Stone Temple Pilots: Alive in the Windy City [Blu-ray]

A Fine Showing
I thought the overall performance was excellent. They seemed to generally recreate the sound from the albums, which is just fine for me. Scott Weiland, in particular, seemed to keep to the script of the original studio tracks with minimal nonsense. Thanks for that, Scott. I wish "Big Bang Baby" had been included in the setlist but I won't cry about it. I love live concerts shot in theaters of this size. The sound and direction always seems to benefit from it. The band was tight and Scott's voice was in fine form. I can't recall an instance of him lowering the key because he couldn't hit the note. (That's always an epic disappointment for me) I think fans of STP, both devoted and casual, will enjoy this.

Legendary!
I come from Paris and I will try to explain how I feel about this DVD.

First of all I was waiting for a Stone Temple Pilot DVD to be released a long time ago, they are the last "grunge" band (are they really?) of our time, they survived the 2000's.

Why Scott Weiland always surprises me? I mean you could swear that his voice and performance will suck big time after all he went trough but like always he surprises me again and again:

Very nice intro, nice lights and background. They did make lots of effort on that point and results are beautiful. A big screen with waves during Creep, Circles during Plush...beautiful set up and different in EVERY single song.

Apparently Dean DeLeo added some effect on his guitar that really shines his playing. It does some amazing solos to end the songs, lots of personality in his playing and more depth than before. A guitar player will learn a thing or two.

Robert has a nice voice that you will have...

STP for life
Great dvd! I forgot how much I loved STP back in my high school days. Seen STP on tour back in 1996, this dvd took me back to some great times. I would recommend any fan of rock to check this dvd out.

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Don Giovanni [Blu-ray]

A MIXED BAG WITH SOME REAL PLUSES & MINUSES
This is not going to be a easy review. This new DON GIOVANNI has many real strengths and weaknesses and often in the same performer. This is going to take some very detailed analyse. The Blu-ray production also has some issues and inconsistencies.
1) The sound is a mixed bag. Orchestra sound and clarity is excellent; however, vocal sound changes from character to character and starts muddled and improves as the First Act progresses. The Don himself has the worst sound field i.e. cavernous and many times without focus. Some of the problem is his own vocal production. More on this later.
2) The sound from the pit is excellent with Mark Wigglesworth conducting a magnificent account of this wonderful score. Tempi and balances are ideal; and all rhythmns are ideally articulated. Try the overture's opening chords; many conductors don't get this right... Weighty yet distinct and clear. Wigglesworth is a great Mozartian!
3) Opera Australia seems to take the rehearsal...

College level performance
I chose this disc based on the favorable reviews I read. I'm sorry to say that I was very disappointed on several levels. The vocal performances were mediocre at best. The set design didn't work very well and the camera work was amateurish and only highlighted the limitations of the performers. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone familiar with the opera or looking for quality vocal performances.

If viagra could sing it would sound like Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Don Giovanni is one of those operas I have almost every video performance issued, simply because I haven't found any that I truly like. The search stops with this blu-ray. The reason is Teddy Tahu Rhodes. I have no interest in this production or in any of the singers except for him. What is it about him? Does he sing the Don better than anyone else? I don't know, I can't even analyze it in musical terms. It's that voice (it's not just his good looks). If viagra could sing it would sound like him. Opera Australia have a star here and a gold mine they would be foolish not to make full use of. I am buying anything with the name Teddy Tahu Rhodes on it. I got the Opera Australia Marriage of Figaro only for him and did not regret it. They should hurry up and create a production of Boito's Mefistofele especially for him - he is a godsent devil.

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Love & Passion & Deceit Classic Opera

Already owned.
Unforunately I already owned all if these operas. When I ordered this I mwas not told what the operas were but for someone who does not have them it is an excelltnt buy of some outstanding productions.





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Damages: The Complete Fourth Season

Still the Best Drama on TV
While neutral about the season 3 (I thought it was too short and disjointed), I found season 4 to be just as smart, suspenseful, superbly plotted, and expertly acted as ever. It's the best season since its debut, and still one of the most relevant-to-the-times dramas on television.

Our heroine Ellen and anti-heroine Patty take on High Star, a private defense contractor integral in illegal interrogation and extraction activities in Afghanistan. One botched mission serves as platform for a lawsuit. The true purpose of that mission is an underlying mystery known to only one character, which is revealed bit by bit. This is not your typical wartime terrorism, and solving this mystery is essential to the plot so trust that the battlefield flashbacks are relevant and not just filler. Because the CIA is in bed with High Star, it's also not your typical corporate corruption. The stakes to protect the guilty are the highest and most dangerous they've ever been. Ellen and Patty...

Down in the dumps over Damages
I concur, Damages is the best! How could it be so off the radar? With all the junk on network tv, how could this gem of a program be regulated to Direct TV- whatever that is..please this program should be on a major network...wait, they don't know whats good...but cable channels like AMC or USA..come on , this is a great series!

Definitley one of the weaker seasons, but still one of the best TV shows
Season 4 of Damages was more as a set up for the 5th and final season. Everything you loved about the previous 3 seasons (crazy plot twists, and great characterization) is still there. The only thing that I felt wrong with this season was that it seemed a little rushed. (The writers were cut 3 episodes with the move to DirectTV). Although the season is a little rushed, it's edgier and more realistic than the previous 3 seasons. The "R" rated language, they were allowed to get away with, definitely brought depth to some of the military characters. Damages has always been a gritty show, but now, it's even grittier and darker than ever. This season set up the final season perfectly,(SPOILER, setting up an Ellen vs Patty arc). I'm very excited to see where the Kessler bothers & Zelman are going to take us for the final act.

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Frontline: The Real CSI

Surprising -
I thought this documentary would contain cases solved with new scientific techniques - instead, it told of how forensic 'science' is more subjective than objective, that 'experts' in the field could be certified as such on-line with very little preparation, and that its not true that every person's fingerprints are different. One study even found that 80% of fingerprint experts participating changed their conclusion from 'a match' to 'no match' after being told a different background story about the potential culprit. Bite mark evidence was identified as one of, if not the least reliable sources of physical evidence - consistent with a recent case in Phoenix that sent an innocent man to spend several years on death row before being exonerated by DNA evidence.

DNA evidence, it turns out, is the one solid piece of evidence - experts can objectively quantify the likelihood of someone being a match or not a match; not something we can now do with even fingerprint evidence...

Interesting and informative.
I teach a forensic psychology class- this is full of segments that can be used to generate class discussions and critical thinking. A good counter to those who only know what's on the CSI and other media programming. Better for teachers than for sheer viewing enjoyment. (That's not a bad thing- it's what I bought it for). I didn't give it five stars because it isn't quite as good as the NOVA DVD- still it's quite good.

Can we trust forensic evidence??
XXXXX

"Forensic science is everywhere. On T.V., it's used to arrest and convict. But what we thought was science, may not be. Like the science of fingerprints. In fact, there is no national standard for any forensic testimony. And what about getting certified in forensics? You can do that online. [This program is an] investigation of one of the increasingly controversial tools of the criminal justice system: forensic science."

The above is what the narrator says in the introduction of this revealing documentary.

This program was first broadcast on PBS on April 17, 2012. It is a production of the popular investigative reporting show "Frontline."

This episode of Frontline specifically looks into:

(1) fingerprints
(2) a report on forensics by the National Academy of Sciences
(3) the Casey Anthony case
(4) forensic certification

Finally, to get its point across, this program has comments from real CSI...

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Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: The Complete Series - all 30 uncut episodes

Fighting crime in the (fictional) borough of Isola
NBC-TV's 87TH PRECINCT's one-season run may have been the result of having to compete against CBS's THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW and its spinoff, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. Thirty episodes of "87th" aired between 9/25/61 and 4/30/62. Reruns continued until September and then it vanished, seemingly forever. This DVD release of such an obscurity is quite astonishing, and it gives us TV cop show fans a chance to see what might've been: a long, successful run, if only...

