PERRY MASON 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD REVIEW

One of the longest running Courtroom dramas was one of my favorites, “Perry Mason” played flawlessly by the great late Raymond Burr! This 50th Anniversary set is a treasure trove of episodes over the course of its 9-year run. In this 4 disc set there are 12 classic episodes some of which are the ones where Mason loses the case and where Burr plays a dual role and the only color episode and the final episode of the series. There is also on the special features disc (Disc 4) the first Reunion movie “Perry Mason Returns” as well as audition tapes where Burr played the Hamilton Burger part while William Hopper played Perry Mason! There is also audio commentary on the episode “The Dead Ringer” with Barbara Hale and Producer Arthur Marks. A good spread of episodes to keep you interested!

VIDEO

The video quality is superb! Digitally Remastered. There is a Play All feature. Barbara Hale optionally introduces every episode. Each episode runs approx 52 mins each.

Audio

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

Disc 1-
1. “The Case of the Wary Wildcatter”-with Barbara Bain
2. “The Case of the Treacherous Toupee”-with Robert Redford
3. “The Case of the Envious Editor”-with James Coburn
4. “The Case of the Barefaced Witness”-with Adam West and Paul Fix

Disc 2-
1. “The Case of the Counterfeit Crank”-with Burt Reynolds
2. “The Case of the Shoplifter’s Shoe”-with Leonard Nimoy
3. “The Case of the Constant Doyle”-with Bette Davis
4. “The Case of the Deadly Verdict”-with Julie Adams (Mason loses case)

Disc 3-
1. “The Case of the Bountiful Beauty”-with Ryan O’Neal
2. “The Case of the Twice Told Twist”-with Victor Buono (Only Color Episode)
3. “The Case of the Dead Ringer”-Burr plays a dual role
4. “The Case of the Final Fadeout”-with Dick Clark and Denver Pyle (Last Episode of the Series)

Disc 4- Special Features Disc-See Extras


Extras

Disc 1 : None

Disc 2: None

Disc 3: Audio Commentary on Dead Ringer with Barbara Hale and Arthur Marks

Disc 4: Perry Mason Returns-Reunion Movie- (95 Mins)
Perry Mason Talent Tests- (19:16)
The Case of Erie Stanley Gardner featurette- (11:32)
Syndication Promos- (01:03)
Raymond Burr Charlie Rose Interviews- (12:09)
Raymond Burr on “Person To Person”-(11:39)
New Barbara Hale Interview (19:55)
New Arthur Marks Interview- (18:33)
Photo Gallery-61 pictures
“Stump the Stars-Perry Mason Cast- (11:05)
William Talman anti-smoking message- (07:13)
CBS Executive Anne Nelson Interview- (04:31)


Verdict

A very well done set! I would highly recommend this set for anyone to buy!

THE LAST DETECTIVE SERIES 4 DVD REVIEW

A blurb from Acorn Media about The Last Detective Series 4: Beleaguered by life and belittled by his colleagues, “Dangerous” Davies (Peter Davison, DOCTOR WHO, ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL) cracks five all-new cases in the detective series that has delighted legions of loyal fans.

This box set is the final five episodes from Dangerous Davies. This time around his wife actually takes him back and also lets Mod live with them. Five more great stories arrive in this set for series 4. Davies still gets the least promising cases and his colleagues still mock him but he also solves some pretty good cases too. These episodes also has a few really good guest stars such as the Who’s Roger Daltrey, Leslie Phillips and New Doctor Who’s Camille Cordi and comedienne, Josie Lawrence. The special features are the same as series 1 & 2 and 3 with the exception of a really interesting video interview with the star himself, Peter Davison!

VIDEO

The video quality is great! Episodes run approx 69 minutes each.

Audio

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

Disc 1- 1. “Once Upon a Time on the Westway” with Camille Cordi, Roger Daltrey and Anthony Valentine
2. “Dangerous Liaisons”
3. “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Willesden”

Disc 2- 1. “The Man From Montevideo”-with Josie Lawrence
2. “Dead Peasants Society”-with Leslie Phillips and Owen Teale


Extras

Disc 1: Cast filmographies
Leslie Thomas Biography

Disc 2: Peter Davison Video Interview (23:07)


Verdict

I really enjoyed this series. Peter Davison consistently puts out great performances! Well worth the buy!

FORTYSOMETHING-COMPLETE SERIES DVD REVIEW

A rather strange but funny series starring Hugh Laurie who also directed the first 3 episodes is about a middle-aged man hence the title “Fortysomething” who is a Doctor that is having a mid-life crisis and a affair or two. The series also stars Anne Chancellor from “Suburban Shootout” as his wife who also may be having affairs as well. By sheer coincidence or irony, the very next project for Laurie was to go to America to star in a TV series about a strange Doctor in the series “House”! This series had a few well-known British actors such as Sheila Hancock, Clive Mantle and Laurie’s comedy buddy for 10 years, Stephen Fry. Special Features include a text only Biography on Hugh Laurie and Cast Filmographies.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! All the episodes are on film. Film quality is quite good with little to no dirt or specks Each episode runs approx 49 mins each. There is also a Play All feature.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Also here in mono but very clear!

