Life of Ryan: The Complete Series (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)"LIFE OF RYAN" is an MTV series created by Joey Carbone (Carbone Entertainment) which the first two seasons aired on MTV and the third season is featured on this complete series on DVD.
The series focuses on the life of pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, the youngest winner of the X-Games at the age of 13 and now focusing on the teenager from age 16-18, as he tries to become champion again.
Unfortunately, things are not as simple for the life of Ryan as his parents Gretchen and Randy have gotten into a divorce which both parents try to be civil but it for Ryan, it has hurt him emotionally.
As he tries to live life with his younger brothers Shane and Kane and his mother/manager Gretchen in surfer town San Clemente, he tries to have a relationship with his father who has found a new girlfriend. Helping Ryan deal with life are his best friends Casey, Tony, Taylor and Mitch. But throughout the series, Ryan struggles with divorce, his mother as his manager, his relationship with his father, his friends and also trying to find a girlfriend, managing multiple businesses and just dealing with his fandom and his "haters" while pursuing his quest to win another X-Games.
"LIFE OF RYAN: THE COMPLETE SERIES" features all three seasons on DVD broken up onto three discs.
SEASON 1:
1. CHASING CAMBRIA - Ryan likes a girl named Cambria but not sure if she digs him. Both Ryan and his best friend Casey have their first holiday with their parents now divorced.
2. 5TH WHEEL - Ryan spends time with his younger brother Kane. His father Randy is having a big party for Kane but his mother who attends, finds it hard to see her ex-husband with another woman and both Ryan and his mother reminisce of the past birthdays and how hard the divorce is for his mother.
3. CARELESS WHISPERS - Ryan goes to visit his father Randy and his new girlfriend Kristy but it shocks him when his girlfriend tries to get close to him and hug him and the more he thinks about it, it stresses him out more.
4. RAISING KANE - Ryan goes on a date with Tony's ex-girlfriend Julia and not sure if his best friend approves.
5. X-TREME DISTRACTIONS - It's time for the X-Games and it surprises him when he finds out that his father Randy and his girlfriend Kristy is coming. This ticks him off. Meanwhile, Ryan starts to hang out more with Tony's ex-girlfriend Julia.
6. HE SAID, SHE SAID - Ryan's mother is now moving on with her life and is going on her first date since divorcing and it makes Ryan feel a little uneasy.
7. DOWN GOES RYAN - Ryan breaks his arm during a fall during a competition.
8. HOME AND AWAY - Ryan wants to get his own house and get away from his family.
SEASON 2:
1. DON'T GO - Ryan and his mother and brother will have dinner with his father and new girlfriend. But things are made much more stressful as Ryan's father and mother are going back to court.
2. MY BROTHER'S KEEPER - Ryan is getting closer to Kayla. Meanwhile, he tries to coach his brother Shane. Shane feels a bit of pressure and stress because he is the brother of pro skater Ryan.
3. HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM - Ryan is upset when he wants to talk to his mom but she's always in manager mode.
4. SHECKLER, INC. - Ryan's business endeavors is going great and now he can expand on his own business. He also misses his girlfriend Kayla who has been gone for two weeks.
5. AND YOU JUST MIGHT BE THE ONE - The pro skater friends of Ryan worry that he may not be focusing on his skating and focusing a bit much on his new girlfriend. Kayla returns and Ryan can't wait to go out with her.
6. ODD MAN OUT - Ryan and his father Randy go on a father and bonding trip to the gun range.
7. MAN'S BEST FRIEND - Ryan wants a dog but his mother is against it. So, Ryan wants to see if he can raise one, so he borrows Tony's dog for a week.
8. SKATE IN HEAVENLY PEACE - It's Christmas time and Ryan is happy to have family and friends together. But unfortunately, he can't bring his father because his mother's boyfriend is coming and it might be too weird and it's stressing him out.
9. PARTYING WAYS - Ryan's friends have a surprise party for Ryan and while his girlfriend Kayla was important in planning the party. Ryan ends up not talking to her at the party (since he's greeting friends he hasn't seen for a long time). Ryan feels he can't give his girlfriend the time because of his career and feels he needs to breakup with her.
10. SINGLE LIFE - Ryan's now single. And so is his father Randy. Both go on a father and son bonding trip to Las Vegas.
11. NEW BEGINNINGS - Ryan finds out that Casey and Taylor have broken up but is more upset that his new roommate and best friend never told him about it.
12. PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE - Ryan is upset with Casey and Mitch for looking at his phone and assuming that he may be trying to go for Taylor.
13. CRACKS IN THE CREW - The breakup of Casey and Taylor is affecting the crew and now Ryan considers ditching his best friend Taylor.
14. TONY'S TEST - Ryan wants to know if Tony is dependable as a roommate, so as a test, Ryan invites him to travel to Austria. Will Tony pass the test?
15. FINALLY ON MY OWN - Ryan's mother and father are communicating and also Ryan gets stressed because his mother is trying to decide how her son's new home should be painted.
SEASON 3:
1. MY HOUSE, MY RULES - Ryan has moved into his new house but he starts to have many parties and everyone invited. With many drunk teens who eventually get into fights, break a hole into Ryan's house and even Tony leaving his used condoms in the ground, this episode is probably the most edgy of the series.
2. ADDING INSULT TO INJURY - Ryan builds a skatepark in his warehouse and while attending a tournament in his area, the audiences boo him.
3. BUSINESS BEFORE PLEASURE - Ryan is holding a celebrity golf tournament and his manager warns him of his friends attending and getting out of hand. But Ryan doesn't think his friends will cause any trouble...Will they?
4. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW - Ryan Sheckler competes in X-Games 14 and tries again for a gold medal.
5. MODEL BEHAVIOR - Shane wants to become a pro skater and Ryan talks to his parents in giving Shane a chance to travel on tour with pro skaters for three weeks.
6. WHAT'S NEXT? - Ryan finds out that Casey and Mitch have been accepted to a college in Colorado and are moving in two weeks. For Ryan, this is devastating and a life changing experience.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
What I enjoy about "LIFE OF RYAN" are the various shots of San Clemente, outdoors, sunshine and it really helps the picture quality. With many reality TV series, when indoor scenes are captured, the amount of noise is just enormous. So, it was pretty cool to watch the series and notice how cool and vibrant the colors are and overall, looked good.
Audio quality features Dolby Digital stereo and dialogue is clearly heard. If anything, the series is front-heavy and there is a lot of utilization of music, thus you get a good dialogue/music driven audio track.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"LIFE OF RYAN" features three special features which are Ryan Sheckler skateboarding footage from various competitions. Included are:
* "KAMIKAZES" Skate Video (2:01)
* "PEACE WITH NOTHING" Skate Video (2:13)
* "CALL IT OFF!" Skate Video (3:16)
"LIFE OF RYAN" is really entertaining and if anything, I think the film really showcases the personal life of pro skater Ryan Sheckler. Showing that he's just a normal teenager who experiences the same emotions, stresses out and has real-life problems like every teen out there.
Granted, Sheckler is a multi-millionaire, has several businesses and is quite successful but the series is not so much about his skateboarding competitions and business life but mainly about how this athlete is dealing with his parent's divorce, dealing with his relationships with family and friends but how he has to live these separate lives of being a professional and having to be a regular teen and learning that for him, it's difficult.
But the heart of the series is his relationship with his mother and father. His mother Gretchen is a manager that wants to make sure his son knows what his schedule is and what he has to prepare for but during these tough times, when he needs his mother, she's often in manager mode and it cause a bit of friction between the both of them.
As for his father Randy, the divorce has hurt him financially and emotionally. And as tough as he looks as a businessman and biker, he cares about his son a lot and gives him advice. But because his father is more businesses minded and logical, it causes some friction between father and son as well.
If anything, the problems that Ryan goes through is trying to be the middle man between his father and mother. While dealing with the stress of competition and high school life, it's more than a teen can handle and it shows on camera.
Ryan seems to stress out with each episode and granted, he has every reason to. And you can see how that worry over his personal relationships with family has somewhat transcended into his relationships with friends, which are like family to him, it's understandable why his life seems quite dramatic on TV.
But the positive of the series is that many children and teens feel they have no way to go when they get into this stressed out or depressed state. When you have so many things coming after you, it all depends on how you deal with it. And for Sheckler, despite his...Read more›