Based on the novels of Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain), the precinct is located in an area of a fictional town that's much like Manhattan. Regular cast members: Robert Lansing (Det. Steve Carella), Ron Harper (Det. Bert Kling), Norman Fell (Det. Meyer Meyer) and Gregory Walcott (Det. Roger Havilland).

GUEST STAR TRIVIA--
Dawn Wells (#18) played Mary Ann on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND. Alvy Moore (#14, #25) was scatterbrained Hank Kimball on...

Another Outstanding Police Drama from the 1960s
I was happy to read about the upcoming release of the "87th. Precinct" tv series, one of the many outstanding b/w, noirish police dramas from that period. This well-done series was based on the series of books by "Ed McBain," the pseudonym of novelist/screenwriter Evan Hunter. (I met McBain/Hunter at a signing for a new 87th. Precinct novel years ago. I don't think most of the people there knew of the writer's double-identity. While most asked him about the new book, I asked him why the birds attacked Bodega Bay, since Hunter was the screenwriter for my favorite Hitchcock film: "The Birds" He seemed amused by my question.)
87th. Precinct ran for one season, (1961-1962,) Monday nights at 9 on NBC. It was prematurely cancelled by NBC the same day as the show that followed it: the classic Boris Karloff-hosted suspense drama: "Thriller." Too bad, as they were two excellent series.
87th Precinct had an excellent cast that went on to bigger things. Three years later the...

If you're a fan of Ed McBain, you'll really enjoy this!
Never mind that it's in black and white, from the early 1960s, with no special effects to speak of. It follows some of the McBain novels pretty closely and gives a nice feel for the gritty city which was a character in his 87th Precinct series. The cast is better than average; quite a few went on to notable careers. Robert Lansing is a bit more macho than the Steve Carella portrayed in the books, but it works well enough. There is some of the snarky humor, toned down for the censors but present to leaven the grim tales of murder and the like. Similarly, gruesome details are edited out - a very pleasant change from today's guaranteed bloodbaths and forensic details. If you haven't read any of the police procedurals, though, this series might not hold you in its grip, compared with later gems like "Hill Street Blues". If you're already familiar with the 87th Precinct, especially the earliest books in the series, you will really enjoy these DVDs.

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LASSIE'S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

Great Family Fare
Three tales - two in b/w and one in color, from the beloved tv series.

In the first episode (1955), Jeff and his pal Porky come close to being blown to pieces by dynamite while picking flowers for Gramps's surprise birthday party.

In the second episode (1956), Ellen and Jeff gather friends and neighbors together to make the Calverton telephone operator's birthday a special one.

The third episode (1971, color) is set on the Holden Ranch where an emotionally withdrawn boy is surprised with a special birthday gift from his Holden Ranch family. This episode was from the final two syndicated years of the show and features "CHiPS" star Larry Wilcox.

I was a mite disappointed the collection didn't include a Jon Provost/June Lockhart episode but I can't complain with the episodes offered here: the stories are absolutely delightful! The dvd is of excellent visual and audio quality and will be enjoyed by viewers of all ages.

76 wonderful minutes tender stories
Lassie's Birthday Surprise is a nicely selection of two Jeff time tales and one in the Garth Holden Ranch. In all of them Lassie helps giving love and happiness to Gramp's, to Jenny -the town operator- and to the orphaned Mike Bishop who doesn't even know when his birthday is. We can pass 76 wonderful minutes watching these tender stories.

What an Odd Title!
The common denominator of all these stories is that (surprise!) a birthday is celebrated. Two of the stories are from the Jeff era, the 1950's tale "Gramps' Birthday" and "Party Line," which is about the entire town of Calverton not knowing it's the birthday of Jenny the town telephone operator. The third episode is from 1971, in the Holden ranch sequence of episodes: the new foster son of Garth Holden has been so neglected he doesn't even know his birthday. Of course the Holdens do something about that immediately.

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Salzburg Opening Concert 2011

An interesting program that far exceeded my expectations
Two Alban Berg works, followed by Mahler's early cantata "Das Klagende Lied".

This Salzburg Festival program begins with Berg's "Lulu Suite", a five movement work that was originally designed to drum up interest in Berg's second and longer opera, "Lulu". Needless to say, Berg's music plays right into the Vienna Philharmonic's 'wheel house' - perhaps even more so than Mahler. This is an absolutely stunning performance, with the Wiener's natural, hyper-romantic tendencies disguising their equally accomplished virtuosity. They make Berg's music sound both beautiful and logical. Looking rather sexy with slightly 'deranged' facial gestures and wild eyes, Anna Prohaska (soprano) would make a terrific Lulu in the full length opera. Here, in the suite version, the soprano has to briefly play two roles. In the fourth movement she sings the brief yet wildly taxing "Lied der Lulu" (Lulu's song), in which Lulu delivers here incantation - her personal Credo, if you will - as to what...

Interesting programming from Boulez.
A recent Boulez Mahler release featured an early work, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, with his 10th. Symphony Adagio.(his last work), an imaginative juxtaposition.

This 2011 Salzburg concert presents an even earlier work, Das Klagende Lied, with two of Alban Berg's, Lulu Suite, and Der Wein (wine). Berg was of course, a disciple of Mahler's, and one can certainly hypothesize that, had Mahler lived longer, his music was heading in the direction of the territory occupied by Berg.

I am no Berg expert, and bow to B. Guerrero's fine review of the two works offered here. Despite my limited history with Berg's works, I did find them extremely well done, the VPO playing exquisitely as usual, and great singing from Prohaska and Roschmann make me want to get to know this music better.

The Mahler Klagende Lied, is really a cantata, not a song cycle. Its translation is "Sorrowful Song", Originally in three movements, Mahler condensed it to two, and modified the...



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In the Footsteps of Verdi

In the footsteps of Verdi
This is an excellent reference for teaching about Verdi which I'll be using for an opera appreciation class for retired adults

Verdi, One of the Italian Musical Wizards of the 19th Century
I have enjoyed the format and the details included. It is a highly engaging video for anyone interested in the evolution of grand opera as an art form. And so much of his writing was inspired by the goings on in the evolution of Italy as a unified country.



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Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete Second Season

This set is why you own a DVD player
Unlike some reviews that are allowed here, I actually own this set of DVD's and have watched all of it.

Those of us who are die hard R&B fans wondered if we'd see more after the release of Season 1. Happily, our concerns are unfounded with the release of Season 2. The restoration treatment is as good as the first set. Some fans did not like the "watermark" of "R&B" in the corner on the first edition. I don't like that trend either but, at least here, it is transparent and only visable for a few seconds.

This set includes four double-sided discs with 52 shows, that include 36 episodes of "Upsidasium", 16 episodes of "Metal Munching Mice", 12 episodes of "Greenpernt Oogle", 8 episodes of "Rue Brittania", 14 episodes of "Buried Treasure" and 14 episodes of "Wailing Whale".

You also get 35 Fractured Fairy Tales; 34 Mr. Peabody's; 17 Aesop and Son's and 18 Dudley Do-Right's.

"Mr. Know-It-All" and "Bullwinle's Corner" are in plentiful supply as...

r & B season 2
It's a shame they didn't use the original music during the credits. Jay Ward didn't own the rights to the music and the company putting out the DVD set didn't want to have to pay royalties for its use. Imagine seeing The Andy Griffith Show and not hearing the whistling theme song. It's also annoying that they used the opening credit segment that showed the name of the show as ROCKY & BULLWINKLE AND FRIENDS, when it was really ROCKY AND HIS FRIENDS. If you notice, when that segment plays, the voice is NOT that of William Conrad, but rather, someone who "sounds" like him. Other than these complaints about the opening and closing credits, the material on the set if great!

