Kung Fu: The Complete Series Collection (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)There are lots of reviews which already talk (extensively) about why Kung Fu was such a great show, and worth owning on DVD. Instead I just wanted to make sure people know what they are getting with this set...
I hesitated to buy this set at first because it had all 3 seasons packaged together, but didn't mention anything about special features, etc. I wanted to make sure I had the commentaries & featurettes that the individual seasons boasted. Eventually, I bought this version because the price difference won me over (just before the holidays it was $35 + super saver shipping!) and I was pleased to find out that the set contained all 3 seasons as they appear individually, as well as a nice little slip cover to store them all together. The individual seasons & this package are the same, except that this one costs far less.

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He is a man of peace in a violent land. He is Kwai Chang Caine, schooled in the spirit-mind-body ways of the Shaolin priesthood by the blind, avuncular Master Po and the stern yet loving Master Kan. Caine speaks softly but hits hard. He lives humbly yet knows great contentment. He is the Old West's most unusual hero. But hero is not a word Caine would use. He would simply say, "I am a man."

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Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)While various MST3K episodes have circulated over the internet and from companies like Rhino, the MST3K movie has long since disappeared from DVD shelves. Now, rather than rent a copy from Netflix and then "lose" it so you can keep one (or pay extravagant prices on Ebay), Universal has rereleased this great film to the delight of fans everywhere.
So what makes this different from any normal episode? Well, first of all it's set between the sixth and seventh seasons (right after the departure of TV's Frank and before Pearl joins as a regular), so Doctor F has the bad guy side all to himself. Fortunately, Trace is more than capable of making his every moment on screen a blast (there's even a funny "mini-origin" monologue that starts the film off to catch everyone up to speed). The set is finally expanded here and we get to see more of the ship finally. But, strangely enough, this is actually SHORTER than any of the episodes you see on television. This was done because the studio was afraid people who weren't familiar with the show would get bored in the theater--but of course, why would they go see it if they weren't familiar with the show in the first place?
The movie they choose to riff is "This Island Earth", which I always thought wasn't such a bad film anyway. However, Mike and the Bots do manage to squeeze in some great lines throughout. Definitely worth the time!
One small warning: they do use a few more colorful words here than they did on television. Not often by any means, but they sneak a couple in here and there.
I'm so glad we're finally seeing this gem return to DVD! Don't know what brought it on, but thank you!

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Eegah Review

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(More customer reviews)Everything you would expect from a 60's b-movie, except no nudity. There's some swimsuit and bra shots, but thats it.

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Featured on episodes of Canned Film Festival and Mystery Science Theater 3000, and one of the films listed in Michael Medved's book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time has given Eegah a cult following. One night after shopping, a woman is driving home through the desert when she nearly runs her car into a giant cave man. Her father goes looking for this creature and turns up missing. When the woman goes searching for her father, she too, is kidnapped and taken back to a cave. When a frisky Eegah expresses a romantic interest in her, her fearful father suggests she put up with as much of it as she can bear. Soon they escape, the cave man follows, resulting in a confrontational ending.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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The Lost Prince (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Now that I have finally seen both episodes of The Lost Prince I can say confidently that it is one of the best Masterpiece Theater presentations in many years. As the story of Prince John, the youngest child of King George V and Queen Mary of Great Britain, it is heartbreakingly evocative of the tragedy of one child and of the loss of an entire world.
The first episode opens with Prince John at about the age of three or four. He is epileptic and probably autistic, handicaps which no one knew how to deal with effectively at the time and which were especially difficult to handle for a Royal on public display much of the time. His family is fond of him but emotionally distant, and the only real love John receives is from his nurse Lalla and his next older brother Georgie. Most of the time John is kept out of sight, though occasionally he gets to watch Royal occasions like the visit of the Russian Imperial Family to England (among the most beautiful of the scenes in this film, the Grand Duchesses and the Empress being elegant and charming) and the funeral of his grandfather Edward VII. His parents are so bound up with their royal duties and conscious of their dignity that they can't unbend enough to risk being with Johnnie too often. (With Queen Mary we are given an explanation for her apparent unfeelingness when we are shown glimpses of her own difficult and embarrassing childhood as the daughter of a very large and very undignified Princess.) Johnnie's handicaps make him refreshingly natural and spontaneous, which embarrasses his family when, for example, he repeats some unflattering comments he has overheard the Prime Minister make about the Royals. The first episode ends with the outbreak of World War I and Johnnie's removal to the countryside.
In the second episode Johnnie is safely ensconced at a farm near Sandringham with Lalla and a small retinue of servants. He rarely sees his family, who are busier with royal duties than ever. His main source of news and information is Georgie, who is a miserable cadet at the Royal Naval College. Georgie witnesses Britain's conversion to a war footing and the development of chauvinistic super-patriotic anti-German feelings. These lead to the Royal Family coming under attack for its German origins, and to the dynasty's renaming itself the House of Windsor. We also see the fate of the Romanovs after the fall of the Russian monarchy in 1917. Although the British government at first agreed to accept the Romanovs as exiles, rising anti-monarchical sentiment in Britain so alarmed George V that he prevailed on his government to rescind the invitation. This led to the eventual execution of the Romanovs and lifelong remorse by the King.
During these war years Johnnie lived a quiet life, roaming the countryside and planting gardens. His parents saw him rarely and were as distant as ever. Eventually, Lalla prevailed on the King and Queen to hear Johnnie give a recital. One of the happiest parts of The Lost Prince comes when the King and Queen find themselves listening to and enjoying the company of their youngest son, gradually unbending and smiling as he plays the trumpet and kicks a football. Johnnie lived only a short time after the end of World War I, but the King and Queen carried his memory with them for the rest of their lives. By the way, it may be of interest to know that his brother Georgie, to whom Johnnie gave the courage to pursue his own artistic interests, had difficulties of his own in his twenties and thirties with drug addiction and sundry other problems, finally dying in a plane crash in 1942. This Georgie was not King George VI, the father of the present Queen. George VI's original name was Albert (Bertie) and he appears only as an extra in this film.
The Lost Prince is a beautiful production. Extreme royal aficionados will notice a few missteps (the Romanovs may have been Russian Royals, but they didn't have Russian accents the way this film portrayed them. If anything, Nicholas and Alexandra and their children had British accents!) but these are mere fumbles in the delivery of a beautiful and evocative series.

