The Girls Next Door - Season 2 (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)By now the world knows these three beautiful women by name: Holly, Bridget, and Kendra are no longer described simply as "Hef's Girlfriends" (although they are...all 3 of them). Thanks to the E channels hit reality show the Girls Next Door, people are able to get to know these women, and take a quick glimpse into the amazing lives that they lead at the Playboy Mansion.
Holly is girlfriend #1 -- she sleeps with Hef in "their" bedroom, has been dating Hef for the longest (going on 6 years now!), and in general maintains the status of Lady of the House. She's a real sweetheart, and while she dreams to someday be able to marry Hef and start of family of her own, she still enjoys the close friendships she's made with Bridget (who has been dating Hef for about 4 years), and Kendra (who has been dating Hef for about 2 years now). The three of them together equal tons of fun, and they each bring a unique personality to the show.
This DVD boxset is awesome. It is 100% completely uncensored -- so anything that is either blurred, bleeped, or edited out for content control while the episodes air on live TV, is likewise left alone for the DVDs. Boobs, butt, and cuss words abound, so even if you've seen all the episodes on TV, I guarentee the experience is quite different once you view them again on DVD.
One of my favorite features of these discs would be the commentary. All three women provide commentary for each and every episode, and I fully recommend taking advantage of that fact. They will nitpick the episode apart, tell the audience when and where the network took a few too many liberties with the editing, and basically provide a little extra insight, and some interesting little tidbits. Holly personally stated that she loves doing the commentary for all the episodes because it gives her the opportunity to sometimes "set the record straight" and "have the last word" on some of the many mansion escapades!
Don't miss out, because these are seriously some of the most entertaining DVDs you'll own! I've considered it a very wise investment!

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3-Disc Set. Ever wonder what really goes on behind the gates of the legendary Playboy Mansion? Join Hugh Hefner's three gorgeous girlfriends - Holly, Bridget, and Kendra - for a second season of unscripted, uncensored, and unbelievable fun. It's where fantasy meets reality with hilarious results.E!'s top-rated, laugh-loaded series follows the girls through their all-new adventures: From a star-studded celebration at Hef's over-the-top birthday bash, to the glamour and glitz of the Playboy Club's grand opening in Las Vegas, to unforgettable travels through the hottest of European hot spots. This sensational season sizzles, proving once again that blondes really do have more fun!

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Beverly Hills 90210: Season Eight Review

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(More customer reviews)Maybe it's the nostalgia... or maybe it's the beauty of the boxset where you can become really engrossed in a t.v. show, watching episode after episode like reading chapter after chapter of a really good book you can't put down...
But I had quite low expectations of season 8 of 90210 on dvd and it turned out to be much better than I remembered.
I remembered this as the season that the show started to wane but actually this season was another fine run of the show.
It starts off a little rocky with the silly daytime- soap- type amnesia storyline for Kelly. But once the show got going, it was another solid year of ups and downs for the gang of friends we've grown to know and love over the years.
This year actually starts off a lot quicker then previous school/ college based seasons. The gang are thrown into the real world at last...
So this season sees Kelly and Brandon slowly tire of each other , Brandon's infidelity, the show continues to tackle social issues like drug abuse, gay rights, teen pregnancy etc. through Brandon's work as a journalist and Kelly's work at a clinic, Donna and David drift apart, David loses the club, gains some fame and loses it again, Valerie and David get back together, Val continues to be the most fun character with her bitchy antics, Steve looks like he has grown up the most when he dates single mother Carly until mid-season when Hilary Swank (Oscar winner!) leaves... we are also introduced to Noah, a kinda Dylan -esque rich guy with lots of baggage but he comes across a lot more likeable and less self-pitying than Dylan ever did!
This season's highlights for me:
St. Brandon slips up at last when he meets Emma. Although it seems so out of character for Brandon to cheat... it kinda underlines how bored Kelly and Brandon are of each other by now and how there really is no future for them...
Val's juggling of the rich guy Cooper and supposedly poor as a pauper Noah was also fun,
More glimpses of the vulnerable side of Val (the drug/rape affair, the HIV fear) really humanised her as more than just a bitch again this season.
Noah was a welcome addition, Carly was never really rounded out as a character and her being written out mid season was kinda lame ... they didn't try to integrate her into the group much this year... she was more of a 2d stereotype- the struggling single mom.. it was a shame the writers didn't round her character out more...
And this season sees a proper cliff hanger for the show this year... with Val leaving us dangling about her fate...
All in all, this was a good season. Season 9 really will be where the show dips... with Val and Brandon both leaving early on , the show suffers... Brandon always was the heart of the show- the solid sensible one and Val was always so much fun..
Enjoy!