Fan Remembers Originals Opening Sequences & Commercials
I finally finished watching the second Rocky and Bullwinkle DVD set. Much to my very pleasant surprise, starting on show #44 on disc 4, they used the FIRST season opening and closing title/credits sequences! Like with the second year opening/closing sequences, this was the very first time I had seen these in color. Mind you, this is not the original theme music used, which I think was better synchronized with the action on the screen, still it is great to finally again see Rocky and Bullwinkle chased up and down the hill by the loosened pinwheels! The split-second shot showing their faces in horror as they realize the fireworks are coming loose is my favorite pose of the Frostbite Falls duo!

Those of you who probably saw Rocky and Bullwinkle on TV for the first time during the years of repeats are familiar with only the dancing moose opening title sequence. I saw "Rocky and His Friends" when it first aired in the late 1950s and early 1960s and I take sheer delight in...

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Dr Seuss: Green Eggs & Ham & Other Stories

So fantastic! Much better than the new Martin Short voice overs.
My 10 year old, 8 year old, 2 year old and I all laughed and laughed. In addition, the stories all are good for sparking conversations. These are the classic, real thing. We can't stand the new Martin Short voice on the Cat And The Hat series on PBS. YUCK! These are so much better. Classic, clever and hilarious.

It's one of my kid's favorites
It's a great re-creation of the book in video form. I've seen some other Seuss Videos that I thought were animated but they turned out to be just pictures with some pretty lame narration. I can practically see Theodore Geisel rolling over in his grave. But this video is one that you could imagine was done by the good doctor himself

If it's a sing-along, sing along!
The songs on this video are great. Green Eggs and Ham is a very famous Seuss book, and now it's made it to the small screen. What's next in store for this book? The big screen? Well, I sure hope so! The songs are perfect to sing along with. In fact, every time I read Green Eggs and Ham aloud I always sing the title to a tune from this video. The Sneetches and The Zax are also included along with opening songs by the Cat in The Hat! Happy watching!

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Lupin the 3rd: The Complete First TV Series

Finest Lupin the 3rd series gets its first official stateside release
Since its creation in the late 60's, Lupin the 3rd has had several television series and feature-length adaptations of the original manga created by Monkey Punch. This DVD collects the first-and arguably, the best-series, with many episodes directed by legendary anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. This is the first time that this series has been brought over for an official release here in the States, and as such, these episodes have never been dubbed. The language options are Japanese in 2.0, and Japanese in 5.1, with English subtitles, which is how the majority of Lupin fans would argue the series was meant to be seen anyway.

The package itself doesn't contain too many frills--liner notes for each episode and a couple episode commentary tracks by American "Lupin experts" are the two main bonus features, but it does contain both versions (theatrical and TV edit) of the Lupin feature-length pilot. It's not quite barebones, but it isn't "deluxe" either, and for the $50...

"Lupin, he's a nice guy"
This Anime is truly a really old one. The character hardly move at all (There is tons of standing still, only mouth moving scenes), each episodes story is predictable and the series isn't as perverted as the new Lupin. But is it entertaining? Hell yeah!

The music is one of the highlights here. The theme song consists entirely of a man reapeating "Lupin the 3rd" in different tones. The BGM is really awesome too. One infamous track is "Lupin - Nice Guy", a song where a man brags about Lupin in weird ways. The intro uses scenes from the episodes, but in a really amusing, 70's kind of way. It's like the cartoons you used to watch when you were a kid. Most of the episodes isn't continuous, so you can basicly watch any episode you watch. The only episode that proves different, is when Goemon arrives.

Since Hayao Miyazaki took over the show after episode 8, there is almost none nudity after this. The first 8 episodes have fanservice, but much milder than today. The...

Lupin Begins
When we think of Lupin today, we think of a funny, amicable thief who has a heart of gold. That's why some fans were a little put off by the fact that the newest Lupin TV series, "The Woman Named Fujiko Mine", was incredibly dark and disparate in its approach to the franchise. What those fans may not remember, however, is that the latest series is actually closer to the master thief's beginnings than any of the entries released in the last 20 years or so. "Lupin the 3rd: Series One" is sinister and mysterious, and much of its humor is perverted or black. However, this is not a knock on the show. In fact, it is a complement, for it is undoubtedly a classic that anybody, anime fan or no, will enjoy.

The shtick is pretty familiar at this point, so I'll keep it brief. Titular protagonist Arsene Lupin III is a master thief, known for his vivacious personality, ability to defy common logic, and weakness for women. His partner is Daisuke Jigen, a sharpshooter with a sharp wit to...

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Mindfulness for Depression with Ira Israel: Self-Help Guide for Relief from Stressful City Living (Yoga for your Mind)

ARTFUL AND MINDFUL...
In his video, "Mindfulness for Urban Depression", Ira Israel speaks to both the prevalence of, and remedies for, anxiety and depression in contemporary society, in a highly intelligent, personable and artful way. The information offered is beyond valuable for all. I particularly LOVED the dynamic quality of the video, with its changing urban landscapes, and artistic craftsmanship...ultimately delivering an uplifting and delightful experience, centered on a difficult topic. Grab it, you'll be glad you did!

Helped My Stress & Anxiety
This video is much better than the majority of self-help books I have read, and believe me, I have read a lot of them. I have watched it several times already, and every time I feel calm and peaceful afterwards. This is really saying something because no one has ever described me as calm. Anxious, yes- calm, no. The narrator's voice is very reassuring, and you feel like he really cares about you even though you aren't there with him in person. The images are really beautiful, too. I highly recommend this video to anyone who is anxious, stressed, or feeling low. I can see it helping a lot of people.

Enlightening!
Ira Israel presents a natural treatment for depression and anxiety that rejects the pharmaceutical approach to these all too common modern day afflictions. Ira is highly qualified and knowledgeable on the subject and presents clinical information in an interesting and understandable way. The video is beautiful to watch, and Ira's narrative is both instructional and inspiring. Yoga devotees and novices alike will find great value here. You will watch this video again and again. I am a fan.

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Behind the Scenes of the Silent Screen: Tours of the Thomas H. Ince and MGM Studios in the 1920s [Documentary]

Wonderful
This is a great DVD for cinema buffs. It gives great detail of early film making and what it takes behind the scenes to make one of the early movies in an era when it seemed the art, performance and story meant more than making money.





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Arena Di Verona

Two out of three ain't bad
In this set, you get three productions, only two of which are really worth seeing. CARMEN and TOSCA are both entertaining, impressively grand productions, bursting with a vitality and energy that mostly compensates for their shortcomings, but this AIDA is a creaky, dull, dated affair.

Arena di Verona
Because this year I missed the living performances in Verona I have ordered on DVD them. I was satisfied with the recording itself and the precise delivery by Amazon.



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Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Lost Broadcasts

"I'm Gonna Booglarize You" INDEED......!!!
Finally some prime MAGIC BAND footage in EXCELLENT quality & sound! First, some background from the press release:

"In 1972 Captain Beefheart released two albums; `The Spotlight Kid' and `Clear Spot'. He also toured the UK and Europe with the Magic Band, even performing two concerts at London's famed Royal Albert Hall. On April 12th, in the middle of the European leg of the tour, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND stopped off at the BEAT CLUB studios in Bremen, Germany to film a session for later transmission. Of the five songs filmed that day only one track has ever been broadcast. The band at the time included: Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) vocals, harp; Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) guitar and bass; Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) guitar; Orejon (Roy Estrada) bass; Ed Marimba (Art Tripp) drums; and Winged Eel Fingerling (Elliot Ingber) guitar. Author Jon Kirkman describes the recordings: "The session kicks off with a bass solo entitled `Mascara Snake'. This short...

This is a significant find because the world needs more Beefheart video footage.
I'm glad that this was published. Its great to see Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band from 1972. Steal Softly Thru Snow is from Trout Mask Replica, Golden Birdies from the then unrecorded or unpublished Clear Spot and two songs: Click Clack and I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby from their touring album Spotlight Kid. There is also a bass solo called Mascara Snake. The total running time of the music is 30 minutes and including a band introduction, two takes of Click Clack and three of I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby. All in all pretty cool.
The only downside is: during some of the songs the camera men aren't highly engaged. The good Captain is singing away and we're looking at the drummer or the bass player. This happens on a few of the songs and gets a bit irritating, hence the four stars. If you are a Beefheart fan, this is a must have for you. Newcomers should also experience the genius that was.

