HAWAII FIVE-O SEASON 1 DVD REVIEW

A blurb from Paramount about Hawaii Five-O Season 1: “Book ‘em Danno-Murder One”. With its groundbreaking mix of crackling dialogue, suspenseful plots, Hawaiian locales and irresistible theme music, Hawaii Five-O ushered in a thrilling new era of TV police action-drama. Starring Jack Lord as tough-as-nails, cool-as-ice Detective Steve McGarrett and James MacArthur as Danny “Danno” Williams.

Thank our lucky stars for Paramount!! Hawaii Five-O is finally out on DVD!!! One of the best police-drama shows there ever was is now on DVD with the groundbreaking first season! This brilliant series stars Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett, head of Five-O with James MacArthur as Danny “Danno” Williams his second in command and Richard Denning as the governor of Hawaii. The show ran for an amazing 12 seasons, longer than any other cop show other than Law & Order. For most of the seasons the show was filmed entirely in Hawaii using local talent but later did all interior shots in Los Angeles and exterior shots back in Hawaii. This set has the first 24 episodes and is digitally remastered in breathtaking quality! The set includes the original feature-length pilot with a different “Danno” and a special TV show produced in 1996 with a lot of the original cast interviewed by James MacArthur and Emme Tomimbang. The special is interesting to watch for a lot of the original cast is sadly no longer with us.

VIDEO

The video quality is fantastic! Episodes are also uncut. I’ve never seen Hawaii Five-O this crystal clear! There is also a Play All feature on each disc.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is mono but very clear!

Disc 1- 1. “Pilot”-with Leslie Nielsen, Khigh Dhiegh and James Gregory
2. “Full Fathom Five”-with Kevin McCarthy
3. “Stranger In Our Own Land”-with Simon Oakland

Disc 2- 1. “Tiger By The Tail”-with Sal Mineo, Harold J Stone
2. “Samurai”-with Ricardo Montalban
3. “And They Painted Daises On His Coffin”-with Gavin Macleod
4. “Twenty Four Karat Kill”

Disc 3- 1. “The Ways Of Love”
2. “No Blue Skies”-with Tommy Sands
3. “By The Numbers”-with Johnny Crawford, Wil Kuluva
4. “Yesterday Dies And Tomorrow Won’t Be Born”-with John Larch, Ellen Corby


Disc 4- 1. “Death Watch”-with Nehemiah Persoff
2. “Pray Love Remember, Pray Love Remember”-with Denny Miller
3. “King Of The Hill”-with Yaphet Kotto, Jeff Corey
4. “Up Tight”-with Ed Flanders

Disc 5- 1. “Face Of The Dragon”-with David Opatoshu, Jackie Coogan
2. “The Box”-with Gavin Macleod, RG Armstrong
3. “One For The Money”-with Farley Granger, Jeanette Nolan
4. “Along Came Joey”-with Mark Richman, Jesse White


Disc 6-1. “Once Upon A Time” Pt 1-with Joanne Linville
2. “Once Upon A Time” Pt 2-with William Schallert
3. “Not That Much Different”-with Stewart Moss

Disc 7- 1. “Six Kilos”-with Antoinette Bower
2. ”The Big Kahuna”-with Sally Kellerman, Robert Colbert


Extras

Disc 1: None

Disc 2: None

Disc 3: None

Disc 4: None

Disc 5: None

Disc 6: None

Disc 7: Documentary-“Emme’s Island Moments-“Memories Of Hawaii Five-O (42:17)



Verdict

I have been a huge fan of Hawaii Five-O and this 7-disc set is well worth the money for the remastered and clear picture quality alone. I can’t wait for Season 2!



Rating: *****!

THE WILD, WILD WEST SEASON 1 DVD REVIEW

A blurb from Paramount about The Wild, Wild West Season 1: THE WILD WILD WEST takes you on the most dangerous, top-secret assignments, given to TV’s first 007s of the frontier. Fight alongside the ever-resourceful ladies’ man, Federal Agent James West and his colorful sidekick Agent Artemus Gordon. Crisscross the country in a high tech railroad car, executing impossible missions assigned to them directly from President Grant.

