Gilmore Girls: The Complete First Season (Digipack) (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"The Show That Almost Wasn't."
That's the most surprising lesson learned about the nature of television production -- as told by the show's creator Amy Sherman-Palladino -- in the WB's stellar GILMORE GIRLS release: Ms. S-P had pitched a variety of programs for WB executives, and, when they asked for more, she made up an idea on the spot -- with no preparation or background detail -- which the executives took! Then, Ms. S-P had to go and create it.
GILMORE GIRLS arguably stands as a benchmark in television history. In some ways, the program is like SEINFELD: if you don't get it, you won't get it. In other ways, it's a high quality Hallmark Channel movie-of-the-week, currently stretching out beyond its fourth season and soon to be entering its fifth. Still, in more ways, there's absolutely nothing else like it on television.
GG is far more than just the story of Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore: it's the story of the fictional town known as Star's Hollow -- the dreamland for bed-n-breakfast businesses -- and the odd assortment of characters who happen to live, work, and breathe there. While the centerpiece is clearly the Gilmore family -- a contemporization of the BRADY BUNCH, if there could ever be such a thing -- the spin of the show is, to its benefit, the plethora of wonderfully imagined and uniquely quirky townsfolk who populate the secondary storylines.
And, yes, the acting is top notch. The direction is absolutely superb. The writing is, by far, some of the most deserving work being put up on the boob tube today.
Still, GG is on the WB, meaning that it will, more than likely, never find the kind of ratings the show deserves. Like STAR TREK, GILMORE will find its true financial potential in syndication and DVD releases ... much like this current release of the 21 1st season episodes.
To my delight, I'm just discovered these television characters. My wife has watched the show since the beginning, but I always dismissed it as a "chick flick," tuning it out to spend my time on other shows. However, she convinced me to give it a chance this past season (its fourth), and now -- here am I -- writing a review for Season 1 that we watched together virtually non-stop. Others here have raved about the quality of the writing -- the true lifeblood of the program -- and I wouldn't even attempt to do GILMORE a disservice in discussing it other than to add "every good thing that's been said here is absolutely not enough to sanctify how well, apparently, every episode is written."
Honestly, GILMORE is really that good.
Truth be told, the extras are surprisingly thin -- but of good quality -- on this 1st season release, especially considering the fact that the show is currently in production for the WB. Disc 6 includes a handful of deleted scenes; a mini-doc with some revealing insights from the show's creator, cast, and crew; and some scenes from various episodes edited together in a piece that tries to capture the 'essence' of what makes GILMORE GIRLS as remarkable a television achievement as it is. One would think that Warner Brothers would've offered more -- in-depth interviews with the series cast OR, minimally, an audio commentary or two -- but, sadly, that isn't the case. As a result, one could argue that the studio -- as Amy Sherman-Palladino points out in the scant 30 minute documentary -- has underestimated the intelligence of its audience, focusing only on the commercialism of the program and not feeding the fanbase brain.
The 6-disc set is presented in full screen format. The video quality is excellent. The sound quality is excellent (there are a handful of scenes that are hard to hear b/c of verbal pacing, not production issues). Overall, this is one great package only lessened by what they chose not to provide: audio commentaries.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gilmore Girls: The Complete First Season (Digipack) (2000)