Repetitive but rare
Multiple takes of some of the same songs but definitely worth it for fans. Don seems to be asking for more mic and less monitor during some of if not most of the songs. Disappointed that Steal Softly thru Snow is an instrumental as that is one of my favorites lyrically.
The bass solo is great as is the early take of Golden Birdies.This incarnation of the Magic Band really had the songs down and despite his issue with the sound Beefheart sounds great.

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Eddie Questions His Feelings [HD]

Corny but really good and addictive!
I know this show is corny and you know what is going to basically happen(unless they change it because right now it is only on like the 20th episode)but this show is really addictive and good. This show moves really slow which is good and bad. It is good because you get to build relationships with the characters. You learn about them and always want more. This is also bad because sometimes the show goes a little to slow but otherwise it is amazing. I wish the show was longer for an hour or was on years ago because after every show I want more. The episodes mostly always end on cliffhangers, some are little and then some are really huge and you can't wait for more. I am absolutely in love with this show. The character Loren is amazing, I wish I was her and that talented. She and her mom remind me of Rory and Lorelai from Gilmore Girls. Their relationship is amazing together, also Melissa (Loren's bff) is like Lane. This show has really good qualities like that and many more. Another...

LOVE IT!!!
Good to have a youthful fresh and enjoyable soap opera on again... I look forward to watching it with my daughter each weeknight. It's refreshing to have something to look forward to besides "REALITY" T.V. We love the entire cast and all the wonderful secrets and cliff hangers!!! Definately worthy of 10 stars!

Addicted to Hollywood Heights!
Based on the spanish novela Alcanzar una Estrella. I am so totally adicted to Hollywood Heights! It is currently playing on teennick but watching each episode once is not enough. I really recomend you watch it!!!!!!!!

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CASPER'S SPOOKIEST TALES

A Spooktacular Collection
Most of these thirteen 'toons hail from 1963, when Casper was on TV on Matty's Funday Funnies (later Casper was replaced by Beanie and Cecil), along with a few theatrical releases from 1952, '54 and '58. The '60s Casper 'toons are probably the best known, since they were rerun endlessly in syndication and accompanied the Harvey comics of the period.

While adults might find some of the '60s crop somewhat slow, Casper is a young fan's favorite, and they are better than later Casper revivals (which they are often confused with) by other studios. This is a quality collection from Sony Wonder/ Classic Media, not another of those "Casper and Friends" DVDs where you get one Casper 'toon. Every 'toon features Casper, who in these 'toons lives with the Ghostly trio, and some star his Harvey comics friends, Wendy, Spooky, and Nightmare. Also, these are different 'toons than the standard handful that show up over and over on cartoon collections. The '60s ones are about three minutes...

Casper Spookiest tales
My granddaughter, age 4, loves to hear stories about Casper so she really has enjoyed watching this DVD.

good clean fun
Caspers always been one of my favorites, so when I have my little 4 year old nephew over I let him watch a few of these old cartoons. He fell in love with Casper and goes around singing the jingle. These cartoons will bring back childhood memories. But remember its not going to be dvd perfect, its just a copy of 1960 cartoons.

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Pregnancy Massage Dads To Be Guide DVD

It's helpful but fast paced.
This is a great tool for learning massage techniques. However you should plan to watch it several times and pause it every few seconds when you watch it during the message. Personally I would perfer to watch it and then try to remember what I learned rather then trying to watch it during the massage. All in all it is a good resource with helpful info.

It did not come shink wrapped so it almost feels like you received a used DVD.





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Binion/Godoy

i liked it, sexy.
It entertained me, and gave me swell thoughts that creatively inspired my wife and I to imagine only 7 days at at time. Intimacy.

interesting
over all good show. I can see how most of what was talked about should hold true. mainly for entertainment purposes.



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Bizarre Births [HD]

Really bad
The show was as unscientific as it was over dramatized. A perfect example being the episode animal intruders in which the narrator refers to a moose as a large predator... This played on animal planet, I used to watch documentaries hosted by David Attenborough on that channel. So bad it was disappointing.

Not that weird.
This show was sort of interesting. Sometimes I thought "why is this so weird?" The music and narrator made it a little too dramatic than it really is.

sceptic
i wasnt sure what to expect , i thought it was just another stupid show, i was surprised, very informative as long as you can handle what their going to show, then its worth listening to how it got that way

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Stealth Hogs [HD]

Hogs Gone Wild
Love this series. Makes we want to go out and hunt pigs. They are one nasty animal. Would hate to live where they are running wild.

Hogs gone mild
two episodes were enough for us. Maybe animals gone wild would have been better, mix it up a bit, OUT!

Really Great Show!!
Great action and really good story lines. Really made you feel like part of the action! Opened my eyes to the wild hog issues. Not for everyone.

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Pilates Traditional

Very calm yet very strengthening
I was very pleased with this DVD. Juliana Afram gives a very calm, peaceful feeling to this routine. There is a very nice warm-up before the routine. The routine itself is very good, although you should have prior pilates experience as she does not go in-depth into the teaching of each pose. She does explain each pose well enough to learn it, however. The pace is pretty slow and easy. Very nice seaside background and music is very pleasing. There are separate tracks for convenience of use.

Very fun routine covering beginning and intermediate levels.

Very Thorough Beginner Pilates Workout - Nice Environment!
I love that this Pilates video is filmed outside near the ocean. Juliana Afram leads you through a one-on-one basic Pilates session where she carefully explains the positioning of your body during each of the movements. She gives you time to change positions and explains the benefits of each exercise. The music is nice and appropriate for the calming environment. My only criticism is on the video shooting. Juliana's skin tones were not captured properly and during a few of the shots, her face and legs are two completely different skin tones. I recommend this dvd if you are a beginner to Pilates and want a thorough, calming introduction led by a professional.



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Italy Revealed [HD]

A look at the lives of some interesting Italians
Do not buy this video if you wish to be shown the Colesseum, etc. etc. - all of the tourist attractions, it is not that type of video. It is more about capturing the mood of the country, some of its background, and the prospects for the future.
You will meet a man purusing his dream of becoming a gondolier in Venice; a volunteer rescue worker in the Italian Alps; we follow a member of the Missoni family preparing for their new collection; a horse jockey who hopes to participate in Siena's palio (a 90 second horserace which brings the neighbourhoods of Siena to a fever-pitch); a young Roman girl who hopes to be the country's first femae race car driver; and a young Sicilian man who is a free diver, hoping to become professional. Along the way we are told about the state of the Catholic church in modern Italy, and other vignettes of information about the country that we learn while we look in on these people's lives. And of course, Isabella Rosselini's voice is wonderful, I love...

Beautiful photography
This is worth watching in HD for the stunning photography alone.

Contrary to some reviews, there is nothing wrong with the disc. Certain HD-DVD players have firmware bugs which have been fixed in newer versions, that keep them from showing several titles including this one. Connect your HD-DVD player to the internet and run the update utility under Settings.

Human Stories of Italy
This documentary covers a number of sites in Italy by picking a human subject in each of the locations, and telling us the story of a slice of life in that individual and its bonding with local culture and history. These narratives run in parallel, we are taken back and forth between the heroes, as their character story lines progress.

The main feature on this Blu-Ray disk is compressed more than what I've seen on Blu-Ray titles from other studios. The picture is a little washed out, especially where fast movement is shown. The quality of the camera work is exceptional for the most part; but some of less than stellar footage, with bad lighting and color fringing, was also mixed in.

This DVD has extras. But, when I started watching the first one, I immediately noticed that there were some mastering problems, showing bad digital artifacting, most noticeable at scene changes. Fortunately, the main feature does not suffer from this.

Overall this is a very...

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Trance Opera

One of the best Trance Videos
This trance video has to be one of the best ive seen. If your really into the whole trance thing then this is one video you want in your collection.

