions Gate considered releasing Moonlighting on DVD without music, but this was unacceptable to Glenn Caron, the series' creator. Finally, they obtained the necessary rights to all of the songs that so greatly enriched this wonderful show. They also got Bruce Willis & Cybill Sheperd involved in some of the DVD extras, and now we can finally see the result of all this hard work!

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Maddie Hayes (Cybil Shepard), a wealthy former model, discovers one morning that her business manager has stolen all the money she has in the bank. However, it turns out that she still owns some non-liquid assets -- money-losing companies which were maintained as tax write-offs -- one of which is a detective agency run by David Addison (Bruce Willis). Maddie meets with him to inform him that the company is to be shut down, but he persuades her to keep it open by convincing her that the detective agency can make money. Maddie becomes David's new boss and accompanies him on adventure after adventure.While their personalities clash, a sexual tension arises in the time they spend together.But the question always remains... will they or won't they?

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The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 1 (1961) Review

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(More customer reviews)Image Entertainment has produced five single-disc "Best Of" volumes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" for fans of this timeless 1960s situation comedy who might not want to dive head-first into the more costly full-season DVD boxed sets.
Each one of these five separately-available DVDs contains four Van Dyke Show episodes. Now we all know that these type of "Best Of" dealies are not going to please everybody. Each fan has his or her own "favorites" list. However, in the case of "The Dick Van Dyke Show", it'd be hard to get a "bad apple", in my opinion. Nearly *all* of the 158 episodes during the program's 5-year duration on the air are "favorites" as far as I'm concerned. Overall, I think fans of the show should be pleased with the episodes that Image has selected from the Van Dyke Show archives for these five "Best Of" DVD-Video discs.
This first volume has the following episodes ...........
1.) "The Sick Boy And The Sitter" (From Season 1 [Premiere Episode]; Air Date: 10/03/1961).
2.) "Big Max Calvada" (From Season 3; Air Date: 11/20/1963).
3.) "Coast-To-Coast Big Mouth" (From Season 5; Air Date: 09/15/1965).
4.) "Dear Sally Rogers" (From Season 5; Air Date: 02/23/1966).
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Picture quality is virtually perfect for all the above episodes, thanks to the great-looking Film-to-DVD transfers used by Image and Paul Brownstein Productions.
There's even a batch of "Bonus" features on each of these "Best Of" volumes, making these value-priced discs even a better bargain! ..... Extra bonuses for Volume 1 include the complete "Pilot" episode for "The Dick Van Dyke Show", called "Head Of The Family" -- which stars Carl Reiner as Rob Petrie. There are also some interview clips with members of the cast and crew, plus a video clip (in color) from the 1966 Emmy Awards telecast.
Plus: There's a text "bio" feature ("Meet The Cast"), along with a trivia game ("The Ottoman Tripper"). In addition, this disc contains a "Play All" option, for continuous playing of all four episodes back-to-back.
More data about this DVD..............
DVD Region Code -- "Zero".
Subtitles -- None.
Aspect Ratio -- Full Frame (1.33:1).
Audio -- Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English only).
Insert? -- Yes.
Packaging -- Keep Case.
So, if you have a hankerin' to watch Rob & Laura and the rest of the gang from "The Dick Van Dyke Show", but don't want to invest in the full-season sets, then pick up one or two (or better yet, all five!) of these nicely-done discs featuring "The Best Of The Dick Van Dyke Show"!

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The Best of Fractured Fairy Tales, Volume One (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)Fractured Fairy Tales are not only fantastic classic toons, but they're also great for use in a high school english classroom to illustrate narrative elements! Pair it with the companion book (Fractured Fairy Tales, A.J. Jacobs) with 25 tales for even more fun. I just purchased this disc from Amazon and have enjoyed rewatching these great shorts from my childhood. I couldn't find a list of the included episodes anywhere before purchasing, so here's the rundown in case you're wondering too! The disk includes these 15 episodes:
* Rapunzel
* The Brave Little Tailor
* Rumpelstiltskin
* Cinderella
* Snow White
* Sleeping Beauty
* Pinocchio
* Ridinghoods Anonymous
* The Ugly Duckling
* Cinderella Returns
* Rumpelstiltskin Returns
* Leaping Beauty
* The Enchanted Frog
* The Pied Piper
* The Magic Fish
The disk also has some nifty Bullwinkle puppet intros as a bonus, as well as a cute case and menu theme.

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Item Name: The Best of Fractured Fairy Tales, Vol. 1 (1961); Studio:Classic Media

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Combat - Season 3, Operation 1 (1962) Review