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Ever stare out your window and wish you had a skate park in your backyard? Hope to travel the globe one day? Do you think all this is too good to be true? Well, it's not...This is the Life of Ryan. Ryan Sheckler's tale is a coming-of-age story set against an almost superhero-like existence. At just 17, Ryan, a skateboarding phenom who got on his first board at just 18 months old, already has everything a boy could ever dream of having. He’s been on the cover of ESPN The Magazine, has traveled the world and won numerous competitions, including being the youngest athlete ever to win an X-Games Gold Medal, and, yes, he even has his very own skate park in his backyard! But deep down, Ryan's really just like any other teenage boy - he's just looking for the right girl and wants to spend time with his buddies. For Ryan Sheckler, finding a way to balance his many roles – pro skater, son, brother, friend, and even boyfriend – will be no easy task. Welcome to the Life of Ryan.

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The Burton Snowboards: For Right or Wrong (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a very interesting DVD as it shows what it is like behind the scenes for these professional snowboarders. It gives you a personality to put with each of the riders. If you are expecting a more tradional snowboard video then this might not be what you're looking for. While it shows a good amount of riding it is not tradional in the sense of stock snowboarding clips set to a soundtrack. Overall a good DVD though.

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FOR RIGHT OR WRONG - DVD Movie

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300 Spartan Workout DVD- The Original Workout to Achieve the 300 Movie Body Review

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(More customer reviews)Steve Maxwell takes you through a circuit of ten exercises that use just body weight and a pull up bar. The idea is to perform thirty reps of each exercise before moving to the next exercise. You may need to do say 10 reps, rest 10-20 seconds, then do 8 reps, rest, do 6 reps, etc. until you finally reach thirty reps.
Steve also points out ways you can modify the exercises in case you are able to perform the full exercise. For instance, if you cannot do a full pullup, then you could use a lower bar and rest your heels out away from the bar so you only pull up a portion of your weight. Over time you can raise the bar incrementally until you are able to do all 30 pull ups from hanging position. Likewise, pushups could be started on a raised bar so you are at an incline and only pushing a portion of your total weight.
The Spartan reference is not needed. It plays off the popularity of the film "300" and the legendary toughness of the Spartan warriors. But it does emphasize the point that this will get you into super "functional" shape.
You could use this workout as a basis for designing your own weekly workouts, or as a periodic test of your overall conditioning. There are no gimmicks and minimal equipment, and he carefully demonstrates and explains how to do each exercise as he is performing the entire 300 reps.

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Be prepared for the most incredible full body workout you will ever experience! The 300 Spartan Workout is taking the world by storm and is widely acclaimed for producing amazing results within a short period of time. By using natural body weight conditioning exercises and a unique, non-stop superset concept, the 300 Spartan Workout unleashes your natural growth hormones and jump starts an incredible fat burning metabolism change that will create a powerful, ripped and chiseled look to your body. World Class strength and conditioning trainer, Steve Maxwell, has created 3 different workout levels for the 300 Spartan, so regardless of your present physical condition you can reap the benefits of this amazing workout routine and get started now! For each workout level basic, intermediate and advanced, Steve teaches all of the exercises individually so you can learn to perform them correctly during the actual 300 Spartan workout. Then Steve takes you through the entire 300 routine so you can see how the workout should be performed from start to finish. People all over the world are raving about the gains they are achieving by using this highly effective method of training. This DVD is region free and will work on any player in the World!

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NFL Super Bowl Collection - San Francisco 49ers Review

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(More customer reviews)Yes, its true, all the highlights and features of this 2 dvd set is from the Super Bowl Collection series and there isn't any new video footage. If you own the Super Bowl XI-XX and the Super Bowl XXI-XXX volumes of the Collection, you may not "need" this set, because the 49ers won Super Bowls (XVI, XIX, XXIII & XXIV) which are contained in those volumes. And, yes, yes, NFL films could have put more into this set with regards to additional footage. That being said, 49ers fans will love this set because it contains those highlights and features that pertain to only the 49ers championship years and, let's face it, it may be a while before the 49ers ever return to those glory days. Due to the present state of the club, 49ers fans will be dreary for a while, but they can always relive the glory of the past in this set. These dvds will stir up a lot of good memories of one of the most charismatic teams to ever dominate the NFL. Besides the NFL years in review, it's all here: the Walsh coaching influence on the NFL, the Montana magic, the phenomenal Jerry Rice, etc. Since the 49ers were the first team to win five Super Bowls, this dvd set contains plenty of footage to capture the excitement and is worth the money. Recommended.

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The 49ers earned the moniker "Team of the 80s" after claiming four Super Bowl titles during that decade with NFL legend Joe Montana at quarter-back and the incomparable Jerry Rice at receiver. They extended their dominance into the 90s with another Hall of Fame quarter-back in Steve Young, becoming the first and only franchise in NFL history to win five Super Bowls. This DVD features hours of Super Bowl game footage, season highlights, interviews and commentary from the legends that made the 49ers a champion.

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Air Bud - Golden Receiver (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)Not many sequels are a good as the first, but this is an exception. When Bud appears in his uniform you react much like if the band just started with a John Philip Sousa march. Bud makes you swell with good feelings. Like the first movie, the dog shots are real and not just special effects. You do not need to like football to be cheering. I find the only time ball games are a good spectator sport is when Air Bud is starring. But then I have a couple of golden retrievers and 10 other dogs. You don't need kids to love it.

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The creators of the original AIR BUD score once again with this all-new, hilarious heartwarming hit! This time out, Buddy, the hoop-shooting, hotshot canine, tackles a new sport -- football. When his teenage owner reluctantly becomes the school's new quarterback, Buddy catches the spirit and joins the team. Soon, the two find themselves leading the Timberwolves to the state championship. But victory hopes are sidelined when two sinister Russian circus owners take a bite out of everyone's plans and dognap Buddy for their star attraction. So give three cheers for Disney's AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER. Full of outrageous fun and adventure, it goes the whole nine yards for family fun.