Disc 1- 1. “Episode 1”-with Sheila Hancock and Clive Mantle
2. “Episode 2”-with Stephen Fry
3. “Episode 3”

Disc 2- 1. “Episode 4”
2. “Episode 5”
3. “Episode 6”

Extras

Disc 1: Cast Filmographies- (Text Only)
Hugh Laurie Biography- (Text Only)

Disc 2: None


Verdict

A very good series. If you are a fan of Hugh Laurie, pick this one up!

TRIPPING THE RIFT-THE MOVIE DVD REVIEW

I enjoyed the series of “Tripping the Rift” and when I heard there was a movie version coming out I was happy to hear it. The movie like the “Uncensored” versions of the TV episodes have the sexual innuendo and language that are free for the taking but there is no nudity in the film at all! The movie also gives nods to Young Frankenstein in the Black & White sequence, The Terminator and Desperate Housewives. The thin plot for the movie is about an upset princess being protected by the group from another group of clown assassins. Jenny McCarthy voices this time the sexual android “Six of Nine” for the movie. The original voice cast also returns. A funny film but felt like a few episodes were thrown together. A movie defiantly not for kids! The disc comes with a making of featurette about the movie and a trailer to the film.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The performance is 75 minutes long. The movie is in Widescreen.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. It is also in 5.1 Dolby Surround sound.

Disc 1- 1. “Tripping the Rift-The Movie”

Extras

Disc 1: Captain’s Log: The Making of Tripping the Rift-The Movie- (07:00)
Trailer- (02:06)

Verdict

I would recommend this movie if you are a fan of the TV series!

TORCHWOOD-SEASON 1 DVD REVIEW

A blurb from BBC Warner about Torchwood-Season 1: “Separate from the government, outside the police, beyond the United Nations: Torchwood sets its own rules. Led by the enigmatic, ever watchful Captain Jack Harkness, the Torchwood team delves into the unknown and fights the impossible.

Torchwood is a spin-off series of the revamped Doctor Who TV series. It deals with a covert and highly secret team of scientists that work at the Torchwood Institute that deal with alien intelligence and hardware that fall from the skies and invade Earth on a regular basis. The leader of the team is Captain Jack Harkness an alien from the future that was first introduced in the Doctor Who story “The Empty Child”. He is indestructible and has regenerative powers thanks to Rose in the story “The Parting of the Ways”. The show is more mature in content. There are stories about Cannibalism, Love affairs both Heterosexual and Homosexual and Bisexual, Time Rifts, and possible ending of the World. I personally like the stories but sometime the Adult content and profanity is thrown in your face for no other reason that shock value. Apart from that there were some good stories. The show is now in its second season and is popular now enough for a possible third season. The first season set includes Audio commentaries on every episode along with Deleted scenes, Outtakes, featurettes on every episode, a making of feature of the series and Torchwood: Declassified which are short takes on each episode by the cast and crew.

VIDEO

The video quality is fantastic! Episodes were shot in HD but shown on the discs as Standard. Episodes are also uncut. There is also a Play All feature on each disc. Each episode runs approx 50 mins each.

Audio

Was originally recorded in 5.1. It is presented on this set as 5.1.

Disc 1- 1. “Everything Changes”
2. “Day One”

Disc 2- 1. “Ghost Machine”-with Gareth Thomas
2. “Cyberwoman”
3. “Small Worlds”

Disc 3- 1. “Countrycide”
2. “Greeks Bearing Gifts”

Disc 4- 1. “They Keep Killing Suzie”
2. “Random Shoes”


Disc 5- 1. “Out of Time”
2. “Combat”

Disc 6-1. “Captain Jack Harkness”
2. “End Of Days”

Disc 7- 1. Torchwood Declassified

1. “Welcome to Torchwood” (10:36)
2. “Bad Day at the Office” (09:05)
3. “Girl Trouble” (10:06)
4. “The Country Club” (10:25)
5. “Beyond The Grave” (10:41)
6. “Time Flies” (10:31)
7. “Blast From The Past” (10:05)
8. “Jack’s Back” (08:00)
9. “Loving History” (09:04)
10. “Away With The Faries” (10:06)
11. “There’s Something About Mary” (10:23)
12. “Dead Man Walking” (10:18)
13. “Weevil Fight Club” (10:23)
14. “To The End” (10:24)


Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentaries on “Everything Changes” and “Day One”
Welcome To Torchwood (14:30)
Torchwood on the Scene (15:40)
Torchwood Out of This World (10:32)
Deleted Scenes (11:02)

Disc 2: Audio Commentaries on “Ghost Machine”, “Cyberwoman” and “Small Worlds”
Torchwood Out of This World-“Ghost Machine” (05:15)
“Cyberwoman” (04:17)
“Small Worlds” (05:14)

Disc 3: Audio Commentaries on “Countrycide” and “Greeks Bearing Gifts”
Torchwood-Sex, Violence Blood and Gore (15:40)
Torchwood-The Team and Their Troubles (10:26)


Disc 4: Audio Commentaries on “They Keep Killing Suzie” and “Random Shoes”
Torchwood on the Road (09:07)
Torchwood The Team and their Troubles (11:43)
Deleted Scenes (06:49)

Disc 5: Audio Commentaries on “Out of Time” and “Combat”
Torchwood Moments in the Making (10:38)
The Captain’s Log (10:24)

Disc 6: Audio Commentaries on “Captain Jack Harkness” and “End Of Days”
Torchwood Moments in the Making (10:35)
Torchwood on Time (10:08)
Deleted Scenes (14:17)
Outtakes (05:36)

Disc 7: Bonus Disc-Torchwood Declassified-See above



Verdict

A defiantly different series to Doctor Who! If you can get past the Adult content, it’s a pretty good series! Will look forward to Season 2 when it comes out.

