M*A*S*H - Season Seven (Collector's Edition) (1972) Review

M*A*S*H - Season Seven (Collector's Edition) (1972)
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There are many enjoyable episodes in this season. Though this season is the last for Radar, aside from his final episode in season 8, MASH went on. This show, for better or worse, survived on through the many changes in cast. Radar was no exception.
Commander Pierce - Much to his own dismay Hawkeye takes charge and finds that the grass isn't greener on the other side of command.
Peace on Us - Hawkeye goes to the peace talks when they change the rules on discharge for doctors. Margaret's marriage to Donald hits a real rough patch, prompting her to get a divorce.
Our Finest Hour - The second of the documentary style shows that are shown in black and white and color. This one looks more deeply at the characters and their feelings about the war, family, and being away from home.
The Billfold Syndrome - A talented medic forgets his own name and Sydney is called in. Charles stops talking to B.J and Hawkeye after being turned down for a prestigeous post back in Boston. This gets a minor war going on between the Swamprats.
Major Ego - Charles' ego gets much higher when he saves a patient, and Stars and Stripes sends a reporter.. He sees a chance to get home. Klinger shows some of his more extravagant flair when the reporter shows up to interview Charles.
Point Of View - This show is shown from the view of a patient, for the entire show. You see a distracted Potter, and an enraged Charles. This episode was very very well done.
An Eye For A Tooth - Hawkeye, B.J, and Margaret trade a series of practical jokes, with Charles helping both sides. This series of jokes include a lemon pie, a full sized dummy, and a special mail delivery. Father Mulcahy goes on a mission of mercy after being passed over again for premotion.
Dear Sis - Father Mulcahy writes his sister over a Christmas holiday and tells of how he feels lost in the middle of a war zone.
The Young And Restless - A young brilliant surgeon bruises a few egos upon his visit displaying new surgical techniques.
C*A*V*E - A serious barrage of fire at the camp sends them to a cave, much to the dismay of Hawkeye, who suffers from clausterphobia. He an Margaret head back to camp under heavy fire to save patient who needs emergency surgery.
Rally Round The Flagg, Boys - Colonel Flagg goes way over the top and thinks everyone is a commie symp. He is copiously aided by Charles. Hilarious ending. This is the last show in which we get treeted to Flagg's raving paranoia. He left the show with some real flair.
A Night at Rosies - Hawkeye escapes a long night of surgery, and a horrid breakfast at the mess tent by heading for a drink at Rosies. He gets beer and then pours it over cereal. Then B.J follows, then Radar, Charles, and many others. Klinger heads to a floating crap game. The crowd pulls an all night binge to escape the war. This gets into Potter's craw, but he relents when he realizes that it's just what they all really need. This is also where we meet Scully, who's AWOL. He later becomes a love interest of Margaret.
The Party - B.J works hard on getting the loved ones of the main cast members together for a huge party. This happens after Radar offers his mother's help, and Potter hands him his home address. Peggy, his wife, had recently ruined the stove while canning. Radar says that his mother puts something special in it to keep it from boiling over. Potter talks about how good a canner Mildred is. This happens in the middle of a bug out, and return to camp when the Chinese pull of a huge offensive. This also happens while B.J has a patient that may never walk again, or have no feeling.
I prefer M*A*S*H after season four. I wasn't as crazy about the first few years. I enjoy the later episodes, because they got away from the slapstick humor and touched upon many many issues from suicide, blindness, love, hate, envy, infiltration, peace talks and so so much more.

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As the seventh season opens, peace talks to end the war have been going on for over a year and Hawkeye has had enough. He jumps in a jeep and roars off to the talks, and although he makes it onto the speaker's floor, his rant does little to speed up the negotiations. His discontent isn't helped by the return of war correspondent Clete Roberts who has came back to the 4077 to tape another one of his television talks for the folks back home. Yet Hawkeye isn't the only one feeling the pressures of war. BJ nearly drives himself to exhaustion trying to help a poor Korean family, Father Mulcahy almost gets himself killed trying to get a promotion, Charles falls in love with a working girl at Rosie's Bar, and Margaret's divorce is finally made official. It's all part of life during wartime.

