HOUSEWIFE, 49-TV DVD REVIEW

A blurb from Acorn Media about Housewife, 49: Written and starring beloved British actress Victoria Wood, Housewife, 49 presents a moving glimpse into life on the home front through the eyes of a resolute woman gradually awakening to life.

This TV movie was based on the World War II diaries of one Nella Last. The Mass Observation project was started in 1939 to examine the lives of ordinary people asking them to start a diary about their feeling on politics and everyday things. During wartime, Nella wrote about her life and struggles, which were poignant and moving. She continued writing her diaries until her death in 1968. Victoria Wood won a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Nella. The movie has not been broadcast as of yet here in the States. This disc also features a text interview with Victoria Wood and Cast Filmographies.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The TV movie is 92 minutes long.

Audio

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

Disc 1- 1. “Housewife, 49”-Movie

Extras

Disc 1: Victoria Wood Interview- (Text Only)
Cast Filmographies- (Text Only)

Verdict

An interesting look at life in Britain during World War II. Well Done!


Rating: ****!

VISIONS OF IRELAND DVD REVIEW

A short blurb from Acorn Media about Visions Of Ireland- From Galway to Dublin, savor spectacular scenery from the perspective of the faeries.

The newest documentary in the “Visions Of” series is the “Visions Of Ireland”! Ireland is rich with history and it castles and this program sure shows that! See where the Blarney Stone came from and the rolling countryside with “40 shades of Green”. Again filmed by Roy Hammond, with a high-definition camera mounted on the bottom of a helicopter, shows views of countrysides and cities that are absolutely breathtaking!! This disc like the one on Scotland has bonus footage as well.

VIDEO

The video quality is fantastic! The documentary is done on videotape but is stunning! Excellent quality. The documentary runs approx 75 mins


Audio

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

Disc 1- 1. Opening, Croagh Patrick, Galway
2. Clonmacnoise, Sligo, Classiebawn, Giant’s Causeway
3. Belfast
4. Lough Neagh, Armagh, Mount Stewart, Bru Na Boinne, Kells, Wicklow Mountains, Glendalbugh
5. Cashel, Blarney Castle, Cork, Killaruey National Park
6. Skellig Islands, Galley Head
7. Cliffs of Moher, Inishaan, Inishmore, Insheer, Lough Corrib, The Burren and Limerick
8. Dublin
9. Credits

Extras

Disc 1: Bonus footage not shown on TV (18:27)

Verdict

I really loved these programs! Buying this program would perfectly make a trilogy of the British Isles and make a great gift for any anglophile! Fantastic!


Rating; *****!

BL STRYKER SEASON 1 TV DVD REVIEW

BL Stryker were made for TV movies for the ABC network from February 1989 to May 1990. They starred Burt Reynolds as BL (Buddy Lee) Stryker, a retired New Orleans Police officer that moved back to his home state of Florida and became a private investigator. Reynolds’s character builds from movie to movie. The series was produced by Magnum himself, Tom Selleck! I had the opportunity to work with Burt Reynolds on the set of Cop & ½ in Tampa, Florida in the summer of 1992. This set comprises of the first 5 TV movies that made up the first season. Guest stars that graced the movies were Ossie Davis, Kristy Swanson, Rita Moreno, Peter Palmer to name a few. The extras in this set are 3 scripts from the series on PDF format on DVD Rom. The scripts are from the episodes: Blind Chess, Auntie Sue and Blues for Buder.

VIDEO

The video quality is slightly washed out but still very clear!
All movies are approx. 94 minutes each.

Audio

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

Disc 1- 1. “The Dancer’s Touch”-with Ossie Davis, Kristy Swanson and Rita Moreno
2. “Caroleann”-with Deborah Raffin

Disc 2- 1. “Blind Chess”-with Peter Palmer
2. “Auntie Sue”-with Maureen Stapleton, Jack Gilford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Disc 3- 1. “Blues For Buder”-with Neil Patrick Harris and Michael Chiklis


Extras

Disc 1: None

Disc 2: None

Disc 3: Scripts in PDF format on DVD Rom-“Blind Chess’, “Auntie Sue” and “Blues for Buder”


Verdict

A fun series set in Florida, What could be better!

