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National Lampoon Presents Lost Reality 2: More of the Worst

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 2nd, 2005

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National Lampoon was still around? I didn’t think so. But sure enough, there is a staff, they still produce movies occasionally (the cinematic tour de force Van Wilder being among their recent contributions to cinema), and in order to satirize some of the absolute sheet on TV nowadays, came up with the Lost Reality series of discs.

With introduction from (who I’m assuming are) members of the Lampoon staff, the clips are a bit hit or miss. Some of the funnier bits are OK, and could have turned …
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Muder, She Wrote – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 2nd, 2005

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Synopsis

The only thing I really remembered about Murder, She Wrote was that as a young American child, I used to see it being advertised after 60 Minutes and before a TV movie starring Tori Spelling or something. It would bother me even more because these ads were being announced by a semi-drunk pro football announcer, and put a damper on whatever football game I was watching. Enough with the plugs and get back to the action!

But Murder, She Wrote was a lynchpin of Sunday nig…
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MASH – The Complete Eighth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 1st, 2005

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Season Eight of MASH was most notable as the year one of the most beloved characters left the series. Radar, that down-home country boy, was perhaps the most reality based character in the run of the series. I’ve spoken to many G.I.’s who have informed me that the company clerk really runs any Army outfit. Radar had an element of innocence and sincerity that was skillfully portrayed by Gary Burghoff. Burghoff was the only cast member from the original film to reprise his role for the series. Year Eight would feature the first of a few appearances by Alan Alda’s real life father and 1950’s film star Robert Alda.

Nightmare Alley

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 30th, 2005

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Synopsis

Tyrone Power is the amoral Stan, a carny worker who will use anybody, especially women,to facilitate his climb to the top. Joan Blondell is the carnival medium who teaches him the tricksof the trade. He dumps her for Coleen Gray, and is soon a performer in the big nightclubs. Butthat isn’t enough for him, and he overreaches when he allies himself with Helen Walker, anunscrupulous psychologist who is an even smarter operator than he is.

A noir-drenched rise and fall …
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Space Ghost: Coast to Coast – Volume Three

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 29th, 2005

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In terms of concept, it seems kinda cool and avant-garde: take the old cartoon Space Ghost, hire some writers and voiceover guys to interview some guests as part of a talk show and see what happens. The result, being Space Ghost Coast to Coast eventually did turn into a cult following and captured an older (read: 18-30) demographic for the Cartoon Network.

Though Space Ghost is a superhero, in this series he has kidnapped a couple of his villains to be a part of his talk show. You have …
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Dance With Me, Henry

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 29th, 2005

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Synopsis

Costello is a big-hearted soul who takes in every stray (human or animal) that comes along.He runs afoul of the authorities, who deem him an unsuitable father for the two orphans he hasadopted. Meanwhile, Abbott, the black sheep Costello has taken on, is an inveterate gambler whoowes the mob a huge sum. Cue the running around.

This was the last film the two comedians made together, and the humour is getting ratherhere. There is also something very odd about having C…
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SpongeBob Square Pants — Fear of a Krabby Patty

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 29th, 2005

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Synopsis

You should know the drill by now. More lunatic stories, with a cavalcade of gags that haveyou exclaiming at the whole thing is stupid even as you are convulsed with laughter. The KrustyKrab, Mr. Krabs and food in general play a big role in a number of the episodes here, and muchfun is had with Mr. Krabs’ avarice (“Arrgh!”, where he becomes obsessed with finding a piratetreasure, is a standout). All in all, 95 minutes of goofy fun.

Audio

Par for the …
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Street With No Name, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 28th, 2005

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Synopsis

The FBI, determined to crack a gangland case involving two murders, sends undercoveragent Mark Stevens to the mean streets. Posing as a lowlife, he is recruited by sinister crime bossRichard Widmark. Stevens soon discovers that Widmark is indeed the man responsible for thekillings, but he needs concrete evidence before the FBI can move in. Meanwhile, Widmark hasan agent of his own in the ranks of the police, and Stevens’ cover may soon be blown.