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Best of Lucy & Friends (2010) Review

Best of Lucy and Friends (2010)
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Luckily I picked up the Best of Lucy and Friends for $5 at Walmart in a discount bin. It was the only copy so I grabbed it. The first disc doesn't even play. It got through most of the first episode then it refused to play. I put it in another new DVD player and it did the same thing, which is a shame because I do enjoy this show. Luckily, the other discs play fine, so far. The picture isn't too great but I didn't expect it to be pristine, with the DVD being so cheap. What I really enjoyed was the bonus feature 6 episodes of "Life With Elizabeth" with Betty White on Disc 4. I had never seen this show before & enjoyed it very much. This disc played perfectly and I had no problems with it at all. Hopefully, you'll have better luck with your discs than I had. Disc 1
Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower
Lucy's Barbershop Quartet
Lucy with George Burns
Lucy and the Submarine
Lucy the Bean Queen
Lucy and Paul Winchell
Lucy and the Ring-A-Ding Ring
Lucy Flies to London
Lucy Gets a Roommate
Lucy and Carol in Palm Springs
Disc 2
Lucy Get Caught Up in the Draft
Lucy and John Wayne
Lucy and Pat Collins
Lucy and the Monkey
Lucy and the Efficiency Expert
Lucy's Substitute Secretary
Viv Visits Lucy
Lucy the Babysitter
Main Street U.S.A.
Lucy Meets the Law
Disc 3
Lucy the Fight Manager
Lucy and Tennessee Ernie Ford
Lucy Meets Sheldon Leonard
Lucy Meets the Berles
Lucy Gets Trapped
Lucy and the French Movie Star
Lucy and the Starmaker
Lucy Gets Jack Benny's Account
Little Old Lucy
Lucy Meets Robert Goulet
Disc 4
Life With Elizabeth-Betty White, Del Moore
This comedy features Betty White and Del Moore as Elizabeth and Alvin, newlyweds who are just starting their lives together. Elizabeth is a housewife who sometimes has a problem keeping out of trouble all to the delight and exasperation of her husband, Alvin.
Bonus: 6 episodes of Life with Elizabeth starring Betty White
1. Fun with Photography
2. Nursery Rhymes
3. Dyeing Easter Eggs
4. Mannerisms
5. Sunday Paper
6. Alvin's Home Work

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

The X-Files - The Complete Fifth Season (1993)
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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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100 Years of Horror (1997) Review

100 Years of Horror (1997)
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"call them fantasy films...but please don't call them horror" is one of the lines given by the host, Christopher Lee, jokingly looking in utter disgust that the public would call these films 'horror'. his performance is hilarious because of his sophisticated and always serious approach to acting and yet he's offering a self-parody much in the tradition of Vincent Price. although he doesn't go over-the-top, Lee's participation/narration was vital for this program's legitimacy. clips of horror and Sci-Fi films are shown throughout...there's also clips of interviews with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Roger Corman among others...the so-called drive-in horror titans of the '60s are also spotlighted: American International and Hammer, the two companies that were responsible for 90% of the horror output in the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. this is a great look at horror films and Lee's commanding voice and screen appearances keep it from being too tedious, as it may have been had a contemporary hot shot with little to no affiliation with the genre narrated the show.

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100 YEARS OF HORROR is the first show of its kind ever produced; chronicling the history of movie horror from the earliest experimental chillers through the unforgettable "golden age of movie monsters," and on through today's terrifying fright films. Hosted by Christopher Lee, the screen's legendary King of Horror, the show features appearances by Robert De Niro, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hugh Hefner, Charlton Heston, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Dante, and many more. Also featured are fascinating interviews with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Claude Rains. Included as a special bonus are never-before-seen interviews with the friends and families of the legendary names of horror such as Bela Lugosi, Jr.; Boris Karloff's daughter, Sarah Karloff; Claude Rains' daughter, Jessica Rains, and more. "100 Years of Horor" also highlights rare and chilling scenes from currentfilms such asMary Shelly's Frankenstein, Halloween, Poltergeist, and The Haunting, to classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, Phantom Of The Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and The Body Snatchers.Also included are rare photographs from private collections, home movies from the sets of horror classics, as well as outtakes, screen tests, previously "lost" films, and other exciting surprises.Each episode offers unique production sidelights and insights to make 100 YEARS OF HORROR the most interesting and informative horror chronology ever assembled. This show was produced, written and directed by Ted Newsom, creator of Cinemax's ED WOOD: LOOK BACK IN ANGORA and the BBC's FLESH AND BLOOD-THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR.