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Rocky Anthology (Rocky / Rocky II / Rocky III / Rocky IV / Rocky V) (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I saw that the Rocky Anthology - which originally came out in 2004 (look it up on Amazon, it is still available for order) - was being re-released, I was excited because I figured it would finally include special features for all the films. You see, this is the THIRD time they have packaged the entire series together - first in 2000 when the original Special Edition of the first film came out, then again in 2004 when the entire series was re-released with hi-def picture, and now again.
But guess what? There are no special features on the discs.
Which wouldn't bother me on the sequels - but when ROCKY: SPECIAL EDITION has just come out (with two discs and a free ticket to see Rocky Balboa), I consider it a major rip-off to find out the box set doesn't include any of the bonus material from this two-disc edition. They both came out on the same day, yet this Anthology was created without the inclusion of any of the other edition's extra features.
Essentially this is the EXACT same box set as the one from 2004, with identical artwork (the tagline on the back of the box is even the same), only this newer 2006 edition has smaller cases inside (those new, tacky, plastic snap-cases that TV shows are often issued with).
So, if you bought the last Anthology box set, skip this and just buy the Special Edition of the first film, which is also available now and has far better packaging and bonus features.
If you don't own the anthology already, I'd still recommend waiting for the price to drop and just get the Special Edition of Rocky.

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Disc 1: **ROCKY 1976 Rating: PG Rating: Cdn: TBC / Que: G Run Time : 120 min Hi-Def Transfer Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1English Audio: 5.1 DTS Surround, 5.1 Dolby Surround, & Original Mono French Audio: 5.1 Surround Spanish Audio: Mono Subtitles: English, French & SpanishDisc 2: **ROCKY II 1979 Rating: PG Rating: Cdn: TBC / Que: G Run Time : 119 min Hi-Def Transfer Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1English Audio: 5.1 Dolby Surround French Audio: Mono Spanish Audio: Mono Subtitles: English, French & SpanishDisc 3: **ROCKY III 1982 Rating: PG Rating: Cdn: TBC / Que: G Run Time : 100 min Hi-Def Transfer Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1English Audio: 5.1 Dolby Surround French Audio: Mono Spanish Audio: Mono Subtitles: English, French & SpanishDisc 4: **ROCKY IV 1985 Rating: PG Rating: Cdn: TBC / Que: G Run Time : 91 min Hi-Def Transfer Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1English Audio: 5.1 Dolby Surround French Audio: Mono Spanish Audio: Mono Subtitles: English, French & SpanishDisc 5: **ROCKY V 1990 Rating: PG-13 Rating: Cdn: TBC / Que: G Run Time : 111 min Hi-Def Transfer Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 English Audio: 5.1 Dolby Surround French Audio: Stereo Surround Spanish Audio: Mono Subtitles: English, French & Spanish

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WWE: Allied Powers - The World's Greatest Tag Teams (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This DVD is basically the epitome of what they call a "clusterf***" in the wrestling business. It's basically too much crammed into too little of a space, and no one wins in the end.
The structure of the DVD is as follows: A certain team is introduced with a 1-2 minute highlight video with archived voiceovers from commentators and promos. There are no interviews with the wrestlers themselves, their peers, or current wrestlers who grew up idolizing them - three aspects which have been staples of WWE compilation DVD's for years. The highlight video is followed up by one match highlighting that team, then on to the next one.
One thing you notice from the jump is that you never know what to expect from one match to the next. Each match/tag team is completely random in terms of the era and federation in which they competed. Just as an example from Disc 1, it goes from the Steiner Brothers to the Hardy Boys to the Fabulous Freebirds. That might make sense if these teams were organized into some sort of countdown of the "Best Tag Teams of All Time," but they're not. The organization of the DVD truly boggles my mind.
On top of that, the matches are nothing special. None of these matches were career-defining for any of these teams - probably because those matches are either featured on other DVD's, or there simply wasn't room for them. If someone picks up this DVD having never seen a certain team perform before, they will get only an unfair glimpse of just how great that team was.
I think it would have been a better idea to organize the best tag team matches either by decade or by federation (AWA/NWA/WCW/WWF/whatever). This type of structure has been done on numerous occasions throughout the rest of WWE's extensive DVD catalog, so it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch. I can't imagine why such a completely disorganized and disappointing DVD was put together.

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Throughout the decades, fans of sports entertainment have long enjoyed the controlled chaos of tag-team wrestling. Many future Hall of Fame performers started as part of a popular duo, such as Shawn Michaels (the Rockers), Bret “Hit Man” Hart (Hart Foundation). Now, for the first time on DVD, fans can enjoy the greatest tag teams in sports entertainment history in Allied Powers: The World’s Greatest Tag Teams. Hosted by The Miz and John Morrisonwho are the current World Tag Team champions and the longest-running WWE Tag Team Champions in recent history.They bring their own brand of humor to this 3-DVD set that hits the biggest and the best duos throughout the annals of sports entertainment.

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The Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Collector's Edition (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bad News First: No games from the series against Anaheim (which were on ESPN rather than Fox), in which David Ortiz put on a hitting clinic--a one-disc overview would have been really nice. Really nice. . . . Thanks, ESPN, for helping out with copyright stuff. . . . That knocks it down to 4 1/2 stars right there. But the real drama came with the Yankees series, though, so I'll survive. I don't have a good enough system to notice some of the more technical picture/color/resolution issues that have been mentioned, so I'm fine with that, too, even though some others have voiced valid criticisms. That's pretty good for bad news. . . .
The Good News: Everything (and I mean everything!) is on these discs. This set of DVDs is a spectacular collection of the most important ALCS in Red Sox history, some of the most exciting baseball to be played in October, and then the World Series, which seemed terribly anti-climactic somehow after Games 4 & 5 against the Yankees and a nice partial comeback by the Cardinals in Game 1 of the World Series. Whatever I might be missing from the Anaheim series, I get back twofold from this set--back up to 5 stars. Easy.
The Games: Aside from a disastrous Game 3 (which might be good to watch just to keep the comeback in even better perspective), the games were close, competitive, and dramatic. Some pretty good drama unfolded in Games 1 & 2, despite the Red Sox losses. Game 4 showcased a classic display of determination (by both teams) within a back-and-forth struggle, "the steal" by Dave Roberts, and the ultimate vintage walk-off home run by Ortiz in the bottom of the 12th inning. Game 5 followed in those big footsteps and provided possibly even more drama, with the Red Sox tying the game in the 8th inning and the two teams playing five more scoreless innings--each team with multiple opportunities to win the game, with the dramatic finish in the bottom of the 14th. That game went close to six hours, and we missed a great game between St. Louis and Houston, because by the time this game was over, the other game was well into the 8th inning. . . . Games 6 & 7 seemed less "exciting," simply because it seemed that the Sox had all of the momentum: Schilling pitched great in Game 6, and Lowe pitched a one-hitter through six innings in Game 7. Every time the Yankees made a move, the Red Sox made a bigger one in response. All of those moments are there, however, to relive in whatever fashion you choose--watch the complete games, skip around, whatever. . . .
The Setup: The games are all there in their entirety. However, half-inning chapter breaks make it very easy to negotiate your way through a whole bunch of baseball (Games 4 and 5 went forever. . .) in much less time than the original games took.
The Packaging: Beautiful. Hitting statistics, pitching stats, box scores, and inning-by-inning summaries make it easy to find a particular at-bat or half-inning (some of our memories are failing, so this feature is particularly helpful. . .). Trivia, attendance, weather info, umpires, quotes from players, pictures of memorabilia, and a host of other things are on the cover of each DVD, making it good reading material, as well. It's all there. All of it. If you need a piece of information regarding these games that is not on the cases, then you need very professional help. . .
The Bonus Features: Some of us love them, and this set includes one disc devoted to just "stuff," most importantly the 2005 Ring & Banner Ceremony, which was not included on any of the other World Series DVDs. Interviews, player bios/features, trip to the White House, celebrity interviews, post-game celebrations, etc. are all included. Complete postseason batting and pitching stats are on the inside of the case, also--Nice bonus. . . !
The Price: Can you beat it. . . ? MLB online was offering each game, but it would have ended up costing more than this set (which I bought for less than $80 at my local Bull Moose store) and would not have had any of the nice packaging offered on this set. I could have pictured really bare-bones discs and cases, but MLB and A&E did a tremendous job putting together a quality package for a very reasonable amount of money.
Bottom Line: If you are a fan of baseball and, in particular, a Red Sox fan, then this set is a virtual "must-have" for your collection. It is the first time that MLB has done such a project, and I hope it is successful. Who wouldn't like to have some past great World Series and playoff series to see in their entirety? This is an invaluable resource for future generations of Red Sox fans and for baseball fans in general--hopefully a trend has been started. The NESN DVD (Faith Rewarded) is a great summary, with some nice local insights and perspectives. The official MLB World Series DVD (one disc) is nice, too, if you want just a summary and a few highlights. Neither can compare to this set, though. Some of us want the whole enchilada, and this set provides it, with a nice salsa on the side. . . .

