The Amazing Race: The First Season (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am happy that the show finally found an audience that made the producers of the show decided to release the first season on DVD. I think of all the reality series, this one will hold its own best in "repeated viewings" and on syndication. Unlike other reality series, even if you already know who wins or who gets eliminated in a particular episode, it doesn't ruin the quality of the episode. But of course there's still nothing compared to seeing these episodes for the first time.
It is a revolutionary reality series that has a concept that was probably very hard to pull off on paper (can you imagine the reactions of the TV executives when they first heard about the concept of the show). But amazingly, they did pull it off! It is very evident that the producers treat each episode as "special episode" because can you just imagine the logistics and the number of people (across the globe) involve in producing this show?
There are some aspects of the show that were later on in the succeeding seasons were changed mostly for improvements. Example of this is that in the first season, Phil only received the teams who came in the last place (a person from that particular country receives those who came in before the last team). Part of the fun is watching the reactions of the racers anticipate whether they were eliminated or not. Because in the first season the racers already know if they came in last, we were not able to see those kinds of reactions.
Some of the most memorable teams were Team Guido (you won't believe the extent they were willing to do to get ahead), Lenny and Karyn (the original fighting couple, but their fight looked real and not some deliberate attempt to gain screen time. When Karyn said "Disappointing", you believe her!), Nancy and Emily (even though Emily acted like a brat, Nancy just radiates with motherly innocence in the race), and Kevin and Drew (the original funny guys)
When the winner finally cross the finish line at the finale, with all the eliminated teams cheering for them, you just can't help but feel like being a part of the race.

Grade: A

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The premiere season of THE AMAZING RACE sees 12 teams race around the globe to 'amazing' locations including Thailand, China, Tunisia, India, Italy, France, Alaska and Zambia for a $1,000,000 prize in the end.

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Bill Hicks Live - Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian Review

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(More customer reviews)As one who worked in comedy clubs for years and saw hundreds and hundreds of so-called comedians, I can assert that only a handful of comics make a lasting impression.
Hicks was one of those. Though I only got to see him onstage for one week's worth of shows in 1987, his body of work thankfully became more commercially available over the next decade.
Hicks is one of the rare comics with a point of view that both skewers and embraces Mankind. He loved his country and his fellow man, and that gave him license to stab and poke at their flaws. He championed THOUGHT as the means to combat Mediocrity and the Sheep Mentality.
This DVD is a sufficient look into his mastery of his craft and his unflinching control over his audience. Sometimes his control of the audience was mixed with disdain towards them, too. But it was closer to "tough love" than animosity or condescension.
Not everyone will recognize Bill's brilliance and not everyone will "get" the humor. Actually, the brighter you are the more likely you will appreciate Bill Hicks.
Buy this DVD and be elevated to a higher understanding of how the interactive medium of stand-up can be used as a persuasive pulpit not for bullying or mass entertainment but for communal introspection and self-examination.

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BILL HICKS - ON DVD AT LAST!Bill Hicks Live is the first official DVD release from the legendary and beloved comedian.Since Bill died in 1993, his work has reached a new audience and he has become a powerful cult figure. For these fans who never had the opportunity to see Bill in person, this DVD will be a revelation. The DVD captures Bill at his very best, with three of his legendary filmed performances: "One Night Stand" from the Old Vic Theatre in Chicago (approx 30 minutes)"Revelations" from the Dominion Theatre in London (approx 65 minutes) "Relentless", Bill’s breakout performance at the Montreal Comedy Festival (approx 70 minutes) The DVD focuses on his incredible live act, with Hicks hilariously assaulting the stage and the audience with a non-stop cornucopia of insights into our twisted world; the government, the military, the police, religion, smoking, pornography, drugs and of course, for those of you who are getting antsy, a couple of dick jokes. As a bonus, the documentary "Just A Ride" surveys Bill’s remarkable career with insights from his peers; including Brett Butler, Eddie Izzard, Richard Jeni, Jay Leno, David Letterman and Thea Vidale. (approx 45 minutes)Total running time: approx 3.5 hours of pure, unadulterated Hicks.