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The ensemble drama about young adults growing up in Beverly Hills is a blend of romantic drama and subject matter that crosses all cultural boundaries. The storyline has followed the Walsh family as they moved from a middle-class Midwestern neighborhood to wealthy and glamorous Beverly Hills, maturing from high school to college students, facing new challenges as they continue to grow and discover more about themselves and their personal ambitions. As their worlds evolve, old friendships will be tested as new relationships develop, but no matter how complicated their worlds become, they will always share in their strengths and experiences.

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Kendra: The Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)I watched Kendra's season on TV first and it is soo much better on the DVD! I absolutely love it! The DVD is also not edited so it shows nudity and doesn't beep out cuss words. I would highly recommend it!!

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KENDRA SEASON 1 - DVD Movie

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Generation Kill (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)As an Iraq veteran I was skeptical about watching this at first, thinking that it would be a "Hollywoodized" version of the war. Then a buddy of mine told me it was by far one of the greatest shows he's ever seen, so I gave it a go. Halfway through the first episode I was awestruck. Like the title of my review states, this show is brutal, relentless, and above all AUTHENTIC. Though I was with the Army, our job was very similar to these Marines in that we rode around in Humvees searching for the bad guys.
Anyone who has served in Iraq in a combat role will relate to these Marines all-too-easily. Well talk the same, have the same frustrations with the chain-of-command and understanding our mission some days (though thankfully my unit did not have anyone like "Captain America"), and deal with the same issues regarding supplies, lack of sleep, and fighting an enemy who the day previously may have been begging you for food.
Some viewers may be turned off by the extreme vulgarity and profanity, but fact is that is the way most "grunts" talk. And I think every Platoon or Squad in theater has its own "CPL Pearson." Fact of the matter is, none of us are saints and war does bring out mankind at both its best and its worst. "Generation Kill" shows both sides to the Marines in the rawest sense. One thing I like is that it does not attempt to take a political stance one way or the other on the war. Some may view the series as anti-war, given the way some of the Marines question their mission and why they are there. But again that is another reality of this war.
I never thought I would ever want to watch a movie or series about Iraq, however this is by far one of the best series I have ever seen, period! For anyone who is a veteran, knows a veteran, or just wants to know what the war over in Iraq is really like, "Generation Kill" is a must see!
SFC James Mace, U.S. Army
OIF III, 2004-2005

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Based on the national best-selling book by Evan Wright, Generation Kill is an authentic and vividly detailed 7 part HBO mini-series event that presents a uniquely epic and intimate portrait of the first 40 days of the Iraq war from the perspective of the Marines of the First Recon Battalion – a new breed of American soldiers.
The mini-series tells the story of these young Marines physical and emotional journey into the heart of Baghdad in those initial weeks, and how the war reveals to be much more complicated, problematic and tragic than anyone had contemplated. Many of the complications and problems that arise are due to the unwieldy military bureaucracy which the Marines confront in the midst of the war, the challenges of over-zealous and incompetent commanding officers, ever-changing rules of engagement, a non-existent strategy, severe deficiencies in necessary armor and supplies, and an enemy they don’t understand.
Generation Kill is a humorous and frightening first hand account of these remarkable men, of the personal toll of victory, and of the brutality, camaraderie and bureaucracy of a new American war. It is a profoundly insightful and realistic look at the risk, costs and ultimately, the failures of the war.
Written and produced by Emmy-award winner David Simon (the Wire), and also produced by the award-winning George Faber (Elizabeth I).

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Top Chef: New York (Season 5) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished this series and I loved it. I can cook but I certainly am not a chef. Nevertheless, I adore watching these chefs in their competitions plus I am a creative person so I am learning. I will never be able to do the complex dishes but one learns that often the simpler dishes do better in the competitions. The mortal sin seems to be in undercooking or overcooking anything. If you can stay away from this flaw, you are actually in the running for being a heck of a cook. I began watching this show because I've enjoyed Project Runway so much. One thing that is better for the contestants with this show is that the contestants get great prizes all the way through. In season six this aspect improves even more. So everyone seems to go home with some really great prizes. The judges are really generous with their prizes for winners too. Project Runway is a lot stingier towards its contestants. Maybe chefs are just more generous people than fashion designers. It sure seems so. I applaud Top Chef for creating rewards for as many contestants as possible. No matter what your level of cooking skill, you will enjoy this show. I do not watch reality tv generally but I do like it where you can improve your own skill level by watching these competitions.