Finally a fan favorite is now on DVD! One of the best action shows to come out of the 60s was The Wild, Wild West! The series starred Robert Conrad as James West and Ross Martin as Artemus Gordon. A well-done series that was a blend of James Bond and the Wild West. The series starts in 1868 as the intrepid duo keeps the United States as well as the world safe from Villains, Megalomaniacs and Dictators. The first season was filmed in Black & White and this 40th Anniversary set is phenomenally crammed full of extras. Two of the nicest things about this set are an audio commentary by Robert Conrad and all 28 episodes are introduced by Robert Conrad in audio form! The episodes are digitally remastered for crystal clear quality and there is a section that is alternate versions of the theme music from the original tapes along with audio interviews with the creator of Dr Loveless and the composer of the series plus lots more. The information is from a wonderful book on the series by Susan Kesler that also donated the audio interviews.

VIDEO

The video quality is fantastic! Episodes are also uncut.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is mono but very clear!

Disc 1- 1. “The Night Of The Inferno”-with Victor Buono and Suzanne Pleshette
2. “The Night of the Deadly Bed”-with J.D.Cannon and Barbara Luna
3. “The Night That Shook The Earth”-with Michael Dunn, Leslie Parrish and Richard Kiel
4. “The Night Of Sudden Death”-with Robert Loggia and Antoinette Bower

Disc 2- 1. “The Night of the Casual Killer”-with John Dehner and Lon Lesser
2. “The Night Of A Thousand Eyes”-with Jeff Corey
3. “The Night Of The Glowing Corpse”-with Phillip Pine and Oscar Beregi
4. “The Night Of The Dancing Death”-with Mark Richman

Disc 3- 1. “The Night Of The Double Edge Knife”-with Leslie Nielsen and Katherine Ross
2. “The Night That Terror Stalked The Town”-with Michael Dunn and Richard Kiel
3. “The Night Of The Red Eyed Madman”-with Martin Landau
4. “The Night Of The Human Trigger”-with Burgess Meredith

Disc 4- 1. “The Night Of The Torture Chamber”-with Alfred Ryder
2. “The Night Of The Howling Light”-with Sam Wanamaker and Ralph Moody
3. “The Night Of The Fatal Trap”-with Ron Randell
4. “The Night Of The Steel Assassin”-with John Dehner and Phyllis Davis

Disc 5- 1. “The Night The Dragon Screamed”-with Ben Wright
2. “The Night Of The Flaming Ghost”-with John Doucette
3. “The Night Of The Grand Emir”-with Yvonne Craig and Richard Jaeckel
4. “The Night Of The Whirring Death”-with Michael Dunn and Richard Kiel


Disc 6- 1. “The Night Of The Puppeteer”-with Lloyd Bochner and John Hoyt
2. “The Night Of The Bars Of Hell”-with Elisha Cook
3. “The Night Of The Two Legged Buffalo”-with Dana Wynter and Nick Adams
4. “The Night Of The Druid’s Blood”-with Don Rickles

Disc 7- 1. “The Night Of The Freebooters”-with Keenan Wynn and William Campbell
2. “The Night Of The Burning Diamond”
3. “The Night Of The Murderous Spring”-with Michael Dunn and Norman Fell
4. “The Night Of The Sudden Plague”-with Theo Marcuse

Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentary on “The Night Of The Inferno” by Robert Conrad
Original Pilot Opening
Original Pilot Bumpers
Ross Martin Sketch
Pilot Promo
Audio Interview with John Kneubuhl creator of Dr Loveless
Audio Interview with Ethel Winant (Casting Executive)
Audio Intros to each episode on this disc

Disc 2: Audio Intro Blooper
Audio Interview with Fred Freiberger (Producer)
Audio Intros to each episode on this disc

Disc 3: Robert Conrad and Ross Martin on “Every Day” 10/16/78 (08:22)
Audio Interview with John Kneubuhl

Disc 4: None

Disc 5: Audio Interview with Tim Smyth (Special Effects)

Disc 6: Audio Interview with John Kneubuhl
Robert Conrad’s Grandson Tristan Morts (Audio Only)

Disc 7: Audio Interview with John Kneubuhl
Original Network Promo
Theme Scoring Sessions (08:10)
Audio Interview with Richard Markowitz (Composer) (08:55)
Photo Gallery (26 Photos)
Eveready Commercial (0:30)


Verdict

What a great job done on this set! The second season is now available on DVD! If you love classic TV and Wild Wild West, get this set!!! I highly recommend it!