People often mistake Independence Inn's manager, headstrong single mom Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her equally willful teenage daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel) for sisters. Lorelai and Rory cope with the same emotional ups and downs, including Lorelai's overbearing, old-money parents and the joys and frustrations of the male gender. But when Rory's attention turns from dreams of private school and Harvard to thoughts of boys and adolescent self-reliance, single mom Lorelai begins noticing more of her own rebellious youth-only 16 years ago-in Rory. This heartfelt, humorous drama appeals to young and old alike with its blend of traditional family issues and hip, contemporary attitude. Reacquaint yourselves with television's most appealing mother-daughter duo in this collectible six-disc DVD set, which contains all 21 episodes from the first season including the pilot episode.Gilmore Girls has been honored with an AFI Award and two Viewers for Quality Television Awards, and it was named New Program of the Year by the Television Critics Association. Series star Lauren Graham ("Townies," "NewsRadio," and "Bad Santa") was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series and received two consecutive nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series from the Screen Actors Guild. Graham has also won two Family Television Awards. In addition, series star Alexis Bledel ("Tuck Everlasting") has won a Young Artist Award and a Family Television Award. The series, Gilmore Girls, won a Family Television Award for New Series and was named Best Family TV Drama Series by the Young Artist Awards, which also honored series star Keiko Agena in the supporting young actress category. Gilmore Girls is the first series to make it to air supported by the Family Friendly Forum's Script Development Fund. An initiative between some of the nation's top advertisers and The WB, the program is intended to offer a greater array of compelling family programming on network television. The strong, loving, mother-daughter relationship portrayed in Gilmore Girls reflects the growing reality of this new type of American family.

Get 70% OFF

Click here for more information about Gilmore Girls: The Complete First Season (Digipack) (2000)

Gilmore Girls: The Complete Sixth Season (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been a fan of the 'Gilmore Girls' since the second episode of the series (I never saw the pilot until the DVD release), and ever since that episode I had been hooked into this wonderful, magical, comedic, and heartfilled world with these characters.
Season six starts off on a much different note, taking the show in a direction that it has never been: What would things be like if Lorelai and Rory where no longer friends, and never spoke? After the rift between mother and daughter at the end of the fifth season, Rory dropped out of Yale and moved in with her Grandparents, aliennating her mother, who was eccentially at a loss for words on the entire subject.
Trying to make up for each other's loss Rory starts to go down a path of wallowing and denial as her relationship with Logan gets more and more serious. Lorelai on the otherhand has a wedding to plan and a new dog to take care off.
Season Six while not as good of an overall quality as season five, is still a very strong and entertaining as ever, and for long time fans of the show there are more than a few surprises including the return of two old cast members, A very special wedding (which is probably the best episode of the series thus far), and a bittersweat goodbye to the series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino who's final episode as an Executive Producer will the finale, fitting titled: "Partings"
Season Six includes the following episodes:
New and Improved Lorelai
Fight Face
The UnGraduate
Always a Godmother, Never a God
We've Got Magic to Do
Welcome to the Doll House
Twenty-One is the Loneliest Number
Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out
The Prodigal Daughter Returns
He's Slippin' `Em Bread... Dig?
The Perfect Dress
Just Like Gwen and Gavin
Friday Night's Alright For Fighting
You've Been Gilmored
A Vineyard Valentine
Bridesmaid Revisited
I'm OK, You're OK
The Real Paul Anka
I Get A Sidekick Out of You
Super Cool Party People
Driving Miss Gilmore
Partings
Season six, while finally showing its age is a perfect example why this is one of the best TV series on Television.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gilmore Girls: The Complete Sixth Season (2005)

Can it be the Gilmore Girls if the Gilmore girls aren't together? At the end of Season 5, Rory dropped out of Yale and moved into Emily and Richard's poolhouse -- decisions that broke Lorelai's heart. That's handy, because one half of that heart can be deliriously happy with the big new step in her love affair with Luke. Meanwhile, the other half grieves, and it seems everyone in town wants mother and daughter to reunite. But it may take an unexpected out-of-towner to make it happen. Of course, there's much more: Lane gets a surprise that leaves her reeling with joy. Luke gets a surprise that may send the Luke-and-Lorelai relationship reeling. What's no surprise is the snappy, wish-I'd-said-that Gilmore dialogue, knowing humor and insightful storytelling fans adore. Season 6 starts now!