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Gunbuster (1988) Review

Gunbuster (1988)
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Gunbuster.You've probably heard of it before, even if you weren't old enough to experience it first hand when it was released in 1988. US Renditions blessed would be anime fans back then with VHS tapes in clamshell cases with one of the most engrossing and moving mech anime releases ever. Not to mention the story and whole direction is actually a parody of many of the then current "themes" that were popular at the time. "Fan service", the super deformed characters in the science lessons, the over the top "Super" robots, and the now legendary "Gainax bounce" could all be seen here in this early release. Compared to many of today's modern efforts this OAV remains true to it's original Japanese title, Top O' Nerae! or, "Aim for The Top!". It always has and always will be at the top.
Gunbuster is the story of a young girl, Noriko Takaya who wants to become a space pilot like her father, who was Captain of a vessel that was attacked by large bug like space aliens who are intent on finding and destroying Earth. Enrolled in Okinawa's Space Pilot High School for girls, Noriko begins the training to become a defender of Earth and begins a long journey (though through the miracle of time dilation and space travel hardly ages throughout the series) transforming from a crying nugget rookie pilot to the savior of the world.Along the way, she is befriended by her "Coach" Ota and Kazumi Amano, the super talented and gifted girl who is the school's top student and almost a shoe in for becoming a pilot.
What makes Gunbuster work, unlike many typical, "save the world from aliens in giant robots" shows is the fact that while the show deals with the mechs and science behind it, it is really just backdrop for the character's growth. While we get space battles and action, it is really the filler for seeing Noriko mature over time into the strong character she becomes by the end of the series. The story will make you sad enough to cry at points if you are the type that does (and some people really do I'm told), and it will make you feel like cheering at others. This is one of director Hideaki Anno's first works (Evangelion fame) and it shows how great his early works were. Absolutely top notch. Along the way, take note of the many parodies and references in names to contemporary things like the Sizzler units, or the RX-7 mechs.
Mech fans don't despair, since when the Gunbuster is finally truly unveiled (you don't even get to see it until halfway thorugh and then only for a short period) the real treat begins and it becomes one of the coolest moment in 80's , 90's, or even current anime mech scenes/battles. The music is awesome, every single piece is perfect (note: It is known that for this US release, one piece of music was changed for a training sequence so purists be warned), and the animation even for a nearly 20 year old OAV looks great partly in thanks to character designs from Haruhiko Mikimoto, the character designer for the original SDF Macross series.
Bottom line is this set is a must buy for old anime fans or to new ones who shouldn't miss out on one of the finest OAV's ever to be released. Gunbuster gets a 5 out of 5 no question.

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The directorial debut of acclaimed creator Hideaki Anno, GUNBUSTER is a legendary anime fan favorite that casts pretty girls and giant robots into a moving epic of interstellar naval war.Newly translated and re-mastered in HD 24P format, Gunbuster has never before been available on DVD in North America...until now! 2015: Earth's first faster-than-light ship, the Luxion, is lost, attacked by unidentified space monsters in the Perseus Arm.Six years later, Noriko Takaya, daughter of the Luxion's commander, enters the Okinawa Girls' Space Pilot High School, vowing to be a pilot and follow her father's trail to the stars.But is she prepared for the intense training to become a member of the elite Top Squadron?Noriko's fight has just begun and the fate of all humanity depends on her meeting the challenge!