Rating: *****!

DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH: VOLUME 1 TV DVD REVIEW

A blurb from BCI Eclipse “Defenders of the Earth Vol 1”- Tyrant Ming the Merciless and his vast army of evil accomplices are working overtime to eliminate the human race. But the DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH, led by legendary crime-fighters The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Mandrake and his trusted confidant and bodyguard Lothar, join forces with their uniquely talented teenage children to challenge Ming and his evil followers in a series of great adventures.

In 1985, Marvel Comics teamed up with King Features Syndicate and DIC Productions to create “Defenders Of The Earth”. It used 3 of the most popular Sunday comic strip heroes, Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and the Phantom. With the team are Lothar, bodyguard to Mandrake and the children of the heroes. The stories take place in 2015. The first volume of this set contains the first 33 episodes of the series and thanks to BCI Eclipse again have a bountiful load of special features including interviews with the cast & crew, audio commentary for “Escape to Mongo”, full length animated storyboard for “Terror In Time”, galleries, scripts, art cards and detailed character profiles!

VIDEO

The video quality is superb! Digitally Remastered. There is a Play All feature. Excellent quality.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1-Side A
1. “Escape From Mongo”*
2. “The Creation Of Monitor”
3. “A Demon In His Pocket”
4. “A House Divided”
Side B
1. “Family Reunion”
2. “Bits ‘N’ Chips”
3. “Root Of Evil”
4. “Cold War”

Disc 2- Side A
1. “The Sleeper Awakes”
2. “The Revenge Of Astra”
3. “Hall Of Wisdom”
4. “The Mind Warriors”
Side B
1. “The Mind Warriors II”
2. “The Lost Jewels Of Tibet”
3. “The Evil Of Doctor Dark”
4. “Diamonds Are A Ming’s Best Friend”


Disc 3-Side A
1. “The Men Of Frost”
2. “Battleground”
3. “The Panther Peril”
4. “Fury Of The Deep”
Side B
1. “The Defense Never Rests”
2. “Like Father, Like Daughter?”
3. “The Would Be Defender”
4. “Doorways Into Darkness”

Disc 4-Side A
1. “Deal With The Devil”
2. “Terror In Time”
3. “Ming’s Household Helpers”
4. “The Starboy”
Side B
1. “The Book Of Mysteries”
2. “The Future Comes But Once”
3. “Kshin And The Ghost Ship”
4. “The Carnival Of Dr Khlihari”

Disc 5-
1. “The Mystery Of The Book”

Extras

Disc 5 : Interviews: Bill Hutten (06:02)
David J Corbett (06:00)
Loren Lester (08:21)
Peter Mark Richman (06:33)
Rick Norwood (06:32)
Audio Commentary on “Escape From Mongo” with the members of the cast & crew
Storyboard To Episode Comparison Episode # 126-“Terror In Time”
Character Biographies
Image Galleries
DVD Rom Features-Scripts & Storyboards
Model Sheet Slideshow (22 Sheets)
Art Cards done by Mike Allred and Rafael Kayanan
Detailed Character Profiles-Text & Video
Trivia and Fun Facts
Bonus Episode: Flash Gordon-Episode 1-“A Planet In Peril”
Original Presentation Pilot (07:31)

Verdict

I would defiantly recommend buying this set! The picture and audio quality are great! The extras are phenomenal! I can’t wait for Set 2!


Rating; *****!

DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH: VOLUME 2 TV DVD REVIEW

A blurb from BCI Eclipse “Defenders of the Earth Vol 2”- Tyrant Ming the Merciless and his vast army of evil accomplices are working overtime to eliminate the human race. But the DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH, led by legendary crime-fighters The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Mandrake and his trusted confidant and bodyguard Lothar, join forces with their uniquely talented teenage children to challenge Ming and his evil followers in a series of great adventures.

In this volume are the final 32 episodes of the series. The series was well written and deserves to have a look. There are ample special features on this set including interviews with the creators of the series, a audio commentary on the episode “Return of the Sky Band”, detailed character profiles, galleries, scripts and storyboards, art cards and even a bonus move “The Story Begins”!