Get 33% OFF

Click here for more information about Gilmore Girls: The Complete Sixth Season (2005)

Gilmore Girls: The Complete Second Season (Digipack) (2001) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The second season of "Gilmore Girls" is when a lot of things did not happen to Lorelai Gilmore. It started with Lorelai not marrying Max ("Red Light on the Wedding Night") and ended with her not marrying Christopher ("I Can't Get Started"), but Sookie got married so at least there was some progress in that area, although the duo's plan to open an inn together hits a major roadblock ("The Ins and Outs of Inns"). Of course, the most important thing that did not happen to Lorelai was that she manages to really notice Luke despite the fact he is pretty much there in front of her every morning at the diner. Clearly the creators of "Gilmore Girls" remember what happened to "Moonlighting" once Dave and Maddie stopped bantering and started kissing and other things, so the agenda is to put off the inevitable for as long as possible. So even if it is obvious to everyone else in Stars Hollow (to wit, Emily), does not mean that Lorelai has a clue.
As for Rory, her junior year at Chilton has its ups and downs. and not just because of Paris. The ups would be "The Road Trip to Harvard" and making her society debut ("Presenting Lorelai Gilmore"), while the downside would be the rift between her and her grandfather because of Dean ("Sadie, Sadie") and the problems with Dean because of Jess ("There's the Rub" and "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"). If anything, the common denominator is to make sure that none of the Gilmore women are happy, which means Rory is mad at Lorelai for blaming Jess for the accident ("Help Wanted," Lorelai is mad at Emily for arranging their going to a spa together ("There's the Rub") and Emily is mad at Richard for quitting his job without consulting here ("The Bracebridge Dinner"). What? You thought Emily was going to be mad at Rory? Are you kidding? Have you not been watching this show?
For me the fascinating part is watching the yang of Lorelai and Emily's relationship compared to the yin of the Lorelai and Rory dynamic. For me some of the most memorable moments from season two are when Emily orders Richard to make up with Rory because if their granddaughter ever gets married she to know about it (Lorelai did not tell her parents about her engagement to Max) and the look on her parent's face with Lorelai gets her business school diploma ("Lorelai's Graduation Day"). But then a good rule of thumb is anytime we see a chink in Emily's armor it is a moment that will be hard to forget. I am still trying to make up my mind as to whether or not Lorelai has an even more strained relationship with her father than her mother, given his visit to her place of work ("Richard in Stars Hollow") and her visit to his new office ("Help Wanted"). I am certainly leaning in that direction, but it is still open to debate.
But overall the two emotional highpoints of the second season finding Lorelai giving and then receiving as good as she gets. The giving happens in "Teach Me Tonight" when a totally distraught Lorelai goes after Luke because of the car accident where Rory gets hurt (slightly hurt, but hurt is hurt, and there is a cast on her arm, mister), creating a serious rift in their relationship. The receiving is two episodes later in "Lorelai's Graduation Day" when Rory misses the big event and offers the most high speed combined heartfelt apology and verbal self-flagellation in television history (I agree with her, I think she had a stroke or something).
My strong affection for high-speed dialogue can be traced from "Gilmore Girls" back to "Moonlight" and beyond to "The Thing From Another World" and any movie starring Groucho Marx. Equally as strong is my enjoyment of gratuitous pop culture references, especially as manifested in "The Simpsons" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." So to have a series that combines both of these elements and provides deleted scenes on the DVD is one of those absolute joys you hear so much about (although my wife is tired of me explaining all of the references, allusions, and impromptu name dropping). Then again, while I knew from the start that Carole King was singing the show's theme song "Where You Lead" with her daughter Louis Goffin, I only recently figure out they had re-recorded the song with some of the lines changed to better fit the show (No, I do not fast forward through the title sequence; I always listen to the song).
I am also pleased to see that the "Gilmore Girls" is being seen around the world, although I have to wonder how the pop culture references translate into out cultures (I have no doubt people can speak real fast in any language). But you can see "Gilmore Girls" now from Argentina (the current season is on the Warner Channel Thursdays at 21:00 with past seasons shown weekdays at 11:30 and 16:30) to the United Kingdom (Sundays at 18:00 on Nickeloden U.K.). It is nice to think that Stars Hollow's madonna and child have gone international.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gilmore Girls: The Complete Second Season (Digipack) (2001)

Those acclaimed Gilmore Girls are back for a second seasonof warmth, charm, zingy repartee and heart-stopping moments of drama. In this 6-disc set are all 22 irresistible year-two episodes about the people you've grown to love: young single mom Lorelai, her super-achieving daughter Rory, her elitist parents Emily and Richard, and a whole town of dreamers and eccentrics. New faces also come to Stars Hollow, including Luke's nephew Jess, whose rebelliousness offends the town, but whose passion for books attracts Rory. Hearts break and mend, careers end and begin, folks stumble and pick themselves up in a series that's "blissfully brilliant" (Ken Parish Perkins, Fort WorthStar-Telegram).

