The Big Easy: The Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)The Big Easy has been long overdue for a dvd run. The series is a deliciously written storyline woven through the streats of New Orleans, with a hometown cop/detective and district attourney from the northeast at the center of it all. Definately worth it to watch, as the southern charm, good humor and occasional steamy encounters can keep one glued to their seats.

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Laissez le Bon temp rouler... let the good times roll!Nothing is simple in The Big Easy, the setting for Season One of this sexy, action-packed crime series. In New Orleans steamy Latin Quarter, passions run as hot as Tabasco, loyalty has the life expectancy of a Rum Hurricane and the dark waters of the Louisiana bayou tell no tales.Based on the hit 1987 film, THE BIG EASY stars Tony Crane (WISHMASTER) as Remy McSwain, a freewheeling Cajun cop not above committing a crime to solve one, and Susan Walters (SEINFELD s Mulva )as beautiful but dedicated federal agent Anne Osborne, who will go the distance to uphold the law... even as far as jumping into Remy s bed.Costarring Barry Corbin (NORTHERN EXPOSURE) and produced by Sonny Grosso, whose career as a New York City cop inspired THE FRENCH CONNECTION, THE BIG EASY ran for two seasons on cable television's USA Network, bringing to discerning viewers a level of violence and eroticism at that time uncommon for prime time TV.Includes all 22 episodes.Available for the first time on DVD.Originally aired on the USA Network.Based on the critically acclaimed feature film starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen BarkinShot on location in New Orleans.Stars Tony Crane (Wishmaster), Susan Walters (Seinfeld s Mulva ), and Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure).

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Burn Notice: Season Two Review

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(More customer reviews)The writing for the first season of Burn Notice was excellent, very tight with interesting characters and situations. However, towards the end, a lot of fans were worried. Some of the helpless clients of the week were starting to feel a touch repetitive.
We needn't have worried.
The second season just finished, and I can assure you that the writing is even better, the characters stronger, and many of the story lines more compelling, than in the first season. It's no wonder the show has doubled its viewing audience. I particularly like how the characters have evolved. Michael has dealt with some of his family issues, gotten closer to his brother, and understands that his mother really does care about him--even if that's easier to take when she's not blowing cigarette smoke (literally) in his face. The bad guys are organized and smart, which means he have to be even smarter. It's good story telling.
However, even with all the other positives that made me pre-order the DVD set as soon as it was possible, there are several particular episodes that stand out from the rest, which alone are worth the price of the DVDs. One of these involves Michael Westin trapped inside a bank during a robbery with a government agent, Bly, whom he blackmailed the first season and who hates Michael's guts. Watching the respect build between the two, and the way they wind up working together -- not to mention Michael Westins way of dealing with the robbers -- is delightful. It's nothing you've ever seen before. It's not Die Hard and it's not like The Ransom of Red Chief (where a little boy makes kidnappers regret ever taking him to the point they wind up paying the parents to take him back). From start to finish, the robbers never figure out that they have a tiger by the tail. The only one with a clue how dangerous that Westin can be is Bly, who had read Westin's dossier in season 1 and has been dancing back and forth with him to see who can top whom. The ending is particularly satisfying. So, I really loved "Bad Breaks" and doubted (silly me) whether they could top this story line in the remaining episodes.
They did.
The season finale completed a fascinating story arc involving an ex-CIA agent, Victor, gone to the dark side. This 4 episode story arc alone makes this season is a must-have for fans. What can one say about this amazing character? Played by Michael Shanks in a recurring role, Victor took us through the gamut. We went from hating him and thinking he is a psychopath wavering on the edge of sanity (you were never quite sure how he was going to react to things), to realizing he was an incredibly tragic character and a cautionary tale of what Michael could have been in other circumstances. The emotional roller coaster we share with the characters on screen as we learn of Victor's back story (which comes out in the finale) and resulting changes in his relationship to Michael Westin is story telling at its best.
I have not been a fan of Michael Shanks in the past. However, his acting here is truly inspired. It goes far beyond anything I've seen him do other than in "The Arc of Truth" in the prison scene when Shanks' character, Daniel Jackson, finally gives up hope. It is worthy of an Emmy. Moreover, even with the already great supporting cast of Bruce Campbell (always worth watching and allowed some great scenes in the 2nd season), Sharon Gless (as Michael's mother who smokes while exercising to Jack LaLanne--which you have to watch to realize how funny that is), and Gabrielle Anwar (as the explosive Fiona), there's something magical about the chemistry between Shanks and Donovan that seems to kick Donovan's acting--already extraordinary--up a notch to a level seldom seen on the small screen. And if the ending is shocking, the choices made surprising to the viewer, one cannot help but feel that the characters have been changed forever by this experience and nothing will be quite the same again. Perhaps best of all, it makes the viewer asks of season 3, what's next? Because if there's one thing the writers, actors, and producers have shown us, it's that they understand good story telling, and can be trusted to make choices that will keep us on the edge of our seats, coming back for more.
I highly recommend this DVD set, especially if you haven't seen the show on TV. Although most of the story lines could work as stand-alones, there is an on-going story arc (of how and why Michael got burned and what he's doing to get his life back) that makes more sense if you watch them in order. The extras on the season 1 DVD set were excellent (including Donovan and Anwar's audition tapes), and I expect them to be equally good here. So far, I know of at least one extra that should be a lot of fun. Michael Shanks has reported recording a commentary track with Bruce Campbell and Matt Nix.
I speak for many fans when I say I can hardly wait for June, and the start of season 3 on USA network! Thank goodness Donovan's contract has been extended for another 6 years (total 8 seasons)! I love this show!