Rating: *****!

ROUGH DIAMOND-TV DVD REVIEW

I was quite impressed with Rough Diamond, which was actually called “Diamond Geezer” in the U.K. Rough Diamond is about a master thief that in the pilot is a prison inmate that escapes to steal diamonds from a boxing bully in prison. Acting legend Sir David Jason best known for “Only Fools and Horses” and the voice of “Dangermouse” wonderfully plays the master thief. The pilot was shot in 2005 and 3 more episodes followed in 2007. The series for me is a cross between “The Saint” and “The Persuaders”. David Jason is such a great actor; you’re watching every subtle gesture he makes! There are some great guest stars that are in the series such as Jenny Agutter, George Cole, Mary Tamm, Don Warrington and Simon Williams. The set includes Cast Filmographies and text interviews with the stars.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! The pilot runs 93 mins and each episode is approx. 68 mins each. It is presented in Widescreen.

Audio

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

Disc 1- 1. “Rough Diamond” (93 mins)
2. “A Royal Affair”-with Mary Tamm, George Cole, Jenny Agutter and David Troughton

Disc 2- 1. “Old Gold”-with Roy Marsden
2. “Old School Lies”-with Don Warrington and Simon Williams

Extras

Disc 1: David Jason Interview- (Text Only)
Jenny Agutter Interview- (Text Only)
Cast Filmographies- (Text Only)

Disc 2: Don Warrington Interview- (Text Only)
Simon Williams Interview- (Text Only)
Cast Filmographies- (Text Only)

Verdict

An enjoyable TV Series! Check it out!

Rating: ****!

RED GREEN 1999 SEASON-TV DVD REVIEW

A short blurb from Acorn Media about “The Red Green Show-1999 Season”: The complete ninth season of the public television hit’s 15-year run also sees Harold leave the Lodge for corporate life in the big city (with frequent visits from his uncle, of course).

Join Red, Harold, and all the guys at Possum Lodge for a year’s worth of doing what men do when women aren’t around-and some things that are even worse.

This set is from the 1999 season, 9 years into the run of the show. There are 16 episodes on 3 discs and I loved every minute of it. Harold now works in the big city and Red visits him from time to time and Red build a hot-air balloon that is made from a bus! Ranger Gord now is begins his series of educational cartoons. The set also includes Red and Harold character biographies and production notes written by Red Green’s alter ego, Steve Smith.

VIDEO

The video quality is great! There is also a Play All feature.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is also in Mono.


Disc 1-
1. “Harold’s Job”
2. “The Fishing Derby”
3. “Lady In Red”
4. “The Bachelor Auction”
5. “Angel”
6. “School Bus Blimp”

Disc 2-
7. “Coup De Grass”
8. “Rent A Wreck”
9. “Curse of the Mummy”
10. “Roll Out The Barrels”
11. “No Retreat”

Disc 3-
12. “The Battle Call”
13. “Hurricane Doug”
14. “Guinness World Records”
15. “The Auto Club”
16. “Too Much Information”

Extras

Disc 1- Character Biographies (Text Only)
Production Notes from Steve Smith (Text Only)

Disc 2- None

Disc 3- None


Verdict

A very funny Canadian TV series. One of the best! I highly recommend it!

Rating: *****!

DALLAS SEASON 8 TV DVD REVIEW

If you don’t count the miniseries as season 1, then this is actually season 7, the supposed last season for Patrick Duffy when he left the series the following season to seek other opportunities. This season was defiantly packed with an attempted murder, weddings, a kidnapping sudden wealth and a death! Barbara Bel Geddes was having medical problems so she left for a while and was replaced by actress Donna Reed as Miss Ellie. This role was Donna Reed’s final TV performance before her death a year later. This season set contains 30 episodes from the 8th season and the extra on the set is a featurette about Dallas’ costume designer, Travilla.