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The amazing comeback victory over the New York Yankees and World Series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals requires an equally incredible collection of memories. This unprecedented 12-DVD Collector’s Edition preserves all of the remarkable drama for your viewing now and forever.

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The Sandlot 3 - Heading Home (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you enjoyed the Sandlot and Sandlot 2, you're sure to like Sandlot 3 - Heading Home. The original Sandlot was definitely a tough act to follow, and unless you were alive and kicking in the 1970's, younger viewers might not understand all the political references in Sandlot 2. The Sandlot 3 comes full circle and is a wonderful family movie. The characters are real and the story line is heartwarming. Get out the popcorn, gather your family together and get ready to enjoy The Sandlot 3 - Heading Home.

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Take the field with a new lineup of scrappy sandlot sluggers! Starring Luke Perry as a pampered pro athlete who rediscovers his love for the game, The Sandlot: Heading Home is a pulse-pounding and heartwarming tale about losing your ego, putting your friends first...and winning it all! Major league baseball superstar Tommy Santorelli (Perry) racks up great numbers at the plate, but his "me-first" attitude drags his team down. But Tommy gets a second chance when he's knocked unconscious by a pitch and wakes up as a 12-year-old on his childhood playing field...the sandlot! Now, with a greedy developer, Earl Needman, threatening to bulldoze the sandlot unless Tommy's ragtag friends can beat Needman's much-better team, Tommy must decide whether to put his own interests first by switching teams...or stay true to his friends by leading them to their greatest victory yet!

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Ice Princess (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's amazing that the wonderfully brutal sport of hockey and the graceful sport of ice skating take place on the same surface - it took a while, but I've actually come to appreciate the sport of figure skating (well, women's figure skating, anyway). Ice Princess, naturally enough, is all about figure skating - but it's really about so much more than that: pursuing a dream, doing what you love, having the courage to take chances and make big decisions, dealing with parental pressure at its best and worst, competing with honor, and basically just figuring out what you want and taking control of your own life - and, yes, it's also about Michelle Trachtenberg looking absolutely gorgeous. Disney always puts out good films; Ice Princess is fairly predictable, but there's nothing wrong with a predictable story that inspires you and makes you feel good - and the film actually isn't quite as predictable as I thought it would be.
Michelle Trachtenberg plays Casey Carlyle, a science geek who loves skating out on the pond but is focused on winning a physics scholarship to Harvard. The story doesn't really work the high school misfit angle very hard, but it's not really the focus of the movie, anyway. Casey needs to come up with a personalized physics project to impress the Harvard recruiters, and so it is that she turns to ice skating with all of its angles, velocities, vectors, and mathematical implications as her ticket to achievement. It's not enough to watch and study the skaters training under the local coach Tina Harwood (Crow T. Robot's favorite actress, Kim Cattrall), though; she begins taking skating lessons herself (surrounded by much younger, competitive little students) to put her theories to the test, and she discovers she has some real talent. Before long, she's actually competing in sectionals - where she discovers just how cut-throat the figure skating profession can be. Standing at the first major crossroads of her life, Casey has to choose whether she will give up skating and go out and get that Harvard scholarship or if she will make the sacrifices necessary in order to see just how far she can go in the sport. Her mother and her coach complicate things. Casey's mother Joan (Joan Cusack) has always dreamed of her daughter matriculating at Harvard and finding lifelong success by using her brilliant mind, and she can't understand why Casey would even think about putting her academic future in jeopardy by pursuing what she sees as an impossible dream. Casey's coach, Tina, has always pushed her own daughter to succeed at figure skating, and she's rather ruthless about making that dream of hers come true - although it's really not what her daughter wants for herself. Joan and Tina could not be more different - yet in time we see they are surprisingly alike in terms of pushing their own dreams onto their daughters. It's a theme that any past, present, or future teenager knows well. In the end, Casey takes charge of her own life, risking not only Harvard but her close relationship with her mother. It may or may not be the best choice, but it is definitely the right choice for Casey.
The figure skating scenes are really well-done; a lot of the difficult moves are actually performed by doubles, but you'd never know it by watching the movie. You would also never know that two of the actresses are really skaters with no previous acting experience. The whole transformation of Casey from science geek novice on skates to medal-contending skater would never happen in the real world, nor would the actual competitions resemble those in the movie, but the film's story comes across as very believable. There's also a sweet touch of light romance on the side. It's a feel-good story that inspires you to pursue your own dreams, whatever they may be, and I enjoyed it immensely.
The DVD comes with some nice little extras. First, you have a number of deleted scenes, including a different opening to the film - one of these deleted scenes is quite interesting, for it would have put a much different spin on concluding events. Second, you have a couple of good music videos (Reach by Caleigh Peters and No One by Aly and A.J.) featuring plenty of shots from the film. The whole soundtrack of the film is excellent, by the way. Finally, you have an excellent commentary featuring four of the young actors. Most film commentaries tend to be extremely boring and surprisingly uninformative, but the commentary here is full of details and insight on the making of the film and is really a lot of fun to listen to because of the passion and fun these young stars bring to the whole experience of making the film. It would appear that Disney has done it again: Ice Princess is a wonderful film that is both fun and rewarding for viewers of all ages.