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Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)In season 3 of Grey's Anatomy everything fell apart. Everything that could go wrong did. George and Callie split, Izzie and George made a huge mistake (in my opinion) in trying to make things work out. Meredith feared commitment and Derek wanted to commit. And in the aftermath of Meredith's near death experience, she finally broke down. And then there is Burktina (Cristina and Burke)...which never happened. Like I said, everything that could go wrong did. Season 3 was about breaking the characters, exploring them and making all the mistakes. Season 4 is about mending and fixing those mistakes.
This season started slowly, painfully slow I shall say. The characters seemed stuck, all of them. And try as they might, they were unable and unwilling to change. Then, it happened, slowly, but surely, they started to evolve. They started to look beyond themselves and their problems and they started to grow and mature.
The first half of the season (pre-Writer's Strike) was slow and all consuming within itself; it refused to be bothered with the world around it. The first half of the season brought in a lot of change, but none of the characters were equipped or willing to deal with it. Cristina refused to confront her non-wedding, Meredith was still reeling from her near-death experience and her inability to commit with Derek. Nevermind the fact that she has to deal with a new sister! Izzie and George had to deal with a new relationship and a failed one. Alex had himself and Ava to deal with. We also saw some new characters and some characters leave. All in all the first half of the season was horrible, stale, and unable to foster change.
And then the strike happened, and the creative juices must have been at their peak because what we saw in those 5 last episodes was pure brilliance. The characters finally exploded into full blooded beings in our TVs, they were finally in route to who they are supposed to become and they are finally a testament to what Grey's Anatomy is supposed to be: great, emotional and captivating.
I mark the beginning of the change with the arrival of Addison, she came in waltzing in her Zen zone and her unwillingness to get stressed out and reminded everyone of who they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing, all the meanwhile getting stressed herself. The show then became magnificent; my blasé viewing of the show went out the window and FINALLY I became engaged in it once more. The second half of the season was so good that I made every other crappy episode worth it. It even made season 3 worth it because we finally got to see our characters evolve. Thus, whereas Season 3 was the breaking apart of everything, this Season 4 was the mending and evolution of Grey's Anatomy.

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Grey's Anatomy is a drama about the intensity of medial training mixed with the funny, sexy and sometimes painful lives of people who are about to discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.

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The Smurfs - Season One, Vol. One Review

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(More customer reviews)The 80's gave us a golden age of Saturday morning cartoons. I can't think of any other era that had such a wide variety of different themes and approaches. These days most shows fall into the Japanese anime/card game genre. Back then you had several genres. One of them was the child friendly, parent approved, sugary sweet cutesy cartoons. The Smurfs has to be the top of the heap of those shows. The reason being was good production values and solid pacing of their stories which makes even a sedate and "safe" show fun to watch.
My first experience with the Smurfs wasn't this television. In fact my first exposure to the little blue creatures were in the form of little plastic figurines sold at the local Hallmark card store. I only knew of them as different little blue guys who wore different clothes that apparently denoted their profession or interest (I personally had the Karate Smurf and the Police Smurf) and they were created by somebody named Peyo (according to box that held the Smurfs). The television translation of the only thing I know about Smurfs was different, but appropriate.
You see every Smurt in the cartoon has some characteristic, trade, or skill that sets them apart from the rest. In this colony of 100 Smurfs you would have a baker, poet, carpenter and other useful trades along with Smurfs who were lazy, clumsy, vain (and were named as such). Each episode was about their interacting with each other and their surroundings based on who they were. Top it all off with a Papa Smurf to keep them all in line and a human wizard named Gargamel who wants (of all things) to eat the Smurfs and get the gist of show.
This simplistic premise was all you needed to make a fun, if overly cutesy, series that would evolve each season with new characters and themes. One of the most memorable things about the show was the use of classical music played in it's full brilliance. Not toned down or "lightened up" for the kids. It helped give me a good appreciation of the genre of music at a young age. The animation was solid and the style of the show actually lended itself to the limited frames per second that Saturday morning cartoons were stuck with to keep their budget low.
Some might overly analyze the show and see things like how the Smurf commune and soceity promote communism. To be honest that's what they were. Communists. Everybody helped out in the betterment of their society as a whole and apparently everything was shared. The theory of communism would actually work in such a small community if done right, and the Smurfs didn't have such hangups over greed and power that normally keeps any utopian ideal from happening... or at least Pappa Smurf was always there to keep his Smurfs from taking it too far.
What you are getting in this DVD set is the first half of the first season. The original plan was to put all 28 episodes onto one set, but apparently the studio changed their mind and now you get 19 episodes. Still that's six hours of content. On top of the standard eps you also get two bonus features: The Smurfs Springtime Special (an Easter holiday special) and Smurfs: The Music Video (which is not much more than the title theme with clip highlights of the show set to the music). Not much else on the extras category.
The good news is this DVD set has been remastered and Warner Home Video announced that the episodes are uncut. For purists that's really the only important thing. Don't expect Dolby Digital or anything like that. This is strictly a monophonic affair just like the show was back in the 80's. If you have kids and don't want them to see anything too violent or socially disruptive then this is a good show for you. For those of you who remembered the Smurf from when you were kids and long for their return here you go.