VIDEO

The video quality is fairly good; There are a few specks and film dirt but not much. The episodes were not remastered. Episodes are also uncut.

Audio

Was originally recorded in Mono. Audio quality is also in Mono.


Disc 1- Side A
1. “Killer At Large”-with Martin E Brooks and Dennis Haysbert
2. “Battle Lines”-with Mitch Ryan
3. “If At First You Don’t Succeed”
Side B
4. “Jamie”-with Jenilee Harrison and Randolph ManTooth
5. “Family”-with William Smithers
6. “Shadow of A Doubt”

Disc 2- Side A
7. “Homecoming”-with Donna Reed
8. “Oil Barron’s Ball III”-with Morgan Woodward
9. “Shadows”
Side B
10. “Charlie”
11. “Barbeque Five”
12. “Do You Take This Woman”

Disc 3- Side A
13. “DeJa Vu”-with James Cromwell
14. “Odd Man Out”
15. “Lock Up In Laredo”

Side B
16. “Winds of War”
17. “Bail Out”
18. “Legacy Of Hate”

Disc 4-Side A

19. “Sins of the Fathers”
20. “The Brothers Ewing”
21. “Shattered Dreams”
Side B
22. “Dead Ends”
23. “Trial and Error”
24. “The Verdict”

Disc 5-Side A
25. “Sentences”
26. “Terms of Estrangement”-with Dack Rambo
27. “The Ewing Connection”-with John Zaremba
Side B
28. “Deeds and Misdeeds”-with John Larch
29. “Deliverance”
30. “Swan Song”-with Morgan Brittany, Jared Martin and David White



Extras

Disc 1-4: None

Disc 5-: Dallas Makeover-Travilla Style- (09:50)


Verdict

I watched this series from the get go and this season had some really good and strong stories. Defiantly pick up this season!


Rating: ****!

GET SMART-THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD REVIEW

The iconic TV show legend Don Adams and crew are finally available for the first time on DVD with the complete series of “Get Smart”! The show lasted for 5 seasons from 1965-1970 with 138 episodes. Time-Life and HBO Video have done an astoundingly fantastic job with this Megaset. All the episodes have been digitally remastered and care and love for the show was taken with the interviews, clips, bloopers and personal material partly by Don Adam’s widow, Dorothy Adams-Ferrante.

Two comedy-writing legends created the series, Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. The show was first pitched to ABC, which turned them down, but Grant Tinker from NBC took it on with a contract actor, Don Adams. The star of the show was originally supposed to be actor Tom Poston, but found Adams to be a better fit. The show also starred Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 and character actor Edward Platt as their boss, Chief. A pilot episode was made in Black & White and was a complete success. The show has a wonderful array of supporting characters and villains.

The secondary characters that were the core of the series were Bernie Kopell as Sigfried from K.A.O.S., Dick Gautier as Hymie the robot, with David Ketchum and Robert Karvelas as Agent 13 and Larabee respectively. There have been some big name guest stars that have been on the show over its 5 year run such as Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, James Caan, Ernest Borgnine, Don Rickles and Milton Berle to name a few. The show ran for 4 seasons on NBC and the last season was shown on CBS.

This complete series set is phenomenal! There are audio commentaries on 8 episodes with a treasure trove of extras from the Andy Williams Show, to classic commercials to a Playboy 75th Birthday celebration and reunion at the Museum of Television and Radio as well as Don Adams’ memorial service and many more! Agent 99 herself, Barbara Feldon, introduces each episode and extra!


VIDEO

The video quality is excellent! Each episode has been digitally remastered.