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LOST PRINCE - DVD Movie

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Tennessee Williams' Dragon Country (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)Once again Kim Stanley is breathtaking to watch. Oh to have seen her in her hey day on Broadway. Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley

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This production pairs together two Tennessee Williams plays, written twenty years apart, each examining the theme of isolation with searing clarity. The joint presentation features the world premiere of "I Can't Imagine Tomorrow," starring two-time Oscar nominee Kim Stanley (The Right Stuff) and William Redfield (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), and a much earlier work, "Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen," starring Lois Smith (Five Easy Pieces)and Alan Mixon. Together, the dramas delve into "A land of endured but unendurable pain," said Williams, "where each one is so absorbed, deafened, blinded by his own journey across it, he sees, he looks for, no one else crawling across it with him."

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Poldark, Series 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)I challenge anyone to watch this series and not be moved, amused, intrigued, and glued to the screen. Faithful retellings of Winston Graham's unforgettable characters, coupled with a setting that makes me feel as though I am in Cornwall in reality, make this production of POLDARK an absolutely unmissable story. I chanced upon the series years ago (I wish PBS would rerun it) and had the forethought to tape some, but not all, of the episodes. The quality of my tapes, however, is not exceptional, and I've been hoping the DVD would come along.
Robin Ellis as Ross Poldark, Angharad Rees as Demelza, Jill Townsend as Elizabeth, Ralph Bates as Warleggan, and others make this fully-fledged epic of Cornish history and the people who made that history come alive in a story at once part soap opera, part action adventure, and all wonderful. Demelza is fiery, vulnerable, intense, steadfast in her love for Ross; Ross is headstrong, volatile, proud, but highly intelligent; Warleggan is everyone's imagined perfect villain, who actually had promise at one time but now is eaten away by jealousy. Jud Paynter, played with wicked, hilarious understanding by Paul Curran, was one of the most memorable side characters in the production; he has me laughing on the floor at nearly every appearance. The interweaving of all the lives in this tale - Ross, a member of landed gentry who has the odd trait many of the overlords don't - compassion for the working class - is so intricately done that it is hard to believe they aren't the actual characters. The accents are just right (it is almost worthy of a college course to try to unravel what Jud is saying sometimes) and the heartfelt performances by everyone in the cast are amazing. This series is at the top of my list of BBC productions, and instilled a need in me to absorb every book in the series as well (many times by now). I felt almost related to the people onscreen.
If you enjoy English period histories, superbly acted and staged, I cannot recommend anything higher than this series. I am looking forward to it coming on DVD. Even dated, it rings true and fresh. Now I want to go to Cornwall.

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As seen on Masterpiece Theatre "Romantic adventure, complete with raging ambition, terrible betrayals, frustrated loves, daring deeds, and a marvelously dashing hero" —The New York TimesHailed as a British Gone with the Wind, Poldark created a sensation on PBS\'s Masterpiece Theatre with its dashing, romantic hero and his infamous exploits. Based on the novels by Winston Graham, this classic miniseries demonstrates the enduring appeal of a gripping storyline and unforgettable characters.Returning to Cornwall after the American Revolution, Capt. Ross Poldark (Robin Ellis, The Good Soldier) finds his life at home has fallen apart. His estate is in disarray. His former flame, Elizabeth (Jill Townsend, Cimarron Strip), is engaged to his cousin. And his family\'s copper mines have become targets for the Poldarks\' bitter rivals. Duels, smuggling, and attempted murders unfold as Ross strives to resurrect his fortunes and find true love. This spellbinding saga dramatizes the deep rifts in British society on the brink of industrialization, played out against the rocky, ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast. 16 episodes; approx. 821 min.; 4:3 full screen; color; British drama; not rated; SDH subtitles