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From Walt Disney Pictures, the studio that brought you THE PRINCESS DIARIES, ICE PRINCESS is a hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story featuring popular teen star Michelle Trachtenberg (TV's BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, EUROTRIP). Though she longs to become a graceful champion figure skater, gawky Casey Carlyle (Trachtenberg) has always been just a brainy high school misfit. And with a strong-willed mother (Joan Cusack -- RAISING HELEN) pushing her toward a top university, it seems as if she'll never get the chance to be like the elite skating prodigies she sees at the rink. But when Casey uses her head and follows her heart, she'll find herself transformed beyond her wildest dreams! Also starring Kim Cattrall, it's an uplifting and laugh-packed story your whole family will flip for!

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My Boys: The Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)Thanks to a marathon TBS aired last year around Oscar time, I finally got to see some back-to-back episodes of the TBS original series My Boys. But not all of them. Just enough to get me hooked on the show.
Thanks to the Sony DVD release of My Boys - The Complete First Season, I can finally watch all 22 episodes from the show's brilliantly funny first season completely unfettered. The marathon, of course, was just an appetizer. With this Season One DVD, you get the main course with all the fixins. My Boys - The Complete First Season is a 3-disc set featuring all 22 episodes in Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) video; English 5.1 audio; English, French subtitles; Closed caption; plus a host of bonus features including featurettes, deleted scenes and more.
My Boys stars lovely Jordana Spiro (who sounds like Kristen Johnston from 3rd Rock from the Sun) as Penelope Jane "PJ" Franklin, a tomboy sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times whose life is surrounded by men, both professionally and personally. Playing the pivotal roles of PJ's guy friends are Kyle Howard (The Drew Carey Show) as rival sportswriter and former love interest Bobby; Reid Scott as pretty boy radio DJ Brendan; Michael Bunin as odd and quirky memorabilia store owner Kenny; Jamie Kaler as excitable skirt-chaser Mike; comedian Jim Gaffigan as PJ's married, sarcastic and sardonic older brother Andy; plus Kellee Stewart as Stephanie, PJ's best gal pal, who schools her on the fine art of modern dating. Look for memorable guest appearances from Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) and Nicole Sullivan (The King of Queens) as Kenny's hipster friend Trouty and very pregnant girlfriend Kimmie.
Though presented from a female point of view, My Boys, replete with baseball analogies (narrated by Spiro) and naturally witty dialogue exchanged over ritual poker games and drinks at the bar, offers plenty of fun and entertainment to both male and female viewers. Not to mention great production values, not unlike those of Sex and the City. My Boys - The Complete First Season is definitely a welcome addition to any TV DVD collection which I highly recommend. Here are the episodes, plus extras and how the discs will be configured:

Disc 1:
Pilot
Mixed Signals
Team Chemistry
The Slump
The Show
Clubhouse Cancer
Free Agent
Superstar Treatment
Disc 2:
Managers
Take One for the Team
When Heroes Fall From Grace
Released
Baseball Myths
Promise of a New Season
Off Day
Ethics
Disc 3:
Dirty Little Secrets
Second Chances
Douchebag in the City
States of Hoffman
110 Percent Solution
Rome, If You Want To
Special Features:
* Life in the Press Box: Behind the Scenes Featurette
* P.J.'s Rules for Sports and Dating: Featurette
* No Crying in Baseball: Outtakes and Bloopers
* Favorites in Sports: Montage of Sports from the Show
* Sports Quiz with Cast and Crew
* Riding the Pine: Deleted Scenes
* Bonus Minisodes: Diff'rent Strokes "Mr. T and mr. T"
Silver Spoons "Me and Mr. T"

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A comedy/drama centering on PJ Franklin a twenty-something female sports writer for the Chigaco Sun-Times, whose 'family' consists of a bunch of lovable guys who share all her favorite pastimes - sports, poker and beer, but finding a boyfriend and making a future for herself can be tricky for a girl with so many men in her life! Starring hot new talent Jordana Spiro (Must Love Dogs).

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Million Dollar Baby (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hillary Swank (Margaret Fitzgerald), who proved her athleticism in her first major role, The Next Karate Kid, demonstrated it again, pummeling a heavy bag with a power left on which I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end. She's very convincing in this movie - both as a young woman from humble beginnings who wants to make a better life for herself, and as a boxer. In Million Dollar Baby, she returns to the visceral emotional range that left us so deeply moved in Boy's Don't Cry.
Clint Eastwood (Frankie Dunn), who has proved himself repeatedly, has perhaps turned in the best performance of his career. At times irascible, intellectual, mournful, instructive, reflective, passionate - in every manifestation, he reaches you. He was brilliant.
And Morgan Freeman is, well, Morgan Freeman. As the narrator of the story, and an actor within it, he lends a soft-spoken touch that ameliorates some of the film's darker elements. He also lent the film a certain amount of boxing sagacity, as he spoke in non-technical and sometimes quasi-technical terms of the basics of boxing.
This film ain't no Rocky. It has an intelligence and compassion that Rocky (and virtually every boxing film ever made, save perhaps Raging Bull) couldn't think to have. Beyond that, it actually has better fight sequences. More often than in most boxing films - certainly the very poor choreography of the Rocky fight sequences - the punches looked and felt real, or as real as "fake" can make them.
Margaret introduces herself to Frankie after a fight and asks him to train her. He turns her down flat, saying that he doesn't train girls. Given her pluckiness, she appears at his gym the next day, punching a heavy bag with all of the skill, style and fluidity of Pinocchio. Finally he agrees to train her ("finally" takes a while, and watching it come to fruition, the subtle changes in Eastwood's character, is a real treat to watch), and soon she is ready for her first fight.
Here's the only similarity to Rocky: she turns out to be a natural, with a wicked left hook and overhand right (at least that I could see) and is knocking out all of her opponents in the first round. Some might think that this is, perhaps, a bit much. However, in the sport of women's boxing, such a thing isn't uncommon. PLEASE don't think that I'm saying women are not good boxers or don't have the same abilities that men do. It's simply that the increasing popularity of the sport hasn't quite yet led to the kind of talent that exists in men's boxing (although, frankly, talent on that side isn't exactly at it's apex). Her superiority over lesser opponents isn't unheard of.
There's so much more I want to say about this film, because from this point forward it moved from being one of the best films of the year - purely on the strength of the writing, and the performances of Swank and Eastwood in particular - to one of the best films I've seen in several years. I'm so grateful that reviewers didn't give away the ending. I'll just say that the ending is layered with surprises, and that it's been a very, very long time that I haven't seen a single cell phone being used (how annoying is that, even with all of the polite requests and warnings?), and also seen so many in the theater remain in their seats long after the movie ended.
It's a brilliant, brilliant film, the kind that makes me want to go back and change the number of stars I've given most movies that I've reviewed, simply so that this 5 star review means more. I recently gave Sideways, Closer, and Finding Neverland 5 stars, and while they are all very, very worthy films - I'd like to give this one six.

