Knight Rider: The Complete Series Review

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(More customer reviews)I realize a lot of people out there don't like Knight Rider, but this review isn't for them! (They shouldn't even be looking at this product description if they're not interested in the show.) Apparently enough people DO like the show, since there's a new Knight Rider series airing on NBC and the release of this new boxed set.
The box is awesome...at least until the shrinkwrap is removed (reason why in a moment). This is by far one of the coolest box designs for a DVD set. Press a button at the lower-right, and a red LED scanner effect turns on with a few (very short) seconds of the show's theme music. I do think Universal should have spent a few pennies more to lengthen the audio sample. It would also have been "neater" if the effect was triggered by opening the box rather than by a push-button switch, even if it means giving up the demo "Try Me" feature for people who haven't purchased it yet.
The bad news about the packaging is a cardstock sheet on the back which is NOT affixed to the box. (Normally this kind of artwork is attached with glue dots, but not this time.) There are printed instructions for changing the LED batteries on the back of this card, and it's too big to fit inside the box after opening. So...what to do with it?? Battery instructions (and possibly a disc index) should have been printed on a card attached to the inside of the box, and the outer cardstock should have been attached to the box. Why is this an issue? Well, I for one consider packaging to be part of the product, not simply a "container" for the discs.
The discs themselves are in slim DVD cases, two discs per case, and they're single-sided encodings! Finally, fans can watch Knight Rider episodes on DVD without the technical flaws and stalls inherent with double-sided discs. There are also lots of bonus features not included with the original releases. Notably missing from the bonus features, however, are bloopers, gag reels, and NBC promotional spots. Since the size and price of this item clearly suggests it being targeted at fans, material that fans would be interested in (such as outtakes, interviews, KITT guest spots and cameos, etc.) would have been a nice addition, even at a slightly higher price.
If you're a fan of the show and haven't bought the individual season DVDs yet, get this set instead. If you've already bought the individual seasons (as I had), get this set anyway to replace the inferior double-sided discs. Even with this set's shortcomings, it's still nicely done.

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Shift into high gear as all four seasons and 84 action-packed episodes of Knight Rider come together for the first time in one amazing collection! David Hasselhoff is back as charismatic crimefighter Michael Knight, the driver of the world’s most dynamic, high-tech talking car, K.I.T.T. As this brave duo take on criminals, crooks and those eager to exploit K.I.T.T.’s impressive technology for their own evil purposes, you’ll be blown away by their explosive adventures that set the standard for all TV action series to come. With 24 discs tricked out with an impressive array of bonus features, it’s one complete DVD trip you can’t afford to miss!

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1776 (Restored Director's Cut) (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)Every 4th of July I watch "1776," the musical that has our Founding Fathers singing and dancing their way to Independency, and every time John and Abagail Adams sing goodbye to each other ("Till Then" and "Yours, Yours, Yours"), I get choked up. William Daniels has his role of a lifetime as John Adams, the obnoxious and disliked Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress who is the most fervent advocate of independence ("Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve"). Virginia Vestoff plays his wife Abigail, and their exchanges are based on the "Dearest Friend" correspondences they wrote to each other during the crucial summer of 1776. However, the most unforgettable performance in "1776" comes from Howard Da Silva as Dr. Benjamin Franklin. The actor, who played movie villains for years, manages to convey not only Franklin's wit but also his firm belief in the new race of "Americans." Ken Howard plays Thomas Jefferson and joins with Adams and Franklin in the show's two cutest numbers, "But, Mr. Adams" and "The Egg." I have never cottoned "The Lees of Old Virginia," the song sung by Richard Henry Lee (Ron Holgate) and where every lyric line ends with "LY," but at the other end of the spectrum is the chilling "Molasses to Rum to Slaves," the song about the Triangle Trade sung by South Carolina's Edward Rutledge (John Cullum). The ensemble cast brings the Second Continental Congress alive, with Roy Poole as Stephen Hopkins, David Ford as John Hancock and William Hansen as Caesar Rodney standing out. Most of the cast members were in the Tony Award winning original Broadway cast, although Blythe Danner replaces Betty Buckley as Martha Jefferson ("He Plays the Violin").
Peter Stone's book is remarkably accurate in relating the historical events; the biggest error a historian would point to is that John Dickinson (Donald Madden), did not show up the day of the crucial vote so that Pennsylvania would not kill Independence. But Broadway and Hollywood must be allowed to make things more dramatic. What makes "1776" so wonderful is how it teaches history while being so entertaining. The opening of the film, where the tirade by Mr. Adams against the do nothing Continental Congress is interrupted by the collective Founding Fathers jumping up and singing "Sit Down, John," sets the tone and Peter H. Hunt's film delivers throughout. The show's best moment comes in "Is Anybody There?" when John Adams, all alone in the quiet chamber, dreams of the pomp and pageantry of a free America.
I also have the laserdisc version, which runs 176 minutes and includes 35 minutes of material originally cut from the film, including the song "Cool, Considerate Men" and alternative shots in several sequences. While the quality of the additional material is in very sad shape, fans of "1776" will take what they can get. Hopefully the complete film can be restored before we get to the DVD version (hint, hint, hint). Granted, the idea of a musical about the Declaration of Independence seems bizarre; I once blew off a chance to see "1776" on stage because I thought the idea was stupid. But this is a first-rate musical that makes the time and issues come alive, so that even thought we obviously know the outcome, we are enthralled because it looks like Mr. Adams will never get his Declaration adopted. If you are looking for a film to watch each 4th of July, "1776" is the one.

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