VIDEO

The video quality is superb! Digitally Remastered. There is a Play All feature. Excellent quality.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1-Side A
1. “The Gods Awake”
2. “The Ghost Walks Again”
3. “Flash Times Four”
4. “The Frozen Heart”
Side B
1. “Rick Gordon, One Man Army”
2. “The Rites Of Zesnan”
3. “Audie and Tweak”
4. “Return Of The Sky Band”*

Disc 2- Side A
1. “Dracula’s Potion”
2. “One Of The Guys”
3. “100 Proof Highway”
4. “The Time Freezer”
Side B
1. “The Prince Makes His Move”
2. “The Prince Triumphant”
3. “The Prince Weds”
4. “The Prince’s Royal Hunt”


Disc 3-Side A
1. “The Prince Dethroned”
2. “Lothar’s Homecoming”
3. “Suspended Sabotage”
4. “Call Of The Eternals”
Side B
1. “The Return Of Doctor Dark”
2. “The Deadliest Battle”
3. “The Necklace Of Oros”
4. “Torn Space”

Disc 4-Side A
1. “Ming Winter”
2. “The Golden Queen”
3. “The Gravity Of Ming”
4. “Flesh And Blood”
Side B
1. “The Drowning World”
2. “The Adoption Of Kshin”
3. “Street Smarts”
4. “The Thunder Lizards Of Ming”

Disc 5-
1. Special Features Disc


Extras

Disc 5: Interviews: Bruce Malek (11:55)
David Wise (11:30)
Michael Swanigan (03:54)
Audio Commentary on “Return Of The Sky Band” with Members of the Cast & Crew
Original Model Sheet Gallery
Detailed Character Profiles- (Text & Video)
Trivia And Fun Facts
Bonus Movie: Defenders Of The Earth-The Story Begins (Approx 90 Minutes)
Bonus Episode: Flash Gordon-Episode 1-A Planet In Peril
Art Cards done by Mike McKone and Stephen Sadowski
DVD Rom Features-Scripts & Storyboards

Verdict

I would recommend buying this set! The picture and audio quality are great! The extras are great! Well worth the buy for a fan of Animation and to complete the series.


Rating; *****!

TV MINI-SERIES: SLEEPERS

A blurb from Acorn Media about Sleepers: Soviet agents Sergei Rublev and Vladimir Zelenski so successfully infiltrated the culture they were sent to spy on in 1965 that they have become more English than the English. The poignancy of the sleepers’ predicament plays out amid a hilarious cross-cultural send-up of the secret agent game. Nigel Havers and Warren Clarke star in this touching human comedy, remembered as one of the best British exports of the 1990s.

A 1991 British Production that was shown on “Masterpiece Theater” is a very funny comedy/drama starring Nigel Havers (Tales of the Unexpected, Manchild) & Warren Clarke (Bleak House, Blackadder) with the excellent Michael Gough (Batman). The story is simply about two Russian agents infiltrating London in 1965 to spy on the British and effectively become “Sleepers”. In 25 years, the Russians have become very “British” with one working in finance and the other working in a factory. The KGB wants them to come back to Russia, but the sleepers don’t want to go, so they run which has the KGB, MI5 and the CIA after them! This was a well-acted and interesting mini-series from the BBC. Verity Lambert produced the mini-series and was also the first producer of the BBC legend, Doctor Who!
VIDEO

The video quality is great! Episodes run approx 55 minutes each.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Is also in Mono but very clear!

Disc 1- 1. “The Awakening”
2. “The Net Tightens”

Disc 2- 1. “On The Run”
2. “Welcome Home”


Extras

Disc 1: Cast filmographies

Disc 2: None


Verdict

A well-acted comedy ladened story with good video and audio quality. Great for any fan of Espionage.


Rating: ****!

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HE-MAN VOL 2 DVD REVIEW

A blurb from BCI Eclipse about The New Adventures Of He-Man Vol 2: By the power of Eternia! In the future, on an endangered planet, the story of the most powerful man in the universe locked in battle with his ever-present enemy the lord of destruction continues. The battle for Primus takes an unexpected turn when Skeletor and the Mutants make their presence felt on the planet Necron, sparking a war between the peace-loving Mytes and the war-like Gleanons!