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Walt Disney Treasures: Davy Crockett - The Complete Televised Series (1956) Review

Walt Disney Treasures: Davy Crockett - The Complete Televised Series (1956)
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Davy Crockett is one of Walt Disney's most endeared and remembered live action characters. He was presented to American audiences by Walt Disney on the Disneyland TV Show in 1954. He was personified by Fess Parker beloved ever after by his sincere portrayal. This colorful and entertaining character was first seen in three episodes from the TV show ("Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter," "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress" and "Davy Crockett at the Alamo"). Parker, with his coonskin cap and homespun drawl and witticism created a nationwide phenomenon in 1954. Who can forget "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" composed by George Bruns and Tom Blackburn. Buddy Ebsen played his sidekick George Russel, whose adventures take them from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. to the Alamo in the first three episodes. The series' third episode focusing on the defense of the Alamo, though well remembered, is somewhat labored until we see the final image of Davy Crockett passing into legend and glory. This straightforward and beautifully photographed series expounds the virtues of honesty, integrity and bravery. The country could not get enough of Davy so he and George Russel returned in 1955 for two more episodes ("Davy Crockett's Keel Boat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates"). For Davy Crockett's second season on television the show was retitled "The Legends of Davy Crockett." The necessary title change came about because we had seen Davy come to his end defending the Alamo and Walt Disney wanted to continue bringing us his adventures. "Davy Crockett's Keel Boat Race" is about a riverboat race between Davy and another American folklore hero Mike Fink. "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" is about Davy's attempt to stop an Indian uprising with Mike Fink's assistance. In some ways these two episodes are the best. Davy Crockett appears less the frontier fighter and more the good-natured peacemaker in these episodes. The riverboat race with Mike Fink is very entertaining and a high point in Disney's American frontier live action adventures. I don't even think John Ford could have filmed this sequence any better. Kenneth Tobey, who worked with John Ford, is excellent in a great comedic part (Fess Parker made note of Tobey's performance in a supplemental interview on the DVD). Walt Disney gave this actor a chance to demonstrate his great versatility and range as an actor. Also, Mike Fink's boats may look a little familiar since they are the basis for the riverboat ride at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. That's a nice nostalgic tie in! Bert Glennon's cinematography is beautifully picturesque as ever and is matched seamlessly with some very effective glass shot special effects by Peter Ellenshaw. This is one of the best DVDs to come from the Disney vaults. Walt Disney introduces each of the five episodes exactly as they were originally presented on the Disneyland TV Show. The Supplemental Features on this DVD are above and beyond what I had expected. Most of Disney's DVD extras seem to concentrate on the technical aspects of the feature presentation. This DVD focused more on the phenomenon that the legend of Davy Crockett created and the affect it had and continues to have on those who were brought up in those times. There are two exceptional Features: "A Conversation with Fess Parker" and "The Davy Crockett Craze." "The Gallery" of photos and memorabilia is also excellent. "A Conversation with Fess Parker" really hit home with me. Fess Parker appeared to be the genuine article that he was. In a world of eroded morals filled with dirt and filth everywhere you turn it was more than comforting to hear Fess Parker's fond recollections of his portrayal and the ideals that Walt immortalized through the tales of this legendary character. If your eyes feel a little watery its because your remembering a time not so long ago when our heroes were real heroes. This is one of the best and should help keep the legend alive for those that lived it, those that loved it and for those that will someday be touched by it.

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All 5 episodes of Walt Disney's Davy Crockett series chronicling the adventures of the King of the Wild Frontier. Beginning with Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter and featuring Davy's adventures all the way up to the Alamo, these classic adventures are fun for the whole family. Introduction by Leonard Maltin. Episodes: Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter; Davy Crockett Goes to Congress; Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race; Davy Crockett and the River Pirates; Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

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I Love Lucy: The Very First Show (1951) Review

I Love Lucy: The Very First Show  (1951)
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"I Love Lucy: The Very First Show" is actually the film's pilot episode (a pilot is a test film used in those days for TV shows). Hosted by Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, it includes the pilot along with other commentary.
The plot along the line is a common, recurring theme: A crazy redhead wants to get into her hasband's act. TV networks are going to catch Ricky's act, Lucy unsuccessfully tries to convice him to let her be in it. She later comes unsuspectedly into the act after a clown is injured, and the neworks apparently offer her a contract!
The pilot is very similar to the "I Love Lucy" episode entitled "The Audition," but don't let that throw you off. It is a wonderful, heartwarming video!

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