Audio

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

Disc 1- “Mr. Big”-with Michael Dunn and Vito Scotti
“Diplomat’s Daughter”-with Leonard Strong
“School Days”-with Ben Wright and Leo Gordon
“Our Man In Toyland”-with John Hoyt and Helen Kleeb
“Now You See Him, Now You Don’t”
“Washington 4, Indians 3”-with Anthony Caruso
“K.A.O.S in Control”-with Barbara Bain and Ed Peck
“The Day Smart Turned Chicken”-with Simon Oakland

Disc 2- “Satan Place”-with Len Lesser
“Our Man In Leotards”-with Michael Pate
“Too Many Chiefs”-with Victor French
“My Nephew The Spy”-with Conrad Janis
“Aboard The Orient Express”-with Johnny Carson and Theo Marcuse
“Weekend Vampire”-with Ford Rainey
“Survival Of The Fattest”-with Karen Steele and Milton Selzer
“Double Agent”

Disc 3- “Kisses For K.A.O.S.”-with John Abbott
“The Dead Spy Scrawls”-with Leonard Nimoy
“Back To The Old Drawing Board”-with Dick Gautier
“All In The Mind”-with Torin Thatcher
“Dear Diary”-with Ellen Corby
“Smart The Assassin”-with Tony Lo Bianco
“I’m Only Human”-with Oscar Beregi

Disc 4- “Stakeout on Blue Mist Mountain”-with Ted Knight
“The Amazing Harry Hoo”-with Leonard Strong and Joey Forman
“Hubert’s Unfinished Symphony”-with Richard Webb
“Ship of Spies Part 1”-with Harold J Stone
“Ship of Spies Part 2”-with Harold J Stone
“Shipment To Beirut”-with Lee Bergere
“The Last One Is A Rotten Spy”-with Alice Ghostley

Disc 5- Bonus Disc-See Extras

Disc 6- “Anatomy of a Lover”-with King Moody
“Strike Will The Agent Is Hot”
“A Spy For A Spy”-with Stacy Keach and Bernie Kopell
“The Only Way To Die”-with Gordon Jump
“Maxwell Smart, Alias Jimmy Ballentine”-with Vic Tayback
“Casablanca”
“The Decoy”-with Len Lesser
“Hoo Done It”-with Joey Forman

Disc 7- “Rub-A-Dub-Dub…Three Spies In A Tub”
“The Greatest Spy On Earth”-with Paul Dooley and Victor Lundin
“Island of the Darned”-with Harold Gould
“Bronzefinger”
“Perils In A Petshop”-with Dick Wilson
“The Whole Tooth and…”-with Robert Strauss
“Kiss Of Death”
“It Takes One To Know One”-with Woodrow Palfrey and Gayle Hunnicutt

Disc 8- “Someone Down Here Hates Me”
“Cutback At Control”
“The Man From Yenta”-with Alan Oppenheimer
“The Mummy”
“The Girls From K.A.O.S.”-with Tisha Sterling
“Smart Fit The Battle Of Jericho”-with Angeline PettyJohn
“Where-What-How-Who Am I?”

Disc 9- “The Expendable Agent”
“How To Succeed In The Spy Business Without Really Trying”
“Appointment In Sahara”-with Vic Tayback
“Pussycats Galore”-with Ted Knight and Angeline PettyJohn
“A Man Called Smart Part 1”-with Kenneth Mars
“A Man Called Smart Part 2”
“A Man Called Smart Part 3”

Disc 10- Bonus Disc-See Extras

Disc 11- “The Spy Who Met Himself”
“Viva Smart”
“Witness For The Persecution”
“The Spirit Is Willing”-with Ina Balin and Len Lesser
“Maxwell Smart, Private Eye”
“Supersonic Boom”-with Farley Grainger and Alex Rocco
“One Of Our Olives Is Missing”-with Carol Burnett


Disc 12- “When Good Fellows Get Together”
“Dr Yes”
“That Old Gang of Mind”-with Sid Haig
“The Mild Ones”
“Classification: Dead”
“The Mysterious Dr T.”
“The King Lives?”-with Michael Forest

