Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2005
I Love Lucy changed the fledgling television industry in the 1950’s. This was a time when network television was less than a decade old. Most folks had never heard of television just 15 years earlier. I Love Lucy defined the concept of a sitcom. The show was driven by the very strong personalities of the cast. Desi Arnaz was considered a charismatic Latin lover by American women. Lucy played the perfect foil and found a mountain of gold to mine in strong physical comedy. So many modern shows owe their roots to this classic that it would be impossible to mention them all here. With that said, the fifth season was a letdown. The simple truth is they were running out of ideas in the simplistic environment of this once very funny comedy. All of this season is spent taking the cast on a whirlwind tour of Europe with its forced situations. The lack of perceived spontaneity was gone. Lucy was no longer the fly in Ricky’s ointment. Oddly enough, the season does begin with one of the funniest stories of the series: Lucy stealing John Wayne’s footprints, and of course, his feet. If only that quality could have been maintained instead of a hokey tour of the Old Country.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 10th, 2005
First there was no James. This year no Florida. Yes, the Sunshine State is alive and well even after a year full of hurricanes, but the lovable mother Evans is not a part of Good Times 5th season. I found these episodes to be the show’s least funny. There’s no doubt that the scripts are trying way too hard to cover the awkward situations. The addition of young Penny is really no compensation. It doesn’t help that after 5 years JJ’s shtick is beginning to show its wear. Still, there are some good moments here for the show’s legion of fans. The Bookman character steals several shows. The series had always been known for its willingness to touch on some real ghetto issues, and that hasn’t changed. The opening series of episodes are quite serious. Michael has matured and finds himself in several serious ethical dilemmas this year.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 7th, 2005
ALF stands for Alien Life Form, but anyone who has seen this hit 1980’s comedy knows ALF stands for “laughing your ass off funny”. That’s what I had to say about season 1. Season 2 is just as funny, if not tons more. Of course, it helps that the show got its first full run of episodes in this year. Each episode shares its name with a song title. To the show’s credit, many are obscure. The big problem here continues to be the use of cut syndicated episodes. At least on this set the box clearly alerts you to this fact. An ethics issue I had with season 1 was the lack of any such warning. If this show were still around in syndication, at least here in the Tampa area, I would certainly forgo any bought sets and simply DVD-R them from broadcast. Uncut versions of these older shows is really the only reason to buy them.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 3rd, 2005
Married With Children was something of an anomaly among the pantheon of breakthrough television shows throughout history. Shows such as Archie Bunker and Roseanne broke through the stereotypes of the television family, and showed life much more as it really is in most American households. What made Married With Children especially unique is that while those other shows often-times made very real comments about society through their laughter, this program mainly focused on the American mal.... Al Bundy didn't ask for much; merely an occasional home cooked meal, a nice quiet place to rest his feet at the end of a long day, and the love and respect of his family, for which he worked such long hours. While other shows went to great lengths to show that life is not all Ozzie and Harriet, Al Bundy made an argument for the days of Ozzie and Harriet. With all the stresses and rudeness in modern society, can't we just go back to the old days, when a man could come home after a hard day and at least have some control over life in his own home?
Of course, the answer to that question is a resounding “no”, and the meeting of those two philosophies is the basis for the humor. Still, though, it is not every day that viewers come across a show that makes an argument for the simple decency and morality of times gone by through making an endless series of crude and off-color jokes. There is much more to this series than meets the eye at first glance. Underneath all that basic humor, there is a work of genius, for those that are willing to look a little deeper.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 24th, 2005
It sometimes becomes quite challenging to write a review of a television show release in the mid-seasons. The opening season of the show has plenty to talk about, and the final season wraps things up, but what about season six, say, of an eleven season show? What is there to say then? “Well, this season involves the same characters doing the same stuff they have been doing for years.”