In 1990, a further series of the Adventures Of He-Man was produced simply titled “The New Adventures of He-Man”. It was an Italian/French co-production done with animation from Japan. I was unable to receive a review copy of Vol.1 to compare, but each volume stands on its own. The show is done with story arcs starting with the first five episodes and concluding with a 6-part finale in Vol. 2. The show also takes place about 10,000 years after the original series. The over all stories for the series are actually written better than the original series in my opinion, what I remember of the older series. This box set along with spine art for a huge mural when you buy the other He-Man sets is the final 32 episodes of the series. On this set are also 2 new documentaries on He-Man done by the fans of the show and the legacy of the shows. There are 2 collectible 4 x 6 cards of art from the series done by Gene Ha and Matt Haley. What I fine really well done by the BCI group, which has done this on other sets, is detailed profiles of various characters, creatures, artifacts and technology from the series, some with video clips!

VIDEO

The video quality is great! Episodes are also uncut. There is also a Play All feature on each disc.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is mono but very clear!

Disc 1- 1. “Zone Of Darkness”
2. “Once Upon A Time”
3. “A Plague On Primus”
4. “The Test Of Time”
5. “Four Ways To Sundown”
6. “The Sheriff Of Gorn City”
7. “The New Wizard In Town”

Disc 2- 1. “The Nemesis Within”
2. “He-Fan”
3. “The Dream Zone”
4. “Brain Drain”
5. “You’re In The Army Now”
6. “No Easy Way”
7. “The Guns Of Nordor”
Disc 3- 1. “The Bride Of Slush Head”
2. “Dreadator”
3. “Mutiny On The Mother Ship”
4. “Rock To The Future”
5. “The Running Of The Herd”
6. “Balance Of Power”

Disc 4- 1. “The Tornadoes Of Zil”
2. “The Taking Of Levitan”
3. “Save Our City”
4. “The Power Of The Good And The Way Of The Magic”
5. “Queen’s Gambit”
6. “There’s Gems In Them Hills”

Disc 5- 1. “The Call To The Games”
2. “The Blacksmith Of Crelus”
3. “A Time To Leave”
4. “The Games”
5. “Flogg’s Revenge”
6. “The Final Invasion”

Disc 6-1. Special Features Disc

Extras

Disc 1: None

Disc 2: None

Disc 3: None

Disc 4: None

Disc 5: None

Disc 6: “The Fans Of He-Man”-Documentary (29:00)
“The Power And The Legacy Of He-Man”-Documentary (28:33)
50 Detailed Profiles of Various Characters, Creatures and artifacts

Verdict

I have never been a huge fan of He-man but after watching the episodes of even the newer version plus the documentaries, I have a better appreciation of the Legacy Of He-Man. Buy it for your collection. I would recommend it.



Rating: ***!

TV PERFORMANCE: CAMELOT

A short blurb from Acorn Media about Camelot with Richard Harris-
Experience Camelot’s “one brief, shining moment” as Lerner and Loewe envisioned it-live on a Broadway stage. Working at the top of his talent, Richard Harris heads an all-star cast in one of Broadway’s wittiest, most literate musicals, filled with memorable tunes.

I remember I had a friend that had HBO back in the early 1980’s which was a big thing back then and I can remember watching a portion of the Camelot performance and was enthralled by the show! Starring the late great Richard Harris, watching the performance again, I enjoyed it immensely. This DVD captures the greatness that was shown in 1983. Along with biographies of Richard Harris and Lerner and Loewe, it also has a neat feature where you can pick out any song in the show and jump to that scene! There is also a DVD-Rom feature with a reprint of the original Playbill from the show. When the original run of the show was coming to an end, it was said that Richard Harris was “sleepwalking” through his role but with this DVD he was at the top of his game.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The performance was done on videotape but there were no dropouts of picture at all. Excellent quality. The performance runs approx 147 minutes


Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “Camelot”-Musical

Extras

Disc 1: Paper insert with production notes by Meg Bussert- (Text Only)
DVD-Rom of Original Playbill-PDF file
Biographies of Lerner & Loewe and Richard Harris
Song Index-You can jump to your favorite song!