The opening minutes …
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Moonlighting – Seasons 1 & 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 27th, 2005

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I used to watch Moonlighting in the 80’s. Back then, I thought it was so fresh and funny. The crackling dialogue, the rapid fire pace, the screwball comedy chemistry between the two leads. There was also mystery to boot. I loved it. Is still as fresh and funny? Is the show as good as I remember it being? I mean, ourmemories rarely hold up to reality. Watching this box set in 2005 was quite an experience. Does the show hold up? Yes and no. It feels atad “dated” (but what show from the 80’s doesn’t…
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American Chopper: The Series – The Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 27th, 2005

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posted by Kim Lee

The father & son team behind American Chopper are back for another thirteen new episodes in season two of this great Discovery Channel show. This time, the Orange County Choppers (OCC) crew gets down to the nuts and bolts of building 6 new bikes:

Tool Bike
Football Bike
POW/MIA Bike
Miller Welder Bike
Celebrity Bike
Liberty Bike

As usual, it’s extremely entertaining when the talent (Paul Jr.) mixes in with the temper (Pau…
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Miracles – The Complete Series

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 23rd, 2005

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Miracles is a unique television experience in the same vane as X-Files but with a religious rather then an alien spin. Many seem to blame this series short network run (6-episodes) on its misplacement and movement within ABC’s schedule, but there is also talk of the War in Iraq possible having something to do with it. As we all know… timing is everything. This set adds seven episodes to the six that originally aired on ABC… giving us all a chance to see the full 13 episodes that were filmed.

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American Chopper: The Series – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 16th, 2005

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posted by Kim Lee

Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a legendary custom motorcycle shop run by a father & son team. The Teutel family business consists of Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Mikey featuring Vince DiMartino, Rick Petko, and Cody Connelley. Paul Sr. runs the show at OCC and Paul Jr. is the artistic genius behind custom bike fabrications while Mikey is the untalented son that’s there to bring humor and motivation to the shop. The cast of American Chopper is what makes everything interesting as each character brings a different level o…
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A-Team – Season Two

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 15th, 2005

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I remember growing up with The A-Team; Mr. T. was the Man… and the originator of true bling-bling. This action series lasted 5 seasons, and was quite entertaining for its time. It does not really meet today’s standards for action & effects, but then again… this series ran in the 80’s. I am very surprised that today, in the day of film remakes of classic television shows, we have yet to see this show make it to the big screen. With The Dukes of Hazard about to get its theatrical debut… can an A…
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Jeffersons – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 15th, 2005

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Very few shows had the longevity that The Jefferson’s did. Its eleven year run is one of the longest tenures for any sitcom in any decade. Season three was not one of the better seasons… as proved by TV ratings (24th in 1978). Who knows why ratings were not as good as most other seasons… You still get George’s shuffling, Weezie’s tirades, and now in season three we are introduced to Florence… the wise talking maid.

Season three did have its fair share of moments. Here is a brief season three syno…
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Cheers – The Complete Fifth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 15th, 2005

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Season five of Cheers is a major turning point for this show which ran an impressive 11 seasons. This season marks the end of Shelly Long’s (who plays Diane) tenure, and frees up a key opening in the cast – eventually filled by Kirstie Alley in season six. All of the regulars are back, including Sam, Woody, Carla, Frasier, Lilith, Norm, Cliff, and the aforementioned Diane. The laughs are contagious in each episode, and make you realize why this show was so popular for its entire eleven year run.

Dead Doll

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 10th, 2005

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Synopsis

A demented sculptor kills his girlfriend (Romi Koch) and turns her into a mannequin. At last,he has his perfect woman. But he still imagines her taunting him, and her beauty inspires oneman after another to kill to possess the now haunted doll. The tone is meant to be blacklyhumorous, some effort has gone into the camera work, and there is a subtext here about maleobjectification of women. But Koch’s line readings are so inept, and the storytelling so elliptical,that the ef…
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Dogtown and Z-Boys