Lucky for me, this is a mid-season set that has something to talk about. Something big. Something the whole nation was talking...about in the 80's. Who shot J.R.? Yep, this is the season. J.R. Ewing had established himself as a classic villain by the time this season started, and as the episodes rolled on, J.R. was successful in double-crossing nearly every character on the show, no matter how minor. At the time, characters in these kinds of shows didn't get shot, so imagine the shock when viewers sat down for the season finale of one of the top shows in primetime, and out of nowhere, “bang!” Viewers were left in shock for the entire off-season, wondering who was left holding the smoking gun as the credits rolled. This is probably the biggest cliffhanger in the history of television. Relive the fun with Dallas – The Complete Third Season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 14th, 2005
Synopsis
Another eight Columbo mystery movies are included here. The formula they follow is familiar: a murder is committed (and we generally know whodunit right off the bat), and we watch as Columbo, apparently absent-minded, closes in on the culprit, making said individual sweat like the dickens before he closes in for the kill. The episodes here also feature turns by such stars as Martin Sheen, Vincent Price and Johnny Cash, which makes this nostalgic trip all the more fun. These short movies-of-t...e-week are perfect examples of the Good Story Well Told. They are by no means challenging to the mystery genre, and their formulaic construction is very apparent. But they work within the strict parameters exceedingly well, and Peter Falk is an unceasing delight in the title role. Absolutely perfect late-night viewing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 12th, 2005
Season Two of Star Trek Enterprise was without a doubt the weakest of the series. It’s no mystery that the show’s demise was already being talked about by the time Year Two was finished. The stories were unoriginal and it appears budgetary concerns often meant unimaginative bottle shows. The words Star Trek were finally added to the title. Rick Berman has always tried to distance himself from Gene Roddenberry. When Enterprise was first released he felt it was time to finally cut the umbilical cord and drop the franchise tag. If that doesn’t tell you something about his level of respect for Star Trek, then the countless instances of disregarding traditional Trek continuity should. The franchise officially jumped the shark with the episode “A Night In Sickbay”. Come on, Berman, that cute puppy in a fight for its life is so... Lassie.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 11th, 2005
Synopsis
Akira Kurosawa’s impact on filmmaking and storytelling will be part of Western cinema for decades to come. Despite being slightly underappreciated in his later years in his native Japan, some of the work he put to film is some of the greatest and most influential ever seen. His work, such as Rashomon, The Hidden Fortress and The Seven Samurai, to name a few, have been remade or cited as major influences in the films and/or careers of George Lucas, Clint Eastwood and James Cobur..., among others. I’ve become increasingly interested in Kurosawa’s work, and I recently picked up the Kurosawa DVD Collection, which is available as an Amazon.com exclusive as part of a limited edition run of 5,000. The 3-disc set contains the documentary on the sensei (Kurosawa’s nickname), aptly titled Kurosawa. The other two discs house Kurosawa’s last film, Madadayo, and the Masterworks Edition of Ran. In terms of packaging, it’s a bit hard to describe, the box opens much like your standard amaray case. On the left side, Kurosawa is at the bottom, and on the top, there is a greeting card sized package of materials. Aside from the obligatory certificate of authenticity, four 5x7 glossy cards that are Kurosawa storyboard illustrations for Madadayo and Ran are here, as well as a small booklet that is mainly comprised of biographical information. The discs for Madadayo and Ran are on the right side, as well as a small board (Amazon says it’s a “Japanese-style miniature shoji screen”) that has art from Ran on it. It’s nice artwork, plus it’s been clear-coated to help prevent damage to it. To round out the goodies, there is a reproduction of the poster that trumpeted the re-release of Ran in 2000, but the poster is reduced to a more manageable size to fit the case.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 3rd, 2005
Synopsis
There are two Lawrence Tierney vehicles here, and the first is the one that made his name, the 1945 Dillinger. Told in flashback for no visible reason, this chronicles Dillinger’s rise from naive and incompetent thief to ruthless, brutal gang leader, and his ultimate fall. There are some startlingly brutal scenes here, for the time, and if Tierney isn’t quite as scary as James Cagney in White Heat, he’s still plenty menacing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 2nd, 2005
By the last half of season three Lost In Space was certainly showing its wear. The stories would sink to simply camp with little or no redeeming value remaining. It’s no surprise that this once smart bit of space humor was on the way out after season 3. By now it appears the writers were fresh out of anything new and opted to recycle already tired formulas. Just how many times can Smith sell the family out for a long-shot return to Earth? Will and the Robot remain the best reason for watching the show.
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