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"I DON'T TRAIN GIRLS", trainer Frankie Dunn growls. But something's different about the spirited boxing hopeful who shows up daily at Dunn's gym. All she wants is a fighting chance. Clint Eastwood plays Dunn and directs, produces and composes music for this acclaimed, multi-award-winning tale of heart, hope and family. Hilary Swank plays resilient Maggie, determined not to abandon her one dream. And Morgan Freeman is Scrap, gym caretaker and counterpoint to Dunn's crustiness. Grab your dreams and come out swinging.DVD Features:DocumentariesFeaturetteInterviews

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Miracle (Widescreen Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)As the Cold War fades into memory, it is hard to explain the on-going, almost mystical fascination with The Miracle on Ice; the defeat of the vaunted Soviets by a bunch of unknown American college kids. Yes, national pride plays a big role, and more generally everyone loves an underdog. But I think what has really made this event such a cultural touchstone is the pure joy that surrounded it. Across the nation, and the world, for a myriad of reasons, but distilled and purified in the players and coaches who pursued their dream not for fame and fortune, but because the only dreams worth chasing are the hard ones.
"Miracle" captures this spirit down to the smallest nuance; in a day and age when you are as likely to read about athletes in the police blotter as the sports page, it is refreshing to watch people play for the pure joy of sport and love of the game. The ability to capture this love of the game was made possible by the fact that every single one of the actors portraying a hockey player was first and foremost an actual hockey player. That's not to say they can't act, but they sought out the opportunity because they have scored Eruzione's game winning goal a thousand times on a rink or pond or even on asphalt and they wanted an opportunity to tap into a little bit of that magic. They didn't audition for "Miracle", they tried out for it, and once they had the job, they went to training camp to prepare for filming. This attention to detail comes through in spades; I know hockey, but you don't have to be an expert to realize these guys are in great shape and have been on the receiving end of a check more than once.
In contrast to these raw and unseasoned actors stands Kurt Russell, a Hollywood veteran (and admittedly a very big hockey fan). His portrayal of Herb Brooks is dead on; from the voice and mannerisms down to the single minded determination to beat the best team in the world. Moreover, his punishing conditioning regimen and mind-bending schemes are accurately portrayed without bogging down in details that would likely bore even dedicated fans. The supporting cast is likewise strong, and wisely limited in large part to just Brooks' wife and assistants. This focus mirrors the way Brooks lived the game and minimizes distractions.
So the film has real hockey players and fine actors in all the key roles but the most daunting task for the director still remained: how to portray a game where the outcome is know when the NHL hasn't found an entirely effective view for live games. The answer was to use as many ice level shots as possible, which serves a twofold purpose. The first is that it is much easier to follow the puck when it is the focus of the shot, and at the same time, when a hit or injury is the key part of the scene, the puck isn't a distraction. The other reason this approach is successful is because this player's eye view of the ice injects a sense of urgency that makes victory seem in doubt even when it is a known factor. A corollary to this approach is in the narrative of the game with the Soviets; the director wisely chose not to reinvent the wheel and used Al Michael's definitive call, which includes key commentary from Ken Dryden which can be informative for the non-hockey fan.
In the end, what this all adds up to is the perfect encapsulation of the joy I referenced above. The cold hard fact is that we are unlikely to ever see such joy in sport again, as professionals have come to dominate Olympic team sports and high schoolers join the pro ranks as soon as they graduate and middle schoolers go to strength and conditioning camps under relentless pressure from their parents. What "Miracle" portrays is a joy born of a love of competition, a love of sport and a love of teammates that has become all too rare. That's not to say that this movie only portrays sunshine and roses, but the ultimate goal transcended any one individual. Some of the best scenes in the movie have nothing to do with hockey, but rather the camaraderie that comes from sharing simple things with good friends.
Superb in its portrayal of perhaps the greatest sporting event of all time in every aspect - from acting to wardrobe to the game on the ice, "Miracle" is an absolute joy to watch. It wisely frames the geo-political import of the game and then sets it aside, focusing instead on the beauty of sport and the satisfaction of hard earned accomplishments.
Jake Mohlman.

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From the studio that brought you THE ROOKIE and REMEMBER THE TITANS comes the movie everybody loves -- MIRACLE. Filled with exhilarating nonstop hockey action and heart-racing suspense, it's the inspiring true story behind one of the greatest moments in sports history — the 1980 United States ice hockey team's triumphant Olympic victory against the Soviet Union. Kurt Russell gives a brilliant performance as the dynamic and determined coach Herb Brooks, who had an impossible dream -- beat the seemingly unbeatable Soviets at their own game. Starting with a handpicked group of 26 undisciplined kids, Brooks coached them to play like they never played before, and turned 20 of them into a team that believed they could achieve the unachievable -- and in the process, united a nation with a new feeling of hope.

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Goal - The Dream Begins (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Yes, this is another sports biography that offers a stage on which to play out the drama of the possibilities of dreams of the disenfranchised to become a reality. There are many, many films like this one and will doubtless be more: something there is about the 'team spirit' in the identity crisis of whether or not the poor (financially) new guy will be able to make the physical grade that draws large audiences. It is a formula and it often works despite weak structure and production values.
In the case of GOAL! THE DREAM BEGINS the viewer can put aside the doubts as to whether the film can make it on its own: this little low profile movie is well written (Mike Jefferies's story adapted for the screen by Adrian Butchart), well directed by Danny Cannon who knows well how to integrate live sports scenes into the drama, and consistently well acted by a troop of excellent actors, beginning with the very vibrant, handsome, and charismatic Kuno Becker ('Lucia, Lucia', 'Imagining Argentina', 'Once Upon a Wedding', 'English as a Second Language'), a 28 year old Mexican actor with an assured future in the lead role of Santiago. The supporting roles are classy contributions by the gifted Alessandro Nivola ('The Sisters', 'Junebug', 'The Clearing', 'Laurel Canyon', 'Love's Labour's Lost', 'Mansfield Park' etc), the very beautiful Anna Friel, Stephen Dillane, Marcel Iures, Tony Plana, Miriam Colon to mention only a few.
The story is secondary: as a child devotee of soccer Santiago immigrates illegally into the US with his family, grows up in Los Angeles working as a gardener, a dishwasher and other menial tasks while he consumes his spare time with developing his unique talents for soccer. Despite his father's insistence that he remain with the family business of gardening, Santiago is discovered by a scout on vacation from England, a bond develops and soon Santiago is off to Newcastle to pursue his dream of being a professional soccer player. The rest is pretty obvious - the ups and downs of an asthmatic kid competing in the wild world of sports. The star of the moment is Alessandro Nivola and despite the differences in their goals and social life they become friends who help each other in tender ways. There is of course a love interest, telephone calls and encouragement form Santiago's grandmother, adjustments to life in the UK -all altering the road toward Santiago's eventually attained goal.
The film is a bit lengthy (two hours) for the content, but then we understand this is the first of a trilogy, so get used to the story and the characters as they all remain constant for the next two installments. Whatever reservations you may have about sitting through another predictable sports movie just relax them: Kuno Becker alone is worth the time invested in this very fine little film. Grady Harp, September 06

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GOAL THE DREAM BEGINS - DVD Movie

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ESPN Films 30 for 30: The Two Escobars Review