DOCTOR WHO-ARC OF INFINITY DVD REVIEW

A blurb from BBC Warner about Doctor Who-Arc of Infinity: Traveling with Nyssa in the Tardis, the Doctor is attacked by a malign entity-a being of pure anti-matter seeking to cross the dimensions. Although the invader is successfully repelled, the Tardis is immediately recalled to Gallifrey, where the High Council of the Time Lords sentence the Doctor to be executed to prevent any further attempts at bonding.

The first story from the second season of Peter Davison’s reign as the doctor is also the 20th Anniversary season of the series. This story in many ways is a sequel to “The Three Doctors” where Omega finally crosses over to the real world of matter and someone on Gallifrey is helping him but is setting up the Doctor to take the fall and be bonded with Omega so he can cross from the anti-matter universe. The story played pretty well with the future Doctor, Colin Baker playing a minor role as the Captain of the guards. It also showed the return of Tegan back to the series. Why they filmed in Amsterdam is beyond me, more than likely having something to do with the producer’s choice of location. The story also had a wonderful character actor in it being Michael Gough. This story and “Time-Flight” is presented in a 2 Disc set but I am reviewing them separately. This disc also includes an Audio Commentary with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Colin Baker, two featurettes, one about the making of this story and the other about the character of Omega, behind the scenes footage of the story, deleted and extended scenes, original on-air continuity announcements and a new feature with new CGI effects option to watch the story that way or the original way it was presented.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! There is a Play all feature. The total story is approx 98 minutes long.

Audio

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

Disc 1- 1. “Arc of Infinity”-with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Colin Baker (98 mins)
Part One (24:37)
Part Two (24:43)
Part Three (24:39)
Part Four (24:29)

Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentary by Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton and Colin Baker
Anti-Matter from Amsterdam (34:53)
The Omega Factor (14:56)
Deleted and Extended Scenes (2:55)
Under Arc Lights (11:32)
Photo Gallery (07:43)
New CGI Effects
Original Continuity Announcements (03:12)
Music Only Option
Radio Times Listing and 1983 Dr Who Annual on DVD Rom
Production text notes
Coming Soon Trailer (01:01)


Verdict

A much better story to kick off the 20th Anniversary season! I had also the pleasure of meeting Peter Davison on a few occasions at Dr Who Conventions over the years and found him to be very nice and approachable!

DOCTOR WHO-TIME-FLIGHT DVD REVIEW

A blurb from BBC Warner about Doctor Who-Time-Flight: The Tardis arrives by accident in the middle of Terminal One at Heathrow Airport. One of the supersonic Concordes has disappeared midair, and the Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa soon become involved in a hunt for the missing airplane.

The last story from the first season of Peter Davison’s reign as the doctor takes place at London’s Heathrow Airport for there are missing Concordes that takes the Doctor back in time to the prehistoric era to find a deadly foe that is trying to seize control of the ancient powers of the Xeraphin. The group is still reeling over the death of Adric from the previous story “Earthshock”. They find two Concordes that they eventually get back to present day but with no help from the Deadly foe, which is none other than the Master! The story itself was pretty good but played way over the top by Anthony Ainley. The character of Tegan left the Doctor at the end of this story only to come back one story later in “Arc of Infinity”. Doctor Who was the first TV series to film at Heathrow Airport. This story and “Arc of Infinity is presented in a 2 Disc set but I am reviewing them separately. This disc also includes an Audio Commentary with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Script Editor Eric Saward, a short featurette about the character of Tegan, behind the scenes footage of the story, deleted and extended scenes, outtakes and an interview with the director of the story, the late Peter Grimwade.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! There is a Play all feature. The total story is approx 98 minutes long.

Audio

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

Disc 1- 1. “Time-Flight”-with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton (98 mins)
Part One (24:57)
Part Two (24:01)
Part Three (24:30)
Part Four (24:32)

Extras

Disc 1: Audio Commentary by Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton
Mouth on Legs! (13:38)
Deleted and Extended Scenes (3:46)
Jurassic Larks (19:32)
Outtakes (13:53)
Interview with Peter Grimwade (4:12)
Photo Gallery (08:12)
Radio Times Listing and Dr Who Annual on DVD Rom
Production text notes
Coming Soon Trailer (01:01)



Verdict

A fairly good story to end Davison’s first season. I had also the pleasure of meeting Peter Davison on a few occasions at Dr Who Conventions over the years and found him to be very nice and approachable!