Verdict

What a wonderful DVD this is! To finally have Camelot available for new generations to watch and enjoy. Defiantly get it to complete your Broadway collection.


Rating; *****!

TV MOVIE: SWEENEY TODD-THE DIRECTOR'S CUT

A blurb from Acorn Media about Sweeney Todd-The Director’s Cut: In filthy, teeming 18th century London, expert barber Sweeney Todd lives in the shadow of Newgate Prison, a hellhole where he spent 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Todd tries to carve out a quiet, simple life of service, but his past haunts him. Battling murderous impulses he befriends Mrs. Lovett who he sets up in a pie shop next door. As carved up bodies start turning up, the police start an investigation.

One in a long line of productions of Sweeney Todd, this version is played straight and is not a musical. Starring Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, Robin Hood) and the great David Warner (Too numerous to mention) its the story of a man who has gone through hell in a prison that was unnecessary for he did not commit the crime but it affected him in such a way that it causes him to kill. I enjoyed this version very much and it being a Director’s cut (no pun intended) it shows a lot more than it ever did on BBC America. This disc also has a background essay about Sweeney Todd, which gives you a little more depth to the character. It also has cast filmographies. There is also a big budget film version coming out next year with Johnny Depp in the title role.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The episode was done on film and it is quite atmospheric! Movie is approximately 95 minutes long and shown in Widescreen.


Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “Sweeney Todd”-Movie

Extras

Disc 1: Footage not seen in the broadcast
Sweeney Todd background essay- (Text Only)
Cast Filmographies

Verdict

An excellent addition to the Sweeney Todd legacy. A good buy for your collection.


Rating; ****!

TV MOVIE: THE GOOD SOLDIER

A blurb from Acorn Media about The Good Soldier: Two wealthy, handsome couples-one English, one American-meet at a German spa and forge an immediate bond. Through nine seasons at at the spa, the splendid foursome shares the same tastes, the same desires, and the same elegantly perfect lives. But in a series of startling time and perspective shifts, we learn, little by little, just how far short of perfection their lives really were.

A nice quiet British TV film shown on Masterpiece Theater in 1983. Starring the great late Jeremy Brett just before taking over and becoming one of the best Sherlock Holmes there ever was and Robin Ellis just had done “Curse of King Tut’s Tomb” with Tom Baker and oddly enough John Ratzenberger from “Cheers” fame. A well-done movie dealing with trans-continental friendship and highs and lows in their own relationships in the 1920’s. This disc includes a biography on the author Ford Madox Ford and cast filmographies.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The episode was done on film. Excellent quality. The movie runs approximately 104 minutes.


Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “The Good Soldier”-Movie

Extras

Disc 1: Ford Madox Ford Biography- (Text Only)
Cast Filmographies

Verdict

Jeremy Brett’s performance is worth the cost of the disc alone! A nice movie for your Masterpiece Theater Collection.


Rating; ****!

TV PERFORMANCE: BEYOND THE FRINGE

A blurb from Acorn Media about Beyond The Fringe-where British satire was born: Before The Daily Show, before Saturday Night Live even before Monty Python there was Beyond The Fringe-the 1960s West End and Broadway hit revue that reinvented comedy.

This disc is a nice companion to the Not Only…But Always biopic in that this was the last performance that was videotaped in 1964 and for many years though “Lost” but was found in a vault owned by one of the producers! The video and audio quality is not all that great, but it is no fault of Acorn Media. The source material is lucky to be around. The show starred Peter Cook and Dudley Moore with Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett. Their comedy was pure satire and moved a great many performers to that type of comedy most famously done by Monty Python’s Flying Circus. What is very nice about this disc is that it has a feature in where you can jump a particular skit instead of watching it the whole way through and some interesting cast biographies and filmographies and the original playbill on DVD-Rom.

VIDEO

The video quality is not that bad! The performance was done on videotape and there are a few dropouts of picture and sound. The performance is 116 minutes long.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this set.

Disc 1- 1. “Beyond The Fringe”-Performance

Extras

Disc 1: Jump to a Sketch feature
Cast Biographies- (Text Only)
Cast Filmographies- (Text Only)

Verdict

As I said, this makes a great bookend to the Cook and Moore biopic, again Acorn Media did a great job with this disc! I would recommend it!