Get 4% OFF

Click here for more information about Gilmore Girls: The Complete Second Season (Digipack) (2001)

The Good Guy (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If there's one thing I can expect, is that independent studios like Lionsgate will produce anything but a typical hollywood movie for a genre such as this. Part comedy, but mostly drama, the movie doesn't quite belong to a particular type of movie you have come to expect from hollywood, which makes it very unique. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that although I find the script to be quite original, I can't say that I was drawn into the movie by any of the characters.
Perhaps it was the way the characters were written. There's obviously the heroin, the hero and the villian. But for some reason, I find them to be dull and uninspiring. I wanted to feel sorry for the heroin when her world came crashing down, but I couldn't bring myself to sympathize with her. The hero was so two-dimensional it was almost impossible for me to root for him either. He was like a sick puppy waiting to be put down. The only mildly interesting character here was the villian, although halfway through the movie his modus operandi were revealed and he became boring after that. He had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. None.
I suppose the only saving grace to this movie is the fact that it was very well executed, all by young but great seasoned actors. Kudos to Porter, Bledel and Greenberg for elevating this independent movie with a somewhat dull script into something more. Watching Bledel and Greenberg growing up was a real joy here, we have two great actors that have been around tinseltown for years, appearing in TV and films as they mature from teenagers into the attractive and talented adult actors they are today.
There's no lesson to be learnt here, the movie merely offered a brief window into the darkside of humanity that we adults have come to know so well. Note to those who love romantic comedies: You wouldn't want to be watching this movie with the person you're seeing on a date night. You'd be wondering what he/she is doing next Friday night when you're not spending the night together.
Note about the DVD: It's a single layer disc with 91 minutes of film compressed to about 4GB of data. Picture quality is great but the transfer is not particularly clean. It's presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1, and comes with English and Spanish subtitles.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Good Guy (2009)

Ambitious young New Yorker Beth (Alexis Bledel) wants it all: a good job, good friends and a good guy to share the city with. Of course that last one is trickiest of all, as Beth discovers when she falls hard for Tommy (Scott Porter), a handsome, young Wall Street hotshot. Just as everything seems to be falling into place, Beth meets Tommy’s shy, clumsy co-worker Daniel (Bryan Greenberg) – and soon learns that the game of love in the big city is a lot like Wall Street – high risk, high reward…and everybody has an angle

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about The Good Guy (2009)