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(More customer reviews)We have now reached the midpoint of the COMBAT series and the show is now only becoming better. While I may find a few more "clunckers" in the third season, that were not present in season 2, this is outweighed by the fact there were far more excellent episodes in total. The actors who comprised the core of the Squad have fully developed their individual personalities and Vic Morrow was now becoming the true centerpiece of the show. There was apparently no clash of egos between himself and Rick Jason, probably because Jason shrewdly had it in his contract that he got paid whether he appeared or not.
Of course, one of the drawbacks in a series such as COMBAT is the main participants of the squad survive every episode, while those poor forlorn "red shirts", or in this case "green shirts" take one for the team. And it is admittedly humorous to find Saunders, Hanley, or Caje, become ground up chop meat, only to never receive the "million dollar" wound that they so hungered for. Despite these obvious restrictions, in deference to a 1960's television show, you can still maintain a sense of realism and excitement while viewing COMBAT.
Some of the Highlights:
1.The Cassock.....James Whitmore plays a German officer who disguises himself as a priest and hides in a church....There is some clever, and at times even tender interplay between himself and G.I. Mart Hulswit (of Guiding Light fame) who, as a former alterboy, finds comfort in the church..the show leads you down a false path more than once....
2.The Hell Machine.....another appearance by Frank Gorshin as he and Saunders attempt to navigate through enemy held territory using a captured German tank......nice claustrophobic feel on how it would be inside a tank....
3.The Enemy....usually whenever a battle of wits was written into the story, it was left up to Hanley to be one of the wits...this one, starring Robert Duvall as a German demolition officer has Hanley trying to outthink his captor....
4.The Duel.....Saunders, on foot, single handedly attempts to distract a German tank, while the supply truck he is protecting can be repaired before the tank comes upon it...fun stuff here
5.The Steeple...no doubt the true exploits of JOHN STEELE come into play here as a paratrooper is caught on a church steeple...it is up to Saunders to try to get him inside despite the fact that the village is overrun by Germans.
6.Cry in the Ruins....this is one of the best episodes of the season, as Hanley and a German Lieutenant, put aside the war for a moment in order to rescue a woman's child...there is a few twists in this episode and the character study between the two opposing squads is well written.....
7.The Little Carousel...poignant tale of the squads encounter with a young student nurse who wants to help Saunders and his men....deeply moving and an emotional tour de force for Vic Morrow.....
8.The Imposter...Hanley must once again use his wits in order to determine who within his merry band of men is an Imposter....enough monkey wrenches are thrown in as to not make it too easy to figure out.....
Those are a few of the quality episodes, but there are a couple of duds as well:
1. Birthday Cake....Littlejohn would have been shot had he acted this way in a real war...it is just too stupid, even for a big lug like him...
2. A Walk with an Eagle...this type of episode, where an arrogant Air officer does not respect Saunders authority, has been done before....
3. Fly Away Home....I guess it is good to give the Pigeon Corp their props, and it is a treat to see Neville Brand, but the story is simply not compelling....
4. Mountain Man....there is so little story here, that the first third of it follows the squad walking through the snow, setting markers, and the final third, features Cage skiing through it.....tedious viewing at its worst....Well there you have it once again....If you have read my previous reviews, you obviously know that I am a big fan of this series and welcome them to DVD. I hope you welcome them into your home as well....my minor complaints aside this set is enthusiastically recommended!


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The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 3 (1961) Review

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(More customer reviews)My first crush on a television actress was on Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," so of course the famous episode where she gets her toe caught in the faucet of a bathtub (while playing with the drip) is bound to be a favorite. Therefore, I announce with great joy that you will find that classic episode here on "The Best of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' Volume 3." The other three episodes include one more classic, one fun episode, and one that must suffer in comparison to another classic episode. Speaking of comparisons on the topic of Mary Tyler Moore in a bathtub, that reminds me of the great episode of her own show, "Mary's Insomnia," that shows us how funny it is to be on the same side of the bathroom door as her character when she is bathing (that episode, which dealt with Mary's dependence on sleeping pills, also had a strong dramatic side as well). Now, onto our four featured episodes:
Episode 124, "100 Terrible Hours" (Written by Bill Persky & Sam Denoff, First aired Mary 5, 1965) is another great flashback episode where Rob recalls the time he was on the air broadcasting his radio show for 100 hours straight. Then he goes straight into his first meeting with Alan Brady about becoming a writer for "The Alan Brady Show." There is fun to be had with Laura trying to keep Rob awake, but my favorite part is when Rob reaches an emotional breaking point over the fate of a poor little cat stuck in a tree.
Episode 129, "Uhny Uftz" (Written by Carl Kleinschmitt & Dale McRaven, First aired September 29, 1965) is the time when Rob said he say a flying saucer hovering outside the office window one night when he, Buddy and Sally are working late one night at the office. Okay, but this one makes you think of the classic "It May Look Like a Walnut," so it has to suffer in comparison.
Episode 121, "Never Bathe On Saturday" (Written by Carl Reiner, First aired March 31, 1965) proves once again how far you can take a simple idea and turn it into comedy gold as Rob tells the story of when the Petries went on their second honeymoon and Laura got her toe stuck in the water spout of a bathtub in a fancy hotel. The problem is that the bathroom door is locked from the inside. Then there is that mustache Rob has drawn on his upper lip and the suspicious hotel security guy. Reiner's script was nominated for an Emmy, as should any script that has you thinking Laura is nude ("see" also, "October Eve"). This episode features familiar faces Kathleeen Freeman as the maid, Bernard Fox as the detective, as Arthur Malet as the engineer.
Episode 40, "The Secret Life Of Buddy And Sally" (Written by Lee Erwin, First aired November 28, 1962), has Rob suspicious when Buddy and Sally start acting strangely. He becomes convinced they must be writing for another show because the obvious alternative is worse. But it turns out they are doing a comedy act (as Gilbert and Solomon). This episode reminds me of the "I Love Lucy" show when everybody would get into the act. Buddy tells jokes while "playing" the cello, Sally sings "Come Rain or Come Shine," and Rob and Laura join in as Lester and Esther Bushwhacker to do a song and dance number as well. As you would expect this is a fun episode.

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