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 9th, 2005

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Synopsis

This documentary gives us the birth of skateboarding culture as we know it today. In theearly seventies, the Z-Boys of the title, a group of surfing enthusiasts from a hard luckneighbourhood, move from surfing to more and more elaborate skateboarding tricks, worked onin guerilla fashion in the empty swimming pools and the like. Director Stacy Peralta (who alsomade the surfing documentary Riding Giants) was one of those skaters, and so he ispretty damn close to the ma…
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Bill Maher – Be More Cynical

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 7th, 2005

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Bill Maher – Be More Cynical is a recording of a 2000 performance in San Fransico. Now, the jokes are a bit dated. Monica Lewinsky and George W. Bush, back then, were still prime fodder (in fact Bush still is, but that’s beside the point.) This performance lasts just over and hour and is an excellent introduction to Maher’s work. He’s one of those “edgy” comedians. He rants a lot about religion, drugs, and sex. But Maher’s rants are well phrased and his comic timing is well polished. The guy knows how t…
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King of the Hill – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 2nd, 2005

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Starting way back with The Simpsons, working up to King of the Hill, growing into Futurama & Family Guy, and now spawning American Dad, Fox sure does know the market of primetime animated TV; and the driving force behind the huge popularity of these shows comes down to DVD releases such as this. Not only have more fans come out of the woodwork since the incarnation of TV on DVD releases, these fans have also driven Fox to push forward with this genre of programming.

Starsky & Hutch – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 2nd, 2005

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The third season of Starsky and Hutch offered some changes from the first two seasons. Two-parters were a little more prevalent, the tone was often more serious, and the light banter remained as did Huggy Bear’s schemes and dreams. Still, the actors were looking to stretch their thespian muscles in the third year.

The writers took more chances and the stories were far more intense. One of my favorite episodes begins the third season. The two-parter Murder On Voodoo Island featured prominent guest star Joan Collins.
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Everybody Loves Raymond – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 1st, 2005

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Very few sitcoms have the endurance to last nine seasons. Everybody Loves Raymond shares their long-running tenure with comedy heavyweight shows such as Friends, Frasier, & Cheers. Not even Seinfeld lasted nine seasons… it fell short, ending after eight. That says a lot for this show; I guess everyone does love Raymond.

All 26-episodes of the complete third season of Everybody Loves Raymond are included in this set. The episodes are all very entertaining; from “The Invitation” all the way to “How They Met”.
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Entourage – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 1st, 2005

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As I always say when I review HBO television sets… you gotta love HBO. Entourage cannot be placed in the same family as Six Feet Under or The Sopranos, but it still can hold its own against the offerings from other networks. Not only do you get a good show, but you also get the benefits of a cable broadcast… adult language and nudity. Who could ask for more from a TV show?

Produced by “Marky” Mark Wahlberg, this is the story of a guy from Jersey who make his way to Hollywood to make …
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Steve McQueen Collection

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 1st, 2005

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Synopsis

This is an interesting collection, with two of the films being among the most famous SteveMcQueen was ever involved with, and the other two being noticeably less high profile. TheMagnificent Seven (1960) is one of the last and greatest of the straightforward westerns,before the deconstruction of the genre at the hands of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah, andeven here the death of the west is foregrounded theme, with Yul Brynner, McQueen, JamesCoburn, Charles Bronson an…
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Disney Learning Adventures

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 28th, 2005

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Synopsis

Each disc uses a Mickey Mouse cartoon to teach children the basics about such topics as language, geography and numbers. “Mickey’s Seeing the World” uses the cartoon “Mickey’s Around the World in 80 Days” to these ends, while “Reading & Math Fun” uses the much older “Mickey and the Beanstalk” the cartoons are interrupted periodically to put them to educational use in the form of games. This is so far out of my field of expertise that I can’t pretend to evaluate how well this content works, t…
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Stella Dallas

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 26th, 2005

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Synopsis

Miner’s daughter Barbara Stanwyck sets her cap for John Boles, a New England aristocrat who has fled financial disgrace and sought honest work far from home. She lands him, and they marry, but almost immediately their very different backgrounds create tension. When he finds work in New York, she refuses to move with him, and they grow further apart. Meanwhile, their daughter spends most of her time with Stanwyck, but her visits to New York become more and more wonderful, as far as she is con…
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