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The long wait is over...the Smurfs on DVD for the first time ever! They're finally here! Handy, Hefty, Grouchy, Brainy, Lazy, Smurfette, Papa Smurf and more favorites bring you the greatest show on Smurf - on DVD for the first time ever. It's Season One, Vol. 1 of Smurfs' Adventures, the Emmy-winning animated series [Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series 1982-83] that delighted Saturday morning cartoon fans for nearly a decade. Of course, where Smurfs are, you'll also find evil wizard Gargamel and his cat Azrael - plus monsters, dragons and trolls - keeping our three-apple-high heroes on their tiny blue toes throughout 19 cartoon escapades. Ready for adventure, laughs and enchantment? Abso-Smurfly!DVD Features:FeaturetteMusic Video

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Charmed - The Final Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, this here is the final season of CHARMED. The Charmed Ones, PIPER HALLIWELL (played by Holly Marie Combs, for the final time), PHOEBE HALLIWELL (played by Alyssa Milano, for the final time), & PAIGE MATTHEWS (played by Rose McGowan, for the final time) return for the final time, with LEO WYATT (played by the outstanding Brian Krause, for the final time), to battle demons & warlocks before they go on to the next phase in their lives, where they would leave a legacy to the future Halliwell witches, who are soon to come.
"Still Charmed & Kicking"
Presumed dead, the Charmed sisters start their demon-free existence with new identities brought about by a spell that altered their appearances to the outside world, but not to those closest to them.

"Malice in Wonderland"
Hoping to lure the Charmed Ones out of hiding, Haas, a young demon wanting to take over the Underworld, uses the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland fairy tale to prey on young victims.

"Run Piper, Run"
Looking for a new career path, Piper goes on an interview with a corporate recruiter, but is soon arrested when a background check reveals that the physical appearance she adopted was that of a woman wanted for murder.

"Desperate Housewitches"
Wyatt's impending school play brings out the competitive nature in Piper when her hand-sewn costume for Wyatt and her parenting ability are attacked by Mandi, the perfect Stepford-like mother.

"Rewitched"
Unaware that she is being watched, Billie jeopardizes the Charmed Ones' new lives when she uses her powers to save an innocent and is caught by Agent Murphy of Homeland Security, who has suspected all along that she and the "cousins" are involved in supernatural activities and that the Halliwell sisters are not dead.

"Kill Billie Vol. 1"
Armed and ready to vanquish, Billie inexplicably freezes and is flooded with childhood flashbacks when she sees her latest demon target, the Dogan. Wanting to prove to the sisters that she is an asset, Billie casts a spell to erase her fears and goes after the demon.

"The Lost Picture Show"
Wanting to get her old job back as a social worker, Paige's plan changes when her Whitelighter father, Sam, asks for her help with his charge, J.D., a future Whitelighter, who recently reappeared after fifty years.