Disc 13- “The Groovy Guru”-with Larry Storch and Barry Newman
“The Little Black Book, Part 1”-with Don Rickles
“The Little Black Book, Part 2”-with Joey Forman
“Don’t Look Back”-with Bruce Gordon
“99 Loses Control”-with Jacques Bergerac
“The Wax Max”

Disc 14- “Run, Robot Run”
“Operation Ridiculous”-with George Macready
“Spy, Spy Birdie”
“The Hot Line”-with Regis Philbin and John Byner
“Die, Spy”
“The Reluctant Redhead”-with Cesar Romero

Disc 15 Bonus Disc-See Extras

Disc 16 “The Impossible Mission”-with Jamie Farr
“Snoopy Smart Vs The Red Baron”-with Mary Frann
“Closely Watched Planes”-with Pete Barbutti
“The Secret Of Sam Vittoro”-with J.Carrol Naish
“Diamonds Are A Spy’s Best Friend”-with Dick Wilson
“The Worst Best Man”-with Ron Masak and Avery Schreiber
“A Tale of Two Tails”-with Victor Sen Yung and Fred Willard

Disc 17- “The Return of the Ancient Mariner”-with Jack Cassidy
“With Love and Twitches”-with Alan Oppenheimer
“The Laser Blazer”-with Julie Newmar and Leonard Strong
“The Farkas Fracas”-with Tom Bosley and Alice Ghostley
“Temporarily Out of Control”
“Schwartz’s Island”
“One Nation Invisible”

Disc 18- “Hurray for Hollywood”
“The Day They Raided The Knights”-with Nancy Kovack
“Tequila Mockingbird”-with Oscar Beregi
“I Shot 86 Today”-with Sharon Acker
“Absorb the Greek”
“To Sire, With Love Part 1”-with John Doucette

Disc 19- “To Sire, With Love Part 2”-with John Doucette
“Shock It To Me”-with Tom Poston and Sid Haig
“Leadside”-with Ronald Long and Paul Carr
“Greer Window”
“The Not So Great Escape Part 1”
“The Not So Great Escape Part 2”

Disc 20- Bonus Disc-See Extras

Disc 21- “Pheasant Under Glass”-with Peter Brocco
“Ironhand”-with Billy Barty
“Valerie of the Dolls”-with Antoinette Bower
“Widow Often Annie”-with Dana Wynter
“The Treasure of C. Errol Madre”-with Broderick Crawford
“Smart Fell On Alabama”-with John Dehner
“And Baby Makes Four Part 1”-with Jack Gilford and Dana Elcar

Disc 22- “And Baby makes Four Part 2”-with Jack Gilford and Dana Elcar
“Physician Impossible”
“The Apes of Rath”
“Age Before Duty”
“Is This Trip Necessary?”-with Vincent Price
“Ice Station Siegfried”-with Bill Dana
“Moonlighting Becomes You”-with Victor Buono and Sid Haig

Disc 23- “House of Max Part 1”-with Ian Abercrombie
“House of Max Part 2”-with Ian Abercrombie
“Rebecca of Funny Folk Farm”-with Gale Sondergaard
“The Mess of Adrian Listenger”-with Pat Paulsen
“Witness for the Execution”
“How Green Was My Valet”-with Jonathan Harris

Disc 24- “And Only Two Ninety-Nine”
“Smartacus”-with John Zaremba
“What’s It All About Algie?”-with John Van Dreelsen
“Hello Columbus, Goodbye America”-with Vito Scotti and Billy Barty
“Do I Hear The Vaults?”
“I Am Curiously Yellow”-with Victor Sen Yeng

Disc 25- Bonus Disc-See Extras


Extras

Disc 1- Audio Commentary on Mr. Big with Buck Henry
Audio Commentary for Mr. Big with Mel Brooks