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Golden Age Theater - Volumes 1-6 (6-DVD) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)TV GOLDEN AGE THEATER, Vols. 1-6 offers 24 examples of five different half-hour TV drama series from the 1950s.
THE PROGRAMS--
CAVALCADE OF AMERICA-- DuPont brought their long-running radio show to TV in October of 1952 for five seasons on the NBC network. Widely considered one of the best anthology series of its day, "Cavalcade" featured true stories of Americans both famous and obscure.
FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE-- Ran from Sept. '52 to July '56 on the CBS network. The program had a regular rotation of four stars (thus the name). They were: Dick Powell, David Niven, Charles Boyer and Ida Lupino.
GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER-- This show aired for 10 seasons (from 2/1/53 to 9/1/62) on the CBS network and was hosted by Ronald Reagan, who also appeared occasionally as part of an episode's cast.
THE STAR AND THE STORY-- A syndicated anthology series hosted by Henry Fonda. It ran for two seasons, starting in Jan '55.
TV READER'S DIGEST-- Series presented stories based on true events. The program aired on ABC from Jan '55 to July '56. The host was Hugh Reilly.PASSPORT's GOLDEN AGE OF TV DRAMA would be a good supplement to this DVD box. It contains 15 programs not in this collection.For synopses of all episodes, see my reviews of each individual volume.
Details below include episode and season numbers, original airdates and featured actors.
VOLUME #1 ("General Electric Theater," season #4)--
(#75) Feathertop (12/4/55) - Natalie Wood/John Carlyle/Carleton Carpenter
(#99) The Golden Key - Joe E. Brown/Kenny Delmar/Van Dyke Parks
(#86) The Honest Man (2/19/56) - Jack Benny/Charles Bronson/Zsa Zsa Gabor/Jack LaRue
(#77) Let it Rain (12/18/55) - Ronald Reagan/Cloris Leachman
VOLUME TWO ("General Electric Theater," season #4)--
(#92) The Easter Gift (4/1/56) - Macdonald Carey/Robin Lawson/Michael Allen/Edward Brian
(#80) Estaban's Legacy (1/8/56) - Ricardo Montalban/David Colmans/Sid Cassel
(#98) The Hat With Roses (5/20/56) - Gisele MacKenzie/Margaret Barker/Joseph Sullivan
(#83) In Summer Promise (1/29/56) - Joan Fontaine/Scott Marlowe/Betsy Palmer
VOLUME THREE--
(#55) The Adolescent ("Four Star Playhouse") (S.3, 10/28/54) - Ida Lupino/Hugh Beaumont/John Doucette
(_#1) The Golden Junkman ("Telephone Time") (S.1, 4/8/56) - Lon Chaney Jr./Leslie Dennison/Corey Allen
(#30) The Brainwashing of John Hayes ("TV Reader's Digest") (S.2, 11/7/55) - Vincent Price/Steven Geray
(#22) A Place of His Own ("Four Star Playhouse") (S.2, 10/8/53) - Charles Boyer/Ralph Moody/Jeanette Nolan/Ellen Corby
VOLUME FOUR--
(#10) America's First Great Lady ("TV Reader's Digest") (S.1, 3/21/55) - Gloria Talbott/John Stephenson/Richard Ney
(.#1) Dark Stranger ("The Star and the Story") (S.1, 1/8/55) - Edmond O'Brien/Joanne Woodward
(#41) Payment in Kind ("The Star and the Story") (S.2, 1/28/56) - Howard Duff/Beverly Garland/Hal March
(#71) The Wild Bunch ("Four Star Playhouse") (S.3, 2/17/55) - Charles Boyer/Natalie Wood/Barbara Stuart/Tommy Cook
VOLUME FIVE ("Four Star Playhouse")--
(_#34) House For Sale (S.2, 12/31/53) - Ida Lupino/George Macready/Howard Negley
(__#9) Man on the Train (S.1, 1/15/53) - David Niven/Alan Napier/Gordon Richards
(_#11) Sound Off, My Love (S.1, 2/12/53) - Merle Oberon/Barbara Billingsley/James Seay
(#112) The Story of Emily Cameron (S.4, 3/29/56) - Ida Lupino/Scott Forbes/Arthur Space
VOLUME SIX--
(_#41) The Bomb ("Four Star Playhouse) (S.2, 2/18/54) - David Niven/John Dehner/Anthony Marsh
(#103) The Boy Nobody Wanted (Cavalcade of America") (S.4, 5/29/56) - Johnny Crawford/Virginia Gregg/James Nolan
(#127) Don Marshall's Brat ("Cavalcade of America") (S.5, 3/19/57) - Russell Johnson/Patty McCormack/Paul Fix
(_#37) A String of Beads ("Four Star Playhouse") (S.2, 1/21/54) - Angela Lansbury/George Macready/Nigel Bruce/Ronald Colman (host)

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Six DVDs, withtwenty-four episodes of the best short story, novella, and screenplay adaptations done for television during the Golden Age of Television.

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