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Miami Vice Meets McGyver in this Sexy and Action-Packed Original Series with Michael Westen’s Continued Investigation of the True Meaning of Loyalty and Trust. Michael Westen is a trained spy who receives a "burn notice" for an unstated reason & effectively is fired. Penniless, he returns to his hometown in Miami and freelances while trying to find who burned him.
Audio: English & Spanish: 5.1 Dolby Surround
Language: Dubbed: English / Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.78:1
Disc 1: 170 Minutes
Breaking and Entering
Turn and Burn
Trust Me
Comrades
Special Features TBD
Disc 2: 170 Minutes
Scatter Point
Bad Blood
Rough Seas
Double Booked
Bad Blood - Audio commentary with Bronwyn Hughes, Ben Watkins, Rashad Raisani, Matt Nix and Rob Benedek
Double Booked - Audio commentary with Tim Matheson, Jason Tracey, Craig O'Neill and Matt Nix
Other features TBD
Disc 3: 174 Minutes
Good Soldier
Do No Harm
Hot Spot
Seek and Destroy
Behind the scenes look at the making of episode 210 - Do No Harm
Disc 4: 176 Minutes
Bad Breaks
Truth and Reconciliaton
Sins of Omission
Lesser Evil
Audio Commentary with Matt Nix, Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless
Deleted Scenes TBD
Gag Reel
Boom Notice Easter Egg

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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Though Scott's uniquely frenetic editing has been toned down from his previous films, his unmistakable style still frequents the action and accentuates the tension-filled premise. Denzel Washington's quick-witted and moderately corrupt dispatcher plays off of John Travolta's Wall Street savvy sociopath with plenty of clever exchanges, and the dark humor and suspense that find its way into the bloodshed culminates in an engaging game of cat and mouse. Not quite as slick as the original, and perhaps a little too conspicuous in its efforts at exuding cool, this latest take on the subway heist story still accomplishes entertainment at break-neck speed.
When a New York City subway train is hijacked, Rail Control Center dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) becomes an unwitting negotiator for the ruthless criminals aboard. Led by the uncontainable Ryder (John Travolta), the hijackers demand ten million dollars in exchange for the seventeen hostages and offer only one hour to deliver the ransom. As minutes quickly count down, Garber must utilize his cunning and resourcefulness to buy time and catch the mercenary off guard as the situation goes from bad to catastrophic.
The unusual, highly stylized, frenzied editing is assuredly a now permanent technique for Tony Scott films - it's a signature method that he ceaselessly experiments with, frequently going overboard, and only occasionally able to harness. In Pelham it looks familiar but doesn't detract from the story, even if some moments of suspense are dulled by the blurred colors of slow-motion and missing frames. The remaining stunt sequences are exciting and tense, but hardly necessary. The car chases are never about catching someone, but rather beating the clock. It's action for action's sake, and while enjoyably destructive, it's entirely apparent.
Most audiences will not know that The Taking of Pelham 123 is based on a John Godey novel, or that it's been adapted into a movie twice before with the same name. While Scott's version stands on its own as a big-budget action movie, the purpose of specifically remaking this story is puzzling. Shouldn't the reasoning behind the revisiting of a popular plot be to improve upon some outstanding aspect? The use of the internet, cell phones, snipers, bloodshed, crude language and more give this new vision a sparklingly modernized feel, but when the movie draws to a close, it just can't compete with the 1974 version. Washington and Travolta have an intriguing chemistry, but even that can't outdo the cat-and-mouse mindgames between Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, who played their counterparts in the first feature adaptation. Perhaps a title change could have appropriately distanced Scott's take from being endlessly compared to an infinitely superior film.
- The Massie Twins

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Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is a New York City subway dispatcher whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. Ryder (John Travolta), the criminal mastermind behind the hijacking and leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)Of all the gritty, realistic police dramas of the 1970's, "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3" stands out as the best of a very good lot. Released during the low-point year of NYC history in 1974, "Pelham" is argueably the most real-life look at New York and New Yorkers one can get without actually visiting the big town. The plot concerns the hijacking of an IRT subway train by a gang of four men, led by the coolheaded Robert Shaw (Jaws, Black Sunday). The late Walter Matthau shines as Lt. Zach Garber of the NY Transit Police who, over a two-way radio, has to deal with the terrorists unbelievable demands. The writing in this movie crackles with smart-mouthed NY urgency. The acting, photography, editing, and music MUST have all been created by native NYers. Even the 18 passengers who are taken hostage in the lead car of the #6 train look like they stepped off the street and into the IRT without missing a beat. You wanna hijack me just before rush hour? Go ahead, but I'm not ganna make it easy for you, punk! Many other NY movies (Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, French Connection) have overshadowed this gem, but do yourself a favor and buy it, especially in the DVD version, which gives the viewer a panorama of a NYC that has faded into history.

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Four ruthless gunmen hold a speeding New York subway train hostage for a hefty ransom, threatening to kill all the passengers on board.Genre: Feature Film-Action/AdventureRating: RRelease Date: 1-MAY-2001Media Type: DVD

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