Rating: ***!

TV MOVIE: NOT ONLY...BUT ALWAYS

A blurb from Acorn Media about Not Only But Always… This funny and moving drama probes the turbulent relationship between two performers credited with inventing modern British Satire. Tall, handsome, brilliantly glib Peter Cook and undersized musical prodigy Dudley Moore met as undergraduates in 1960 and became international stars as half of the legendary comedy revue Beyond The Fringe. Traveling from London’s West End to Broadway and Hollywood to Peter’s tragic death in 1995, this is their story.

This is my first venture into TV movie reviews! This was a well done movie that showed the genesis and genius of one of the greatest comedy duos of all time, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore. What set this movie apart are the uncanny likenesses of the two actors and the portrayals of them. The movie was mainly done in flashbacks. The movie is defiantly for mature audiences for language and nudity! I have had the pleasure of watching their shows and movies and watching this biopic never bored me or was uninteresting. Both men had unfortunate endings to their lives. In 1995 Peter Cook died of a stomach hemorrhage due to alcoholism and Dudley Moore died of a disease called PSP in 2002. The disc has an Audio commentary by the writer/director of the movie along with cast filmographies. The movie is approximately 100 minutes long.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The movie is presented in Widescreen.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also Mono on this disc.

Disc 1- 1. “Not Only…But Always”… Movie

Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentary by writer/director Terry Johnson
Career highlights of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore
Cast Filmographies


Verdict

If you are a fan of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, grab the movie right away! If you’re a fan of Biopics, you’ll enjoy this one as well.


Rating; *****!

TV MINI-SERIES:BRIDESHEAD REVISITED

A blurb from Acorn Media about Brideshead Revisited: 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” Based on the acclaimed novel by Evelyn Waugh, this epic drama tells a tale of love and loss amid the fading glory of the British aristocracy. This visually ravishing production won 17 international awards and launched the careers of stars Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, who appear alongside Sir John Gielgud, Diana Quick, Clare Bloom and Sir Laurence Olivier in an Emmy winning role.
An extremely well done mini-series was produced in 1980 and shown in 1981 the mini-series had a star-studded cast with Anthony Andrews, Jeremy Irons, Lord Laurence Olivier, Michael Gough and Nicolas Grace. The story is set in the 1920’s England with a commoner called Charles Ryder going to college and meets an aristocrat named Sebastian Flyte and became friends right away. The bi-sexual relationship that they have is tastefully done. Why I say Bi-sexual is because later on Charles meets and eventually marries Celia and Charles later on joins the Army and comes back to the house during World War II, which brings back memories. The Box set is filled with extras such as a 50-minute documentary called “Revisited Brideshead” along with outtakes, Audio commentaries on 2 episodes one with Jeremy Irons and the other with Anthony Andrews and cast filmographies.


VIDEO

The video quality is fantastic! This mini series has been painstakingly remastered from it original negatives.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. The DVD’s are in mono as well.

Disc 1- 1. Episode 1-“Et in Arcadia Ego” with-Nicholas Grace
2. Episode 2- “Home & Abroad” with-Simon Jones

Disc 2- 1. Episode 3-“The Bleak Light Of Day”
2. Episode 4-“Sebastian Against The World”
3. Episode 5-“A Blow Upon A Bruise”

Disc 3- 1. Episode 6-“Julia” with-Charles Keating and John LeMesurier
2. Episode 7-“The Unseen Hook” with-Anna Quayle
3. Episode 8-“Brideshead Deserted”

Disc 4-1. Episode 9-“Orphans Of The Storm”
2. Episode 10-“A Twitch Upon The Thread”
3. Episode 11-“Brideshead Revisited” with-Michael Gough



Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentary on Episode 1: with Jeremy Irons and Nicholas Grace
Documentary-Revisiting Brideshead (47:54)
Outtakes- (09:45)
About the DVD-restoration work- (Text Only)
Cast Filmographies

Disc 2: Audio Commentary on Episode 4: with Anthony Andrews
Location Photos
Production Notes- (Text Only)

Disc 3: None

Disc 4: None

Verdict

One of the best mini-series that has come out of England in years! I would highly recommend buying this set!

Rating; *****!