Great sounds with great visual stimulation
I have known about the release of this DVD for some time, and could not wait to get my hands on it, but the wait was definatley worth it, the sounds are unique and extremly pure i would recommend this DVD/Soundtrack to anyone interested in Trance, a must have in any trance collection!!!!



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Sabrina the Teenage Witch - The Complete Animated Series

Practically Magic
At long last, the original animated incarnation of SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH finally makes her very auspicious DVD debut. Genius Products, in tandem with its other ARCHIES releases, brings you a 3-DVD set of the original Filmation animated series featuring all 31 episodes.

Sabrina made her first appearance in the ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE comic series and gained a fair amount of popularity, eventually spawning her own comic book. Filmation brought Sabrina to animation in the prime-time special ARCHIE AND HIS NEW PALS, and eventually spun off her own series after showcasing her as part of THE ARCHIE COMEDY HOUR. The resulting cartoons depict Sabrina as a resident of Riverdale and a student at Riverdale High, accompanied in her adventures by her boyfriend Harvey and her friends Spencer and Ophelia (who respectively serve Jughead and Betty functions to Harvey's Archie).

However, as our title says, Sabrina IS a witch, and therefore must keep her magical abilities a secret...

"You'll See Her Tug Her Ear! You'll See Her Disappear!"
Now you can enjoy Sabrina the Teen-age Witch, her tail-zapping red cat Salem, her witchy aunts Hilda and Zelda, her warlock-cousin Ambrose, and Head Witch Miss Della in all 31 episodes from the original FILMation animated series.

In its initial concept stage, this series was supposed to feature the teen-age versions of Samantha and Darrin from "Bewitched", but the producers were uncomfortable with Samantha dominating the airwaves on both ABC and CBS. With the success of "The Archie Show", Norm Prescott, Lou Scheimer, and Hal Sutherland turned to a lesser-known Archie Comics character who appeared in "Madhouse Comics", Sabrina. Instead of twitching her nose to trigger her magic, they had Sabrina tug her ear. Stories focused on high school situations to relate to young Saturday morning viewers, and Archie and the gang even guest-starred in some of the episodes. (Eventually, Samantha and Darrin's children, Tabitha and Adam Stephens, starred in their own cartoon on "The...

An Excellent Slice of Cartoon History
I'd never heard much about this cartoon prior to its DVD release, and many people I've spoken to aren't familiar with it either. But after so far only watching one disc out of the three included, I can affirmatively say that I haven't enjoyed a cartoon so effortlessly and thoroughly in a long time. It has all the right ingredients: bright, vivid colors; enchanting character personalities; creative storylines with lots of innocent and belly-ache humor.

After watching a few episodes, I was surprised to see how many of the fundamental aspects of this series were retained for the 90's sitcom version. There are some key differences. For instance, this cartoon feeds more into traditional stereotypes of witches as doing evil deeds (a priority for Aunt Hilda here), whereas the 90's sitcom presents them in a more positive light. But it's all done in a lighthearted way. However, Sabrina's boyfriend has the same name (Harvey), and Salem is also around.

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See How A Course In Miracles Works

A life altering DVD
"No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey". this video is for you. This first in a series of DVD's explaining the principles of "A Course In Miracles" is a must have for anyone who wants to experience joy and peace of mind. Ms Howe has the ability to clarify the Course for us and present it in a way that is very understandable. I have picked the Course up many times and tried to read it, only to put it down because it seemed too difficult to understand. Not to worry- says Ms Howe- do it anyway and one day it will make perfect sense.

One of the parts that really resonates with me is when Carol talks about deciding not to listen to the "voice in her head" that kept telling her she could NEVER be a teacher. All of us hear that voice that tells us we are not okay or capable of doing things we want to do. Because of her experiences studying the Course, she was able to finally ignore that voice and begin to teach- and teach she does!!!!! I realized that I, too,...

Finally a video explaining ACIM
Ive been a big fan of A Course in Mircales for a while but unfortunately there isnt that much literature out there...I was looking for a video to give to a friend who I felt was in need - but could find lots of informal audio stuff but not any clear videos which explains what the blue book is all about.

The production values are very good and in this video they explain what the course means and how it can help your life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is finally at a point where they realize their old tricks arent working and they feel 'there must be another way'

This is only the first part in the series...looking forward to the following segments

A Clear and "enlightening" Video
I have been a student of A Course in Miracles for many years, but I've always found it difficult to explain to people what I was studying. Now I can direct them to Carol Howe's wonderful DVD. With her clear and easy manner, Carol makes the Course accessible to all. Her knowledge is based on both her years as a student and teacher, and her long and close relationship with one of the scribes of the material. Her presentation is filled with insight that can help all of us, beginner and experienced alike, understand the tenants of the Course. I can't wait to view the ones that will follow.

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Shakespeare Series: Taming Of Shrew

Funny and cute
Great adaptation. Kate was great. I enjoyed the playfulness of the characters. Kept me entertained from start to finish. Awesome!

What Can I Say? An Adequate Rendition of Shakespeare.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were outstanding - especially the wedding scene where he makes a total mockery of her to teach her a lesson. The previous mentioned film had character - the actors were excellent and believable. I laughed through the whole story line. This film drags - I couldn't get involved. I skimmed through it, and then I was done.

Well done.
Excellent and enjoyable performances by all, especially the two leads. This very active play works far better on a stage than it does reading the written word.

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Shakespeare Series: King Richard II

Like watching a play
This was my first Shakespeare play to watch which uses the language of Shakespeare. It was fascinating although this particular plot was not as good as some of the plays I have read of his. Listening to the language of Shakespeare is much more enjoyable than reading a play!





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Shakespeare Series: Romeo and Juliet

We Need A Better Romeo and Juliet on Prime
As a theatre graduate, I've studied Shakespeare and have seen this play numerous times, and even performed in it in high school. This version of the play is a poor representation of a majority of the play. As others have said, the only good part was Mercutio, and he's not on enough.

The girl who played Juliet in my high school production, who had a deeper register, had more vocal and emotion range than this Juliet.

The cinematography is atrocious.

Again, the only reason this gets two stars, is the Mercutio.

Please Amazon, put up a better version of this for Prime Members.

Watch this for Mercutio
This production of Romeo and Juliet has two things going for it

1: It is currently the only Romeo and Juliet available free with Amazon Prime
2: Dan Hamilton shines as Mercutio. If you are playing Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, watch his scenes. He did a really good job.

Unfortunately, that's not enough to save the film. Alex Hyde-White's Romeo is OK. Blanche Baker is a dismal, expressionless, trancelike Juliet that sucks any interest or emotion out of her scenes.

So watch this for Mercutio. Skip the rest.

Just okay
This was a straight play performance, which for my high schooler was good. However, the quality of the video was mediocre at best.

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La Forza Del Destino

A great show that ended too soon!
Great actors. Great dialogue. This is a very intelligent and witty show that manages to aptly combine comedy, relationship chemistry, and touching drama. I wish it had continued for many more seasons.

Sorkin for Primetime is always golden.
I never watched this show when it was on the air but I bought both seasons recently. Classic Sorkin. Recommended for all!

ya gotta be quick!
It's NOT about sports, but an enviable understanding and love of sports is what bonds the characters on the TV set of this sportscasting program. Such a well-written show, every line worth hearing, but you have to concentrate your listening powers -- they go fast! The wit is great fun, as are the many relationships, with here and there a sobering moment. You really can't help falling for everyone in that studio. And on DVD or streaming, each episode's a whopping 22 minutes -- there's always time for one more!

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Shakespeare Series: Antony and Cleopatra

Great movie
I had heard about this movie all my life and because of a rainy day with nothing better to do I rented it. The cast was superb headed by Charlton Heston and the scenery and filming were amazing.





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Shakespeare Series: Othello

Iago is great
Wonderful deliveries of lines and emotions. Perfect casting. Othello and Iago were right off the pages. Shakespeare would have been proud

It was good
I was watching it for school. For the most part, it had a good amount of correct dialog. But some parts where skipped. The actors were very dramatic and believable.