Gilmore Girls: The Complete Seventh Season (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Warning! Spoilers!
There really isn't another show quite like THE GILMORE GIRLS. No other series so thoroughly dedicated to words. There are no doubt other series with great talk: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER definitely comes to mind. But no other show that I know put language and witty talk so completely at the heart of what it was trying to do. Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino said that she was inspired by great Hollywood comedies like the Thin Man series and HIS GIRL FRIDAY (one of the few films where the characters talked faster than they did on THE GILMORE GIRLS). And for five absolutely brilliant and one less than brilliant season the show was magical beyond any reasonable expectation. Then came Season Seven. I still watched with great interest. Well, until the marriage to Chris part (I asked a friend to tell me when Lorelei and Chris busted up and stayed away until they did). Season Seven was not a truly awful season. There were still many great moments during the year, including an absolutely splendid series finale, but by the end the show was having fewer and fewer of those wonderful moments that made it so special.
One major reason Season Seven struggled so much was the absence of the show's guiding genius. During contract negotiations at the end of Season Six, the WB offered Amy and her co-producer husband Daniel Palladino a one-year contract. She wanted the respect to be offered a two-year contract. The WB refused to budge and she and Daniel left the show. Since the two of them had either written or directed separately or together the bulk of the episodes on the show, the loss was irreparable. The show was built mainly around great talk, but what happens when the person most responsible for that talk leaves? Unfortunately, the brilliance of the talk went with them.
Those left behind tried gamely to carry on. But they also had the misfortune to be left with the remnants of an exceedingly bad story arc that Amy left behind. Most fans of THE GILMORE GIRLS came to dislike Lorelei at times during Season Six, including Lauren Graham. While most agreed that Luke was being too secretive about learning that he had a daughter he knew nothing about, most also felt that Lorelei's reaction was excessive. She became pushy and needy and impatient and just generally unlikable. Then incredibly stupid by giving Luke an ultimatum to either elope on the spot or lose her. And Season Six ended with her sleeping with Luke.
This whole story arc has to be laid at the feet of Amy Sherman-Palladino and the show had no choice but to continue the arc in Season Seven. As brilliant as Amy was over the first five seasons, the falling apart of Luke and Lorelei's relationship in Season Six and then whole Chris mess in Season Seven were her worst contributions to the show. Luckily, it didn't last forever. By the end of the season Rory had graduated from Yale and Lorelei was yearning to be with Luke, acutely conscious of what she had lost.
The season ended on some of the best moments of the year. One memorable episode had all of Stars Hollow laid out as a vast maze, in a weird plan by Taylor that for once truly worked out. Lorelei and Luke meet and express some of the regrets that they had felt for some time. It was a great moment. But the highpoint of the season and one of the highpoints of the entire series occurred in a scene in which Rory gets her mother drunk enough to sing on karaoke night. She starts off singing Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" (and the Dolly Parton arrangement, not the overly ornate butchering that Whitney Houston did) in Rory's direction. But Luke walks in as she sings and inevitably her gaze shifts. As she sings (and quite well, thank you), you see a world of conflicting emotions overcoming her: regret, yearning, hope, resignation, good will, and love. I don't know of another actress on TV other than Lauren Graham who could have pulled it off. It was one of those utterly perfect TV moments that reminded me not just why I watch THE GILMORE GIRLS but TV in general.
Until the very end of the season it appeared that there was going to be a Season Eight. The CW (which had taken over the show when the WB and UPN merged) hoped to have a 13 or 16 episode shortened season, but in the end Lauren Graham and Alexis Bedell, who were both up for contract renewal, declined to sing new contracts. But after seeing what turned out to be the series finale I am almost grateful of their decision. What a lovely end to a wonderful series! Few shows get to go out perfectly, but THE GILMORE GIRLS managed one of the most perfect finales ever. As Luke marshals the town for a farewell party (on one day's notice) we get a beautiful episode that allows us both to see all our favorite characters one last time and to say goodbye to them. Everything that should have been done was done. Rory is off to join the Barack Obama campaign as a reporter. Lorelei, when Sookie tells her that the planning of the party "was all Luke," realizes that Luke, who is sometimes slow to speak, has shown how he feels about her with actions. When she thanks him and he tells her that he likes to see her happy you know that they are going to be fine. You don't even need the kiss that follows. And the series ends just as it began seven years earlier, Lorelei and Rory sitting in Luke's diner.
I'm not sure that this is a show that can be replaced. Some shows are sui generis, truly one of a kind. This is one of those. The premise of a mother and daughter who were best friends was at the heart, but it didn't make it unique. It was the combination of the amazing group of characters, the wonderful town, and the endless stream of magnificently written scripts.
I want to end by praising Lauren Graham. This was a great cast with a number of remarkably gifted actors. But Lauren Graham towered above them all. The Emmys never did her justice. It is almost inconceivable that she never received a single Emmy nomination. Yet for seven years she was without serious competition the finest actress on television. How can such a travesty occur and the Emmys not feel a profound sense of shame? It is true that last year the Emmys were "reformed" in order to make it possible for deserving performers more likely to be nominated. Lauren Graham's name was the one mentioned as an example of such a performer. Yet even with reform she didn't receive a nomination. But to me her performance as Lorelei is one of the great achievements of television acting. No one came anywhere close to her in handling comedy; no one could rival her delivery of the machine-gun like dialogue. But neither could many rival her with drama. The karaoke scene I mentioned is a perfect example.
I will truly miss this series.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gilmore Girls: The Complete Seventh Season (2006)