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(More customer reviews)Well this was simply a fine film that captivated me from beginning to end. Broken down into essentially two parts (Pablo & Andres) it weaves a tale that is simultaneously grotesque and inspiring. That Colombia could be so united by it's soccer/football team is a testament to hope and a proud culture. This film incorporates numerous poignant interviews (both historic and contemporary) of former players, government officials, former drug traffickers, former Colombian soccer federation officials, and close friends and family of the two Escobars. You feel as though you are receiving the true story from the horses mouth, so to speak. And maybe, just maybe, we actually are.
'The Two Escobars' is essential viewing if only for it's presentation of the facts associated with the Andres Escobar murder that have been muddled by misinformation (which I too have been guilty of believing). The film even goes so far as to elude to Andres death not being related to drug cartel retaliation at all. But the truth may, in fact, be uglier and more of an indictment on the horrific and terrifying society of the time.
This film is worth your attention whether you are a fan of football, a fan of documentaries, a fan of history, or simply a fan of learning about people and cultures. It's not a feel-good movie on the surface, but if you know the Colombia of today it would be impossible not to feel good about how far this country has come since the turbulent times portrayed in this film.
On a personal note, I recently spent 5 months of my life in Colombia teaching English and I will say that Colombians are some of the friendliest and happiest people I have met anywhere on this Earth during my travels. Not only that but Bogota, where I spent the majority of my time, did not feel unsafe except in the deepest hours of the night and only really in the dodgier areas. But while there I never spoke with anyone to any great extent about the past, two decades ago when the country was a world away from the security it enjoys today. This film provides a glimpse into that tumultuous time when fear and paranoia clearly gripped every man, woman, and child in the country. It's the best history lesson I've ever watched!
See it!!! It's not really just a good ESPN program, it is actually a fine feature film (clocking in at 103 captivating minutes). I would honestly not be surprised if this is nominated for an Oscar. This is as good of a sports documentary as you are ever likely to see and is up there in the pantheon of the greats with documentary films like 'Hoop Dreams'.

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While rival drug cartels warred in the streets and the country's murder rate climbed to highest in the world, the Colombian national soccer team set out to blaze a new image for their country. What followed was a mysteriously rapid rise to glory, as the team catapulted out of decades of obscurity to become one of the best teams in the world. Central to this success were two men named Escobar: Andrés, the inspirational captain of the National Team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as "Narco-soccer."A favorite to win the 1994 World Cup, the Columbians never made it out of the first round.In the 35th minute of the team's game against the United States, Andres scored an own goal, costing his team a shot at the title and his nation's chance to transform its image on the international stage.Less than ten days later, he was shot 12 times, gunned down outside a bar in a suburb of Medellin. An official selection at the Tribeca and Los Angeles Film Festivals, and an official selection at Cannes' Cinema de la Plage, award-winning directors Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist examine the mysterious events surrounding Andres' tragic death with this intense thriller about the intersection of crime and sport.
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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More Than a Game (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)The title More Than a Game is more than a little cliché, and the most basic summary of this documentary's premise does little to refute that initial impression: the story of five inner city youths who forge something beyond friendship while pursuing their high school hoop dreams. But the journey of the "Fab Five" who made up the core of the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team in Akron, Ohio earlier in the decade is not exactly your average sports saga, filled with extraordinary characters and equally extraordinary circumstances that Hollywood could craft no better in any feature script. Any filmmaker blessed with such serendipitous narrative riches would be content to simply recount the not-so-tall tale, but director Kristopher Belman takes it an added step: bringing the larger-than-life back down to a universally relatable scale.
Figures hardly come more larger-than-life than LeBron James, the Fighting Irish alum who (as the world over has come to know) first caught national sports media attention during his high school stint and has since become one of most celebrated and recognizable stars in all of sports, let alone in basketball. With the knowledge of James's ultimate NBA fairy tale fate, the temptation would be to focus the film solely on his rise, but his story is duly treated as but one of the threads borne out of what was originally the "Fab Four"--James, "Little" Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, and Sian Cotton, whom we see in some rare home video honing their individual skills and team chemistry from way back when they were pre-teens. Playing in the Amateur Athletic Union, the quartet lived up to the "Shooting Stars" team name, building on their local Ohio successes to shock observers in a national tournament down in Florida; however, the four's first taste of national success will turn out to be just shy of complete victory.
And, like most lives, that bittersweet experience reflects the greater journeys followed in More Than a Game. Given the presence of James, one expects this to be a film full of triumphs, but what make those resonate even more strongly in the end are the relatable setbacks, obstacles, and shake-ups that occur along the way. In fact, falling into that last category are two people who will come to complete the "fab" family and help lift the entire unit to new heights, Romeo Travis and "Little Dru"'s father, Dru Joyce II. But long before those heights, each initially enters the basketball picture under less than ideal circumstances: Travis in sophomore year at St. Vincent-St. Mary's, where his surly demeanor quickly clashes with the core quartet, who had just led the school to a championship the previous season; Joyce II in junior year, who takes over the head coaching position from a decorated predecessor despite minimal experience. How the four manage to evolve into a "Fab Five" and, above all else, a family of six headed by Coach Dru proves not so much a result of their hard work on the hardwood than of the growth they each must undergo as people.
The film's structure reinforces that latter point. Instead of going the standard route of going through each person's background at the top, Belman gives the individual histories at appropriate, organic moments within the overall narrative. While this approach does mean that some events early in the film unfold without a complete familiarity with or understanding of all of the players, spreading the stories out pays off in a couple of respects. Instead of blurring into a muddle, it allows each person to have their time to shine and their respective stories breathe and remain clear to the viewer. But even more effectively, the backstories are used beyond mere exposition to illuminate certain key events that affect the group as a whole--further underscoring the greater idea of how various circumstances seemingly centered on one person can cause repercussions for the collective. Chief among these developments, of course, is the hysteria and hype that arises around James after he is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, suddenly catapulting midwestern high school hoops into a nationally televised arena. The film admirably does not downplay any of the well-documented dramas and tensions that then sprung forth from James's literally overnight fame, but instead of wallowing in sensational celebrity scandal, Belman keeps these developments in their proper perspective in regards to the bigger picture: how they affected the entire group and what they all aimed to accomplish.
That is an example of how and why More Than a Game works--showing the grounded, real-life terms and consequences of an increasingly surreal chain of events. Only a select few people can completely relate to being blessed with natural athletic ability and talent at such a young age; even fewer still would relate to being suddenly thrust into the media spotlight and scrutiny. But underneath that gloss and glamour is the classic tale of boys growing into men, of people learning the importance of the greater group glory over the individual shine, with the distinctly drawn personalities of each of the five offering a fairly diverse set of entry points for the viewer to understand and relate. Ironically enough, in balancing his attention between everyone on the team, Belman offers deeper, uncommonly intimate insight into the film's marquee name; one is a witness what is perhaps James's most critical, formative period through the eyes of those who not only knew him best, but had a huge hand in shaping the superstar "King James" so familiar to sports fans today. But if lifting-oneself-from-a-hard-knock-childhood-through-big-dreams is fairly commonplace film fodder, More Than a Game's trump card comes in an arc that is not as commonly told and even more empowering: the story of Coach Dru, as the film is just as much about him coming into his own. If James's story confirms the prevailing contemporary notion that one's opportunity for success comes--and then passes--only while one is young, that of the elder Dru counters that, rather poignantly proving that one does not have to settle for comfort and complacency, for one's true calling and self-actualization may not arrive until later in life.
That statement may make More Than a Game sound pretentious, but such weightier ideas are delivered in a very accessible and entertaining package. The Fab Five make an affable and appealing, funny and fun group, and Belman accordingly has fun, fighting the trap of talking head-and-news-clip documentary monotony and keeping the film visually dynamic. Beyond some snazzy (but not overdone) graphic work that gives the documentary staples of old photos and newspaper headlines some motion and flair, Belman also manages to lend some variety to the basketball footage, with each pivotal game edited and presented in their own subtly distinct way; for instance, some visual repetitiveness is avoided by simply not shooting scoreboards in the same way. Belman even has a little fun with the standard closing "where are they now" text cards without resorting to overwrought editorializing or labored stabs at profundity.
While it certainly helps to be familiar with the game of basketball and a fan of the sport to enjoy More Than a Game, it is far from necessary. Basketball is what brought the Fab Five and Coach Dru together and was and remains a shared passion, but the game is almost incidental to the larger idea: not only that those from not exactly the most privileged of backgrounds can indeed dream and succeed, but that one doesn't necessarily do it by oneself. Not looking out for number one but instead always looking out for each other is what made Coach Dru and the Fab Five what they were as a team, who they have become as people today--and why their story and this film are so richly moving and inspirational.