Disc 2- None

Disc 3- Audio Commentary on Kisses for K.A.O.S by Barbara Feldon

Disc 4- None

Disc 5- Interview with Buck Henry- (22:37)
Featurette-The Secret History of Get Smart- (16:56)
Clips-The Bill Dana Show-1964- (06:48)
Clips-The Andy Williams Show-1965- (05:06)
Clips-Top Brass Hair Care Commercial with Barbara Feldon-(01:02)
Clips-NBC Fall Season Preview-1965- (10:06)
Clips-Get Smart-Promo-Part 1-(1965)-(00:23)
Clips-Get Smart Promo-Part 2-(1965)-(00:11)
Bloopers- (02:13)
Get Smart Reunion Seminar 2003-(1 Hour)
Interactive Feature-The Chief’s Office

Disc 6- None

Disc 7- None

Disc 8- None

Disc 9- Audio Commentary on How To Succeed…By Bernie Kopell
Audio Commentary on A Man Called Smart Part 1 by Leonard Stern

Disc 10- Interview with Leonard Stern- (31:56)
Featurette-Barbara Feldon-Real Model to Role Model- (14:38)
Clip from the 1967 Emmys- (03:03)
Bloopers- (02:39)
Get Smart Reunion Seminar Part 2-(04:53)
Don Adam’s 75th Birthday Celebration-1999- (53:01)
NBC Broadcast Standers Memos-Pictures
Interactive Bonus-Agent’s 99 Purse

Disc 11- None

Disc 12- None

Disc 13- Audio Commentary on Little Black Book Part 2 with Don Rickles
Audio Commentary on 99 Loses Control by Barbara Feldon
Audio Commentary on 99 Loses Control by Buck Henry

Disc 14- None

Disc 15- Interview with Bruce Bilson- (Director)-(31:01)
Featurette-Spooks, Spies, Gadgets and Gizmos- (13:33)
Clip form the 1968 Emmys- (04:44)
Get Smart Syndication Promo- (03:21)
Milton Berle’s Mad, Mad World of Comedy- (04:44)
Clip from the Andy Williams Show-1966- (06:31)
Bloopers- (01:42)
Don Rickles Bloopers-Little Black Book- (01:25)
Get Smart Reunion Seminar Part 3-(04:41)
NBC Broadcast and Standers Memo-Pictures
Interactive Bonus-Max’s Sunbeam Tiger Car

Disc 16- None

Disc 17- Audio Commentary on For Love and Twitches by Barbara Feldon
Audio Commentary on For Love and Twitches by Buck Henry

Disc 18-None

Disc 19- Audio Commentary on To Sire With Love Part 2 by James Caan

Disc 20-Interview with Bernie Kopell- (22:29)
Interview with Barbara Feldon- (24:44)
Featurette-Code Words and Catch Phrases- (14:11)
Clip-Rose Parade with Don and Barbara 1969-(00:52)
Clip-The Any Williams Show- (05:46)
Syndication Promo- (02:12)
Clip from 1969 Emmys- (03:10)
Pepsodent Commerical-1967- (00:56)
White Castle Commerical-1990- (01:19)
Chief Auto Parts Commercial-1983- (00:37)
Bloopers- (02:22)
Interactive Bonus-Max’s Apartment

Disc 21- None

Disc 22- Audio Commentary on Ice Station Sigfried by Bill Dana

Disc 23-None

Disc 24-None

Disc 25-Featurette-The Fans Of Get Smart- (14:38)
Don Adam’s Memorial-2005- (81 Mins)
TV Land Awards 2003-(00:46)
Clip-The Andy Williams Show- (00:50)
Chief Auto Parts Commercial 1981 and 1983-(01:12)
White Castle Commercial 1-1990-(00:39)
White Castle Commercial 2-1990-(00:39)
Choice Hotels Commercial 1991-(00:40)
Buck A Call Commercial 1999-(00:34)
Bloopers- (01:21)
Ultimate Get Smart Clip Reel- (20:33)
Interactive Bonus-Spy Aptitude Test

Verdict

You absolutely have to get this set for your collection! Its well worth the money even if you not a true fan of the series. This is a true Classic! Go to www.timelife.com for more information!


Rating; *****!