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Boris and Natasha: The Movie

Great old movie and hard to find
This movie is one of my childhood favorites. The Boris and Natasha characters from Rocky and Bullwinkle shine here in live action the narrator, if you're familiar with Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, does not disappoint, either.

Fun and Dumb
I think this is a fun, dumb movie, which it should be since it mirrors the cartoon characters. I enjoy watching it. Who doesn't love Boris and Natasha?

Great movie
My brother and I would go to the video rental store and rent this movie over and over. It was a staple in our movie rotation. Funny and Campy I suggest this movie. Cheesy narration is great.

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Charlie Rose - Charlie Rose Brain Series 2: Depression (May 29, 2012)

Most Comprehensive Overview-for the World to See!
This review is from the original broadcast last night...
This program was a blessing to those of us who have been suffering from this painful condition-as well as those who have loved ones who get depressed. I have lived my entire life on this roller coaster and at almost 60, I am tired. This program had me sitting down and wishing the whole world-especially my family were tuned in so that they could better understand the pains that I feel amd why I am sometimes either overdoing it or unable to get moving.
Stigma! Time for us to kill it. What a bit of misunderstanding!
A great and comprehensive discussion-a must see. Please-all viewers, forward to as many persons as you can. Thanks.
Thank you Charlie and guests!!

Understanding Depression
This incredible mix of experts who together explained the
phenomena of depression was the most informative and meaningful show I have ever seen. Depression is something I am very familiar with. The discussions describing recent discoveries about the brain, the patterns of depression and the possible treatments now emerging left me with a sense of hope that finally help is on its way. These people shed a whole new light on the problem and of treating it.

The Best Review of the subject of Depression
These experts cover more ground in one hour than I have read about in months. To have such an in depth review of the subject in explainable and graphic terms is outstanding. It gives hope to individauls with depression (not depressives, as they are individuals first, just like it is individuals that have diabetes, not diabetics) and their families that there are intellectuals focusing on this serious and debilitating illness. I hope they continue to make progress and I would love to hear more and see an update in a year or sooner.

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Shakespeare Series: Merry Wives Of Windsor

Traditional Shakepeare
This version lacks the bells and whistles of more contemporary productions, however it shines as being true to the text and conventions of the play.

Slender is magnificently portrayed as well as Falstaff. A refresher before a secondary or tertiary read.





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Breakout Through Hell's Gate

History lover here
From an enthralling narration to TONS of live footage, this is a great episode to watch and overall a great series! Of course, I'm biased as a bit of a history buff, but nevertheless, if you prefer visualization, this is one for you.

Interesting
I have just watched this on the Yesterday channel. I just happened to watch it by accident although I have enjoyed similar programs on the Yesterday channel.

I found it very interesting. I think people tend to under-estimate the war in the East and concentrate on British and American achievements.

This program re-addresses that balance by showing one of the crucial episodes in the war on the Eastern Front.

I think that the Germans like to think that they lost to the Americans, rather than admitting that they lost to people that they considered to be sub-human.



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Intellectual Property

You do NOT have to be a sports fan to love this show!
Sports Night is an intelligent comedy that rarely uses "slapstick" antics for a laugh, but relies instead on the clever, witty, rapid-fire dialogue. This show is quite a bit more light-hearted than West Wing, and doesn't delve into deep political topics, but it does often touch on a subject that will make you think, and quite possibly inspire you. It earned several Emmy nominations, and was declared by TV Guide as "Rookie of the Year" and "Best Show You're Not Watching".

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A SPORTS FAN TO LOVE THIS SHOW! I have friends who don't care for sports at all, but would absolutely never miss an episode. Sorkin masterfully integrates sports as a background, and weaves it into an occasional amusing subplot; but this show is about the relationships and interactions among the characters, not about the sports they cover.

And yet I don't recommend you buy this particular product (Season One). Why? Because for a few dollars more you can get the entire...

Another excellent and under-appreciated show
I managed to miss watching this show when it came out 14 years ago (no DVR back then), but I'm a huge fan of Sorkin, so I'm finally taking the time to enjoy this. The only annoying part is the laugh track (which is the reason I took off one star) - but this was several years before Arrested Development, and laugh tracks were still an integral part of comedies, so it has to be endured. Otherwise, it's as good as expected. And how could it be otherwise with such a fantastic cast! With some of the typical Sorkin monologues & dialogues about issues, it's much more than a mindless sit-com or even just a show about sports. Sort of "The Newsroom Lite" in some respects.

On my top 10 TV shows list
Many reviewers hit the highlights of this show: witty, intelligent dialog; talented cast and well-developed characters; funny and substantial at the same time. It is still relevant today - I find myself repeating lines from this show often in my job. And it's true, you don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy it.

Specifically about the DVDs, I had the first set of DVDs and replaced them with the 10th anniversary edition. The director and actor commentaries, plus the other extras, made it worth it if you are a fan of this show.

Haven't seen Sports Night or any of Aaron Sorkin's other shows? Give this a try if you like The Good Wife (which also features Josh Charles), or if you roll your eyes at morning radio shows. Highly recommended.

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Stonehenge Secrets / Iceland Worm Monster [HD]

Recreatable Or Not!
If you think you're going to see any thing proved fact or faked here, then you are mistaken. They never prove anything. All they try to do is see if they can recreate a video or picture. If they can do it, then to them it is FAKED! If they can't recreate whatever they are seeing, than to them, it's still a mystery. They never say it's FACT! They can't! They don't know still. It's always comes down to, we can't recreate it, so we don't know. It's a mystery. WTH?

Then, there are times when they can recreate the picture or video and they still say, "oh this time we can recreate it, but we still don't know for sure. Whatever it is, it may still be out there". UFOs, Ghosts, Bigfoot, Witches, etc. Whatever out there, IS REALLY OUT THERE OR NOT??? Fact or Faked? Oh please, they don't know!!!

They really messed up the name for this show. It's "Recreatable Or Not!" If they never can show a fact or faked or whatever, then how can they say it's the name of the show? What I...

Love It!
I bought the season, and have to say the production quality in conjuction with the on camera talent make this a worth while viewing pleasure. Can't wait for the next season... Please say its coming.

I love the way they handle the varied topics they choose to investigate. The honesty they bring to their production shines through.
The overlap with other SyFy series also adds to the charm of the show.

Jael needs a spin off series. Just a suggestion.

Not that great
I have been watching this show on and off since it began. I'm not so impressed with how they present their evidence.

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Daycareless

Missing Episode 18
This is missing episode #18 (the series finale) "Banquet." Please make this available.

Otherwise, great tv series! Sad that it was cancelled so soon.

lizzie
Life's Work is very funny. I am glad I found it! Great actors, funny situations and the video is very clear.



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Art Deco, Baseball and Versailles cakes

This series is OK
I purchased the first three seasons of Amazing Wedding Cakes and loved them. This season is not as good because two of the bakers are not featured in the series. The bakers that are in the 4th season are as good as the other bakers but I did like the first three seasons better.

I do like watching how people can make cakes look so amazing. I loved watching it when it was on TV. I am not sure if it still is.





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Vampires, Swords, and the Queen of the Night [HD]

Great TV Show about Sale of Movie Items
I love this show. It was always fun to see if what they thought something was worth was what it actually sold for.

Great show
We watch this on SyFy when it's on. This was a great way to get caught up when we realized we'd missed an episode.



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Herman and Katnip: The Complete Series

Great Collection but Sparse on Extras
I did not participate in this DVD as it was done on the cheap, but worth buying.

They use "The Harveytoon Show" versions of H&K and sometimes have a condensed
music opening for each cartoon, but it is not the complete theme song each time,
just an edited version. I don't know the cartoons well enough to know if they
have been edited as well, but they did somehow cram 33 cartoons onto the single
disc set. It features every cartoon from "Mice Meeting You" to "Katnip's Big
Day" except the one with Buzzy and the ones made prior to 1950. The cover
picture is the same, but repainted and "The Complete Series" is in a blue spot.