After 20-plus years of single motherhood, after a series of Mr. Not- Quite-Rights, after buying that perfect wedding dress and watching it hang in the closet, Lorelai finally gets married. Yes, but to whom? The answer is just one of the deliciously intriguing what's-gonna-happens in these 22 episodes about a mother, a daughter, a town and a world that devoted Gilmore groupies have taken as their own. Sharpen your wits for the famed, fast-paced Gilmore dialogue -- but let your heart do its thing. From Stars Hollow to New York City to Paris... from Lorelai's wedding to Lane's baby shower to Rory's graduation... from beginning to middle to end... here's Season 7.

Get 38% OFF

Click here for more information about Gilmore Girls: The Complete Seventh Season (2006)

Tuck Everlasting (2002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Tuck Everlasting" is the (near-perfect) movie adaptation of Natalie Babbitt's classic novel about a young girl who meets a family immortals. If you are looking for a nice family movie or love story, Disney's "Tuck Everlasting" is a fine selection for your viewing pleasure.
THE STORY:
Winnie Foster, daughter of a wealthy couple, ventures off into her family's woods one day and comes across a mysterious boy, Jesse, and his family, the Tucks, who seem to be "lost in time." Feeling trapped herself in her "too prim and proper" for her family, Winnie feels liberated with the carefree lifestyle of the Tucks. However, the Tuck family secret is something that can very well, and nearly does, bring Winnie's world crumbling down in front of her very eyes.
THE DISCUSSION:
"Tuck Everlasting" has long been at the top of the list of books the school system loves to have students read, and for very good reason. The story, very carefree but at times a little deep and occasionally dark, provides good discussion fodder on issues such as life and changing society values. Winnie's conflict with her parents' values as well as the ramifications of "eternal life" make great fodder for discussion and meditation.
Overall, the movie contains all the great things you could look for in both a love story and a family movie. The relationship between Winnie and Jesse should have most couples all "warm and fuzzy" (or ill to their gut). The movie overall is very light and easy and should be enjoyable for anyone. The violence level is kept to a minimum and the "darker" elements of the story are tame enough to where it shouldn't upset anyone.
THE ADAPTATION:
Movies based on books are double-edged swords. They either ruin the "meaning" of the books they seek to praise or they themselves become masterpieces (like Harry Potter and Jurassic Park). "Tuck Everlasting" falls into the latter category. I myself read Babbitt's book in elementary and though it's been 16 years I still remember the book quite well. As far as I can tell, this movie was about as true an adaptation as you can get. The main themes and event sequences are translated well onto the big screen. Fans of the book should appreciate this movie.
BEST SCENES:
1.Miles' story. This is a very powerful scene that touches very well on the "eternal life" issue. This scene could easily win an award.
2.Jail Break. Hilarious scene!!!
3.Tuck's Talk with Winnie
4.Jesse and Winnie's adventures
THE VERDICT:
Overall, this movie is a great choice for young couples on a date or family's looking for a nice, clean movie. Yes indeed my friends, it's a chick flick!!! Enjoy.
Highly Recommended

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tuck Everlasting (2002)

Walt Disney Pictures' TUCK EVERLASTING, a timeless and enchanting adventure about one girl's magical summer, will captivate audiences of any age. Young Winnie Foster, stifled by the formality of her proper life and domineering mother, escapes into the woods only to get lost. Soon she happens upon Jesse Tuck -- a boy full of life and adventure who's unlike anyone she's ever met -- and falls in love. The Tucks, a kind and generous family, have a powerful secret -- a spring that holds the magic of everlasting life. And now Winnie must choose to live life as she knows it or drink from the spring. It's a life-affirming adventure that will cast its irresistible spell over you again and again.

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Tuck Everlasting (2002)