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They may be the best high school basketball team ever. From humble beginnings, future NBA superstar LeBron James, along with boyhood friends Dru Joyce, Sian Cotton and Willie McGee, began a journey that would take them from local fame to national acclaim. Joined by Romeo Travis in high school, the five fused their talents and, with the help of a dedicated coach, rewrote Ohio basketball history. Now, experience their trials, tribulations and triumphs in this inspirational film about five young men who became more than a team.

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WWE - The History of the WWE Championship (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you notice most of these matches have already been placed on, "Best Of" DVDs, hell.... I already have ALL of the third disk matches on different DVDs that I collected over the years! For me I am spliiting the collection with a friend of mine and am keeping the older matches while he gets the newer ones [new fan]
However if you are a new fan of wrestling, or who doesn't mind buying matches you already own [like me] this is still a strongly recommended DVD collection
Heres the list of matches:
DISK 1
Ivan Koloff vs. Pedro Morales
Bruno Sammartino vs. Killer Kowalski
Bruno Sammartino vs. "Superstar" Billy Graham
"Superstar" Billy Graham vs. Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund vs. Greg Valentine
Bob Backlund vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Iron Sheik vs. Hulk Hogan
Steel Cage Match
Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
Steel Cage Match
Hulk Hogan vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant [Wrestlemania 3]
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
Randy "Macho Man" Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
DISK 2
Wrestlemania
Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior [Champion vs. Champion]
Summerslam 94
Steel Cage Match
Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart [One of the best steel cage matches ever! After the match all of Bret and Owen's family members try to climb the cage to stop Owen from beating up Bret, its pretty crazy.]
Wrestlemania 12
Iron Man Match
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michales [Great match but which longtime fan doesn't own this already?]
Mind Games
Shawn Michales vs. Mankind [Same comment for the Iron Man Match. Shawn does a cross body to Mankind at one point and both men fall through a table at ringside! The Undertaker makes an apperance near the end.]
Wrestlemania 14
Shawn Michales vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin [The Austin Era Has Begun!!!...to quote Jim Ross. Mike Tyson was funny to watch during the match.]
DISK 3
Royal Rumble 2000
Street Fight
HHH vs. Cactus Jack [Great, great match. Thumtacks, chairs, steel steps, barbed wire baseball bats, handcuffs....great match. The Rock makes an appearance as does Stephanie McMahon near the end.]
Summerslam 2000
Triple Threat Match
The Rock vs. HHH vs. Kurt Angle [Great match that had a lot of interference with Stephanie McMahon and a botched table spot near the beginning...watch the crowd explode when the Rock appears. Great moment when Angle turned on HHH after telling Stephanie he'd help her husband.]
Wrestlemania 17
The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin [The second of the three times the two fought at a Wrestlemania, and their best one of the three. Austin's heel turn is pulled off greatly]
Vengeance 2001
Undisputed Championship Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho [Finally, Jericho wins the title he deserved more than once! Hopefully the celebration at the end will also be included!]
Vengeance 2002
Triple Threat Match
The Rock vs. The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle [Three of the best made a fantastic match, one of the match of the year candidates of 2002. Each one hit the other's finishing move on the third man! Try to envision what I just said! ha ha. The Rock wins his last title]
Summerslam 2002
Undisputed Championship Match
The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar [Okay match to show Brock become the youngest [at that time] champion in history] Paul Heyman gets Rock Bottomed through the announce table!]
Royal Rumble 2003
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit [The best one on one wrestling match in 2003. This is the match i watch over and over again. Best moment was when Benoit german suplexed Angle all the way over so Angle did a 360 turn in midair!
The crowd appreciation for Benoit at the end of the match SHOULD be included to show how much Benoit and Angle entertained the audience]
Vengeance 2005
Triple Threat Match
John Cena vs. Christain vs. Chris Jericho [Good match, this was when Cena was untouchable but the crowd was evenly split for all three men. A great Tower of Doom moment in one corner of the ring.]
There you have it. For me, I would have liked to have seen different matches rather than getting HBK/Mankind, Iron Man Match at WM12 again. And also there were way too many Hogan matches for my taste. I would have liked to have seen other rare matches such as:
The Rock vs. Mankind - I Quit Match
Cactus Jack vs. Triple H, Hell in a Cell - No Way Out 2000
Chris Benoit vs. The Rock - Fully Loaded 2000
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit - Smackdown 2001
Rob Van Dam vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle - No Mercy 2001
The Rock vs. Chris Jericho - Royal Rumble 2002
The Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy, Ladder Match - Raw 2002
Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle, Iron Man Match - Smackdown 2003
And why aren't there any matches with Eddie Guerrero? What about these matches:
Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar - No Way Out 2004
Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle - Wrestlemania 20
Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL, Steel Cage Match - Smackdown 2004
Oh well, maybe these will be on other DVDs one day. If you are an old fan of wrestling, probably the only matches you might be interested in are in the first disk, but I still recommend this DVD for the collection of great matches. Show your friends who think wrestling is stupid this DVD collection and prove them all wrong!!!!
Highly Recommended

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For more than forty years, the WWE Championship has been one of the most prestigious titles in sports entertainment, This three-disc set contains some of the greatest matches in the history of the WWE Championship from the ‘70s through today. Fans have been given the opportunity to participate in the creation of the DVD, as they voted on wwe.com for their favorite matches from each era. The DVD set will include a comprehensive timeline with multimedia highlights from every title change. Hosted by legendary announcer Jim Ross, matches on the three discs will feature all the great champions in WWE history, including Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Rock, Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, and more!

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