The end credits appear every fourth cartoon and are generic, not specific to
each individual cartoon. As usual, you have to play the disc to see the contents
as they are not listed on the back. There is no booklet. The run time is listed
at 208 minutes. Overall, not bad if you want all the cartoons in...

3.5 Hours of Animated Brutality: Better Than It Has Any Right to Be
HERMAN AND KATNIP: THE COMPLETE SERIES contains 33 cartoons: all of the cartoons the characters appeared in that are part of the Harveytoons package. No credits, no openings/closings, and they'll likely look awful when you play them on your High-Def TV because they weren't mastered for it. One, DRINKS ON THE MOUSE, is censored. I cannot, in good conscience, give the set a five-star rating given these flaws. But actually including every single cartoon in the series (as well as two Katnip solo shorts), considering Classic Media's reputation for "complete" in the past, this release was better than anything I was expecting. Anybody who thought they'd be getting better for $6.00 is out of their minds.

The series, while unremarkable, doesn't deserve the flack it gets, especially with the frequent comparisons to its highly regarded predecessor from MGM. True, there are few series as beautifully animated and funny as the original Tom & Jerry of the 1940s, but frankly, Herman &...

Love Herman and Katnip!!!
I ordered the d.v.d from Amazon and loved it. The Amazon description says 60 minutes but the dvd says 208 minutes. I don't know how long it was but it was alot longer then 60 minutes, There are 27 cartoons on it. They are clear and clean. There is a PLAY ALL selection. and I have watched them several time. And for 5.99 I really got my money's worth!

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Being Myself, Being Yourself

Nadesico is Fabulous Anime, a Great Mecha-Comedy Story!
Nadesico is a fantastic mecha/sci-fi/comedy story with a little bit of tragedy. You could almost say it's Evangelion meets Ranma meets Gundam Wing. It takes the best out of those series and turns it into this great anime! The animation is very nice, especially for a TV series. The color is very nice, especially. The characters are very good, however *pauses* my favorite character, Yamada-san....well, that's a semi-spoiler. Even the most minor characters get a little depth, although...What can I say? They are minor characters, after all. The music is very good-the opening is excellent, and the ending is good, and the BGM's didn't particulary stand out but were well suited and very pleasing to the ear. Overall, Nadesico is a great parody with some seriousness that will leave you in awe of this awesome anime series.

Now, ADV markets this as "Japan's most popular anime series", however, I tend to doubt this. However, I don't live in Japan either, so...It's certainly good...

Entertaining As Both A Story and a Parody
ADV Flims markets this series in the US as something like "Japan's Most Popular Anime Series". While being very popular in Japan (and for good reason), it's not even the most popular anime title they've ever brought over - by a long stretch. That's fine, though. Nadesico is a series that doesn't even take itself too seriously.

Nadesico blatantly parodies not just mecha-genre anime, but shojo romantic comedy and classic anime of the 1970s and early 80s. It does it with such style, though, that it's terribly easy to forgive its occasional lack of subtlety.

The basic premise of the series is that roughly two hundred years in the future, the Earth gets invaded by aliens from somewhere out around Jupiter. After being pushed back to the boundary of Earth, one of the major corporations of the planet decides to retake some of the valuable technology left on Mars. Most of the capable people left have been drafted into the military. Left with the choice between intelligence...

An Excellent Series
Sci-fi anime has a well-deserved reputation for being violent, dark, and angsty. Depending on your tastes, this isn't necessarily a bad thing; but it certainly gets tiring. Somewhere on the way, a wonderfully underrated series named Martian Successor Nadesico came along with an opposite approach, choosing to take a comedic stab at the sci-fi genre. And it works...extremely well.

On first glance, Nadesico seems to operate on same rather unoriginal premises. A young man (Akito Tenkawa) is forced to pilot a mech and fight for others in spite of his feelings to the contrary; a seemingly air-headed captain (Misamaru Yurika) takes the helm; and half a dozen girls swarm around a single love-interest. But instead of succumbing to some stock anime stereotypes, Nadesico plays off of them, utilizing them to great effect. And it's not all smiles and laughter; when you least expect it, Nadesico comes up with some emotionally wrenching moments, as well as some truly inspiring ones. Whether it's...

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Cathe Friedrich: CrossFire

Love cardio? You must try this workout!
I have not felt the love for cardio in while. Maybe it's because I've been nursing some injuries or because I'm burnt out. Well, after doing this DVD, the love is back! Cathe has created a definite winner with CrossFire.

The workout breakdown:

Warm up---6:30
CrossFire Fitness Blast---8:50
Firewalker Tabata---4:55
CrossFire Circuit Blast---22:45
CrossFire Plyo Tabata---5:20
Stretch---6:45
Bonus Core---9:10
Bonus Low Impact Cardio Tabata---4:40

The equipment you'll need:

Firewalker loop
Pairs of 3, 5, 8 and 10 pound dumbbells
One 15 pound dumbbell
Set of slide and glide discs
Tubing for use as a marker.

CrossFire is non-stop cardio; you'll do tabatas, plyometrics, and circuit training. A step is not used in this workout. In case you're not familiar with tabata training, it's 20 seconds of high intensity cardio, followed by 10 seconds of rest. This pattern is repeated...

Another great workout from Cathe
This is one of my favorites along with "to the max". I won't break down the workout as others have done that but it's a good mix of tabata, HIIT, and strength.

It's excellent at keeping your heart rate up but is manageable. Cathe's instruction is good and motivating. I would say it's suitable for intermediate to advanced exercisers. My sister did it with me and she's decently fit but doesn't work out regularly and found it ok, and took breaks where she needed, substituted jumping jacks for some moves etc. The point being to get started, keep moving and build up to it. Things can be modified quite easily. I've been doing it for some months now, once a week or so and find I'm still getting a great workout every time, lots of sweat and feel great afterwards!

The music is better than some other Cathe workouts, like the low impact series, which I appreciate.

As others have mentioned, I don't care for the bonus core as it's too hard on my wrists...

This will kick your butt!
I love this dvd. Excellent cardio intervals to really step up my routine when exercising at home. I love that there are various pre-mixes so you can work out as little as 20 min or as much as an hour. You can even create your own workouts. Great 20 second intervals that get right to the point. Keep in mind you do need to purchase the sliding discs and the exercise bands to use this dvd.

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Connections

Felicity still awesome but beware the music soundtrack
FELICITY has aged very well and is in no way dated. I grew up with this show and never purchased any of the seasons on dvd with their original release. The series is grounded by superb writing and direction, timeless storylines that affect college age people that never fade but most of all it is held together by the all around superb cast. The acting here is impeccable and runs the gamut from humorous to heartwrenching. And of course at its center is the star, the immensely talented Keri Russell. The weight of the show rests on her angelic shoulders and she carries it so gracefully. To follow her emotional journey becomes a gift to the viewer.

Most people reading this will agree with what I just said and are huge fans of the show. But what one wonders is why have these reissued boxed sets appeared and how is the quality? I never saw the original released boxed sets but know at that time series sets were rather bulky. This firs season is a very slim presentation...

TOTALLY DECEIVING !
I love Felicity, and I would love this DVD box set if only Buena did not change nearly ALL of the background popular music. So now when you pop in a disc, watch an episode, you feel completely and utterly lost as the beuatifull music originally aired has been replaced with new "up to date" music. Exactly like the re-runs on thw WE channel, same "new" unfitting music. This is not what I have come to watch and love.

Would you buy the movie Ghost if the classic love scene would have another song playing in the background than Unchained Melody ? I'm sorry but changing the music alltogether is changing the overall feel and I don't get to watch the scene I remember the way they were done.

Poor judgment from Buena Vista to think nobody would notice that.

I'll stick to my VHS set thank you very much.

This is sad. Don't buy this unless you don't care about the memorable scenes with carefully chosen fitting music playing in the background.