"Battle of the Hexes"
The Charmed Ones are given their first Homeland Security case by Agent Murphy going through cold case files. Billie discovers a belt in one of the boxes and can't help but put it on.

"Hulkus Pocus"
Phoebe has decided to take a hiatus from men. Piper seems to think Murphy and the government is hiding something from the sisters.

"Vaya Con Leos"
Piper notices that the Angel of Death is watching over them, but what she doesn't know is that he is actually there for Leo.

"Mr. and Mrs. Witch"
Billie's parents are in town and have supper with their daughter and the Halliwells.

"Payback's a Witch"
With the intention of helping his parolee get a loan, Henry, along with Paige, go to a bank but instead the parolee decides to take everyone at the bank hostage. Meanwhile, Phoebe and Piper have their hands full when, during his third birthday party, Wyatt turns three of his toys into real people.

"Repo Manor"
Phoebe, in an attempt to move on with her own life, signs a lease for a new apartment, much to the worry of Piper, while Paige considers telling Henry she's a witch.

"12 Angry Zen"
In searching for information about Leo, Piper discovers a message from Lo-Pan, a monk and keeper of a sacred Buddhist staff containing the power of influence.

"The Last Temptation of Christy"
Paige begins to realize the difficulty in dating a mortal when Henry tries to immerse himself in her magical world. She finds herself even more conflicted when a suitor, Sir Simon Marks, arrives hoping to convince her to marry him so they can become the ultimate magical couple.

"Engaged and Confused"
Piper organizes an engagement party for Paige and Henry, but the wedding is put in jeopardy when the couple begins to get cold feet. Phoebe notices a strange man following her, and soon discovers that he is a Cupid.

"Generation Hex"
Two former students of Leo's from Magic School turn up at the manor to inform the Charmed Ones that demons Leo had imprisoned in the Magic School dungeons have escaped and are seeking revenge.

"The Torn Identity"
Christy becomes a powerful force in the Underworld as the demon Creo tries to convince her that she needs to get Billie away from the Charmed Ones so she and her sister can fulfill their dark destiny.

"The Jung and the Restless"
The Charmed Ones are put into a dream-like state by Christy so that Billie can learn something about each of them.

"Gone with the Witches"
Convinced that The Charmed Ones are too self-involved to protect the "greater good," Billie and Christy team up to destroy their reputations in the magical community.

"Kill Billie Vol. 2"
Billie and Christy have managed to turn everything around: while the two of them are now at the Manor and demons are at Magic School, the Charmed Ones are forced to hide in the Underworld.

"Forever Charmed"
After the death of their respective sisters, Piper and Billie go their separate ways, both determined to get their families back together.
What an excellent season to close out the series. The series finale was absolutely incredible, especially the ending, with the sisters writing down everything they had experienced in the last eight years (eight years for Piper and Phoebe, five years for Paige), where it then shows an elderly Piper reading their legacy to her young granddaughter, who is named PRUDENCE (after Prue). As an elderly Piper and an elderly Leo ascend the long staircase in the old Halliwell Manor, they pass many photographs taken of the Halliwell family, including Penny Halliwell (good ole Grams), Patty Halliwell, Paige, Leo, Piper, Phoebe, Wyatt, & Chris. This show was, in so many ways, very amazing, and I still find myself heartbroken that it is now all over. I do wish the entire cast (SHANNEN DOHERTY, HOLLY MARIE COMBS, ALYSSA MILANO, ROSE McGOWAN, BRIAN KRAUSE, & KALEY CUOCO) nothing but the very best in their careers.

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CHARMED:FINAL SEASON - DVD Movie

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Resident Evil Trilogy 1-3 Review

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(More customer reviews)The Resident Evil Trilogy is an amazing trilogy. All the movies are good. The acting is good, the story is good. If you are a fan of action movies, then you need to see these movies. Also, alot of people are mad about how the 3rd movie left it as such a cliffhanger. Well, there is going to be a 4th movie, and it is being shot right now. And should be coming out next summer or fall. So if you like action/horror movies, then you should check out Resident Evil.

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RESIDENT EVIL:APOCALYPSE/RESIDENT EVI - DVD Movie

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