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The world-class culinary competition only gets fiercer in TOP CHEF: NEW YORK--the No. 1 food show on cable--as 17 new cheftestants head to the Big Apple to test their skills and compete for culinary stardom. Featuring some of the biggest names in food and entertainment, the fifth season of this Emmy®-award winning series welcomes newbie Toby Young to the judges' table alongside host Padma Lakshmi, head judge and celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons. In the most challenging season yet, the cheftestants battle to prove they have what it takes to be crowned the next Top Chef.
DVD features:
-Exclusive cookbook -Never-aired stew room footage -Extended interviews -Cooking demonstrations -PC game demo
Vote for your favorite contestant, read bios, and more in our Top Chef: New York Store.
COMPETITION STAGES
Episode 1: Melting Pot
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are welcomed to the Big Apple by host Padma Lakshmi and head judge Tom Colicchio and their skills are put to the test with a three round apple tournament. Elimination Challenge: Each of the chefs draws a knife from the knife block marked with one of eight New York City neighborhoods. The chefs teams must cook dishes which represent the ethnic cuisines of those neighborhoods. Guest Judge: Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 2: Show Your Craft
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are asked to create their version of a classic, well-loved New York dish: the hot dog and the compete against Angelina DiAngelo of Dominick's Hot Dog Truck in Queens. Elimination Challenge: The chefs must now open what Padma calls "Top Chef Restaurant" in Manhattan. They are asked to create a three-course New American lunch menu for fifty diners.Guest judge Donatella Arpaia, a successful restaurateur and food expert (Quickfire Challenge)
Episode 3: A Foo Fighters Thanksgiving
Quickfire Challenge: Padma announces that this week's challenge is about "rolling with the punches." The chefs are asked to draw knives. Each knife is marked with a number, which refers to a specific page in "Top Chef: The Cookbook." Contestants are given an hour to put their own spin on the recipe from that page Elimination Challenge: The chefs are asked to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the rock band Foo Fighters and its entire entourage of more than 60 guests at the band’s next venue. Guest judge and award-winning molecular gastronomist Grant Achatz.(Quickfire+Elimination Challenges), Foo Fighters (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 4: Today Show
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are given 30 minutes to create a breakfast amuse-bouche for the Today Show. Elimination Challenge: The chefs are asked to create a dish that can be cooked and served for a 2½-minute live television presentation, which will be taped inside the Top Chef kitchen. They are to be taken to Rockefeller Center to cook their dishes for the hosts of NBC's The Today Show.Guests Rocco DiSpirito (Quickfire+Elimination Challenges), Today Show Cast (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 5: Gail’s Bridal Shower
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs pair up and are taken into a darkened kitchen where they are given 15 seconds to taste a specific sauce. They must then bid on the number of ingredients they think they can name correctly. Elimination Challenge: Padma asks the chefs to prepare a four-course meal for 40 of Gail's bridal shower. Each course is to be inspired by one of the lines of the traditional wedding rhyme, "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Guest judge Dana Cowin (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 6: 12 Days of Christmas
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs are asked to create a "one pot wonder" – a holiday meal that can be prepared in just one cooking vessel – and present it to Martha Stewart. Elimination Challenge: The chefs must create dishes inspired by lines from “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and cater a 250 guest holiday party hosted by the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Guest judges Martha Stewart (Quickfire Challenge), Natasha Richardson and Michelle Bernstein (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 7: Focus Group
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs have 45 minutes to craft a sugar-free dessert so good, the judges will think there is "nothing diet about it." Elimination Challenge: The chefs must create dishes that express their individuality and serve the food family style to the judges and an unspecified number of mystery food experts. Guest judge Jean-Christophe Novelli (Quickfire+Elimination Challenges)
Episode 8: Down on the Farm
Quickfire Challenge: The chefs have 15 minutes to create a delicious dish using only canned goods. Elimination Challenge: The chefs are asked to draw knives and split into three teams: Team Chicken, Team Lamb, and Team Pork. The chefs are to create a delicious, seasonal lunch for 16 people based on their team's protein. Their menu must be served family-style, and must include a dessert.Guest judge Hung Huynh (Quickfire Challenge), Dan Barber (Elimination Challenge)
Episode 9: Restaurant Wars
Quickfire Challenge: The contestants must do a tasting for restaurateur Stephen Starr. The chefs then have 30 minutes and complete access to the Top Chef pantry to create one dish that showcases their concept for a potential restaurant.

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