Eh....Not the same!
I originally caught Felicity when I was in my late teens and it's one of the few shows I could really relate to. The show itself is great and I would recommend it to anyone, but the DVD set....absolutely NOT! I blame myself for not reading the reviews for the previously released DVD sets, but this one has NONE of the original music that first aired with the program. I knew something was a bit off when some songs played over bits of dialogue in the wrong places; and LOUDLY so I could barely hear what was being said. My memory of one scene in particular had a very lovely song that was replaced by some wretched watered down version of ANOTHER song. To me, it definitely changed the tone of some scenes and the emotional connection was somewhat lost. Also, there are no great new updates where the video quality is concerned. It's almost like the show was cut and pasted from the WB onto DVD format and slapped together with some new music that really sets the whole thing off-kilter. Grr...If...

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FESTIVAL OF FAMILY CLASSICS, THE--PRINCESSES

Rankin/Bass still rule!
I have a collection of 10 videos of different Rankin/Bass Festival of Family Classics from when I was younger so that they are now on DVD is wonderful! You will immediately recognize the characters, how they are drawn and move, and notice the similarities between these and the Christmas Classics that Rankin/Bass did! Love them!

amazing!
Wonderful set of great stories. Love animation by rankin/bass, and this dvd does not disappoint. Each story has a great introduction. The stories are amusing and well done. I would highly recommend this for kids. If you like Frosty the Snowman, you will enjoy this dvd.



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Beck: Episodes 1-3

At Last! Beck is released with English subtitles!
Beck is a wonderful detective series with lots of plot twists, personalities (some not quite "normal" like Beck's often enraged and sometimes violent partner, the handsome Grunvald), and plenty of thrills and thought-provoking storylines.

There are 26 Becks, I believe, in the original Swedish and those of us who are big fans are thrilled that we can now start buying them here in the U.S. with English subtitles.

Prior to these new releases (Series 1-3 and Series 4-6), we've had to scrounge all over Europe and Australia to find some and only came up with 17-26.

To all mystery and detective lovers, we may have to buy it, but it's still a gift.

In the begining.....
Before there was the girl with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Joe Nesbo, Henning Mankell and all of the other excellent authors in the Scandinavian mystery invasion, there was the Martin Beck mystery series witten by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo published between 1965 and 1975. They are the Dashiel Hammett and Raymond Chandler of the Scandinavian school and their books stand up quite well against the best of Hammett and Chandler. This more modern television series captures the spirit of the books. While these are very tough minded mysteries, they offer more by way of humanistic values than we are used to seeing these days. Martin Beck, a middle aged policeman, is a bit neurotic - but his heart is good. The supporting character of the swaggering Gunvald Larsson, played by Mikael Persbrand, is one of the best characters in detective literature and television. Everything about this series is first rate and it is not to be missed by the lovers of Scandinavian noir or noir in general.

Check Out The Unusual Suspects
I purchased "Beck: Episodes 1-3" from Amazon where I buy ALL my DVDs.
I watch very little American TV. But, I thoroughly enjoy well-done crime dramas from other countries. I have television series in boxed sets from the U.K., Scandinavia, Australia, Italy, France, and other countries. "Beck" is outstanding. Good, solid police procedural with characters who are 'real', involved in solving crimes, yet with a touch of humor thrown in to lessen the tension. Try "Beck"---you'll never go back to American crime drama again! Well, except election coverage---you can't escape from that!

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The Best of Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Vol. 1

Episode list: 15 cartoons taken out of the half-hour shows.
**Updated 6/7/10**

For those who have the season 1, 2, 3 and the upcoming 4 you will want to avoid this, but it is still fun in its own right

The numbers are the sequence numbers for Mr. Peabody, not the episodes they appeared in.

From season 1
Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete First Season
1 Benjamin Franklin (aka Introduction) Mr. Peabody goes out & gets a pet boy.

From season 2
Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete Second Season
38 Pancho Villa
36 Christopher Columbus
47 Francisco Pisaro
50 William Shakespeare
55 Ferdinand Magellan

From season 3
Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete Third Season
64 Ludwig Von Beethoven
65 Calamity Jane...

Great cartoon comedies, but re-issues from Rocky & Bullwinkle seasons 1,2 & 3.
**Updated 6/7/10**

I grew up watching these as a seperate show & I think they are wonderful. But they were originally a part of the Rocky & Bullwinkle show, and they are included in those seasonal sets. The number before the title is the Dudley Do-Right sequence number, not the Rocky Show number.

From the Rocky & Bullwinkle season 1 DVD set:
Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete First Season
3) Stokey the Bear
6) The Masked Ginny Lynn

From the Rocky & Bullwinkle season 2 DVD set:
Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete Second Season
9) Foreclosing mortgages
15) Out of Uniform
16) Lure of the Footlights
17) Bullet-proof Suit
18) Miracle Drug
19) Elevenworth Prison
22) Mother Whiplashe's Log Jam

From the Rocky & Bullwinkle season 3 DVD...

Oh, This Goes Wabac!!!!
Oh, those childhood memories. Those very inaccurate history lessons, very bad puns, and cheezy animation. No, I'm not talking about "South Park." I'm referring to those Jay Ward shorts in the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Still, this IS funny stuff. Well worth owning. Anyone interested in animation or those wacky 60s and 70s should make this required viewing. The jokes are a little stale now, but were they ever that fresh anyway. Who cares!!! It's Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman. Sit (way)back and enjoy.

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Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: Complete 5th Season

Squirel and Moose Are Fabulous
Before Sponge Bob Squarepants, the social commentary and play on words that are contained in the Rocky and Bullwinkle set the standard for comical sarcasm of the government, fads, and insanity that existed. The older I get (and I watched the original broadcasts)the more depth I find in Jay Ward's creation. Rocky and Bullwinkle give sage wisdom that surpasses the ages. The insights to the political system of the 1960's still apply for today. (Senator speaks in "Goof Gas" episode, "I move that we spend a million dollars to see why we spend so much money!"
[sound familiar?]) This is why the episodes stand the test of time. People are crazy in any era.
Personally, I was going through a rough time in the 1960's, as my parents were seperated and going to get a divorce. (Not so common in the 1960's) As a child I found solice in Bullwinkle's optomism and never give up attitude. Here was a "person", not too bright, not too aware, knocked about by circumstances, and he still...

"Tha's War between the States!"
The fifth and final season does not /quite/ match the image quality of earlier seasons. Though it's better than what I saw on TV -- the colors are brighter and there are more /of/ them -- there's more dirt, plus occasional color streaking along the sides. Yet some episodes are near-perfect. Go figure. Regardless, we finally have the complete series at what is probably the highest-possible quality level, barring a frame-by-frame restoration. (Disney's editions of 20 years ago attempted such a restoration, but were marred by Disney's editing down R&B's adventures to produce 60-minute tapes and disks.) It's taken "only" 30+ years to get the complete "Rocky & Bullwinkle" on home video in good transfers.

Given the need to churn out something every week, it's amazing /any/ TV series is of consistently good quality, let alone "high". * "Rocky & Bullwinkle" was written and performed by highly talented people, and was never less than "very good".

Of course, some...

Eenie Meenie Chilibeani
It had been decades since Disney (Buena Vista) released the gala Moose and Squirrel VHS tapes, to much hoopla and shabang. Then came the long-awaited fourth season from Classic Media and Vivendi Entertainment. When the box set of all five seasons appeared in 2011, viewers despaired that the fifth season might never make it out on its own. But despair not, gentle viewer, for here they are, all 33 episodes of the climactic final season of Moose and Squirrel, on four one-sided discs, somehow in one DVD case.

The packaging falls a bit short of the deluxe presentations of the other seasons, but then again, the fourth season only held 19 episodes on two discs. The only extra on the fifth season set is "Goof Gas Attack" audio outtake, AKA "The longest laugh in history", but keep in mind when we say episodes, we mean entire shows, including the various well-known bumpers, like "Eenie Meenie Chilibeani, the spirits are about to speak!" from Bullwinkle gazing at a crystal ball, with...

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