The Office - The Complete Collection BBC Edition (First And Second Series Plus Special)

Amazon.com

It feels both inaccurate and inadequate to describe The Office as a comedy. On a superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks, and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, it's not what we're used to thinking of as funny. Most of the fervently devoted fan base watched with a discomfortingly thrilling combination of identification and mortification. The paradox is that its best moments are almost physically unwatchable. Set in the offices of a fictional British paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television show. The writing is subtle and deft, the acting wonderful, and the characters beautifully drawn: the cadaverous team leader Gareth (Mackenzie Crook); the monstrous sales rep, Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson); and the decent but long-suffering everyman Tim (Martin Freeman), whose ambition and imagination have been crushed out of him by the banality of ! the life he dreams uselessly of escaping. The show is stolen, as it was intended to be, by insufferable office manager David Brent, played by codirector-cowriter Ricky Gervais. Brent will become a name as emblematic for a particular kind of British grotesque as Basil Fawlty, but he is a deeper character. Fawlty is an exaggeration of reality, and therefore a safely comic figure. Brent is as appalling as only reality can be. --Andrew Mueller

The second series exceeded even the sky-high standards of the first. Indeed, it ventured beyond caricature and satire, touching on the very edge of darkness. Ricky Gervais is once again excruciatingly superb as David Brent, but in this series, Brent's to-the-camera assertions concerning his management qualities and executive capabilities are seriously challenged when the Slough and Swindon branches are merged and his former Swindon equivalent Neil (Patrick Baladi) takes over as area manager. To compensate, Brent cultivates his pathologically mistaken image of himself as an entertainer-motivator-comedian whose stage happens to be the workplace. Meanwhile, Tim, who can only maintain his sanity by teasing the priggish Gareth, continues to wrestle with his yearning for receptionist Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis), a sympathetic character persisting in a relationship with a man about whom she still maintains unspoken reservations. As ever, it's the awkward, reality TV-style pauses and silences, the furtive, meaningful and unmet glances across the emotional gulf of the open-plan office, that say it all here. As for Brent, his own breakdown is prefaced by a moment of hideous hilarity--an impromptu office dance, a mixture of "Flashdance and MC Hammer" as Brent describes it, but in reality bad beyond description. Then, when his fate is sealed, he at last reveals himself in a memorable finale to perhaps the greatest British sitcom, besides Fawlty Towers, ever made. --David Stubbs

The brilliant and devastating comedy of The Office is brought to a satisfying conclusion in The Office Special, originally a two-part Christmas special on the BBC, set three years after the end of the faux-documentary's second season. The former office manager David (Ricky Gervais) now ekes out a desperate existence as an oblivious quasi-celebrity, making awkward, humiliating visits back to the office staff he still believes loves him. Gawky Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) has risen to manager and become a petty tyrant, while the sweet but snide Tim (Martin Freeman) continues to pine for former receptionist Dawn (Lucy Davis), who fled to Florida with her fiance. When the documentary crew pays for Dawn to return for the holiday party, an unpredictable reunion looms ahead. The Office fuses scathing humor and genuine empathy, turning excruciating social discomfort into inspired satire. Fans will find this special rewarding in all respects. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

good buy.......2007-09-07

The Office is hilarious! This package contains the entire BBC collection of The Office. I wish they had made more! If you watch a couple episodes, you'll want to watch them all.

Brilliant.......2007-08-16

Absolutely brilliant. Funniest show in the world if you understand British humour and the monotony of office life. Full of cringe-worthy and awkward moments. It is absolutely hysterical for those who can appreciate this type of humour.

Unimpressed.......2007-08-06

My wife and I have enjoyed the American version for a couple years now, so I don't know how I could take an objective look at the English version. Maybe if I'd seen it first I'd have been more impressed. I think I can safely say, though, that neither version is vastly artistically superior to the other. I mean, they're both just sitcoms, let's not go nuts. The US version makes me laugh, the BBC one doesn't. That's the beginning and the end of the story as far as I'm concerned. Neither one is exactly high culture, take it for what it's worth. Just a freaking TV show.

t'office.......2007-07-22

first series was the best. second series was good, slightly different but hadn't the punch of the first. the special was good too. I think gervais and merchant were right in not wanting to continue the series. believe it or not I had a boss exactly like David Brent in both looks and mannerisms

The Office - The Complete Collection BBC Edition (First And Second Series Plus Special).......2007-07-21

I did enjoy some of the episodes, but I like the American version better because they have so many more out takes.

Office Space - Special Edition with Flair (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

This Movie is Hilarious!!!
One of the Classics
Absolutly pure genius
realistically funny for the office worker
A timeless movie that (frighteningly) will never grow old

Office Space - Special Edition with Flair (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Jennifer Aniston , Diedrich Bader , Joe Bays , Josh Bond , and Gary Cole
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AP04L0
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Amazon.com

Ever spend eight hours in a "Productivity Bin"? Ever had worries about layoffs? Ever had the urge to demolish a temperamental printer or fax machine? Ever had to endure a smarmy, condescending boss? Then Office Space should hit pretty close to home for you. Peter (Ron Livingston) spends the day doing stupefyingly dull computer work in a cubicle. He goes home to an apartment sparsely furnished by IKEA and Target, then starts for a maddening commute to work again in the morning. His coworkers in the cube farm are an annoying lot, his boss is a snide, patronizing jerk, and his days are consumed with tedium. In desperation, he turns to career hypnotherapy, but when his hypno-induced relaxation takes hold, there's no shutting it off. Layoffs are in the air at his corporation, and with two coworkers (both of whom are slated for the chute) he devises a scheme to skim funds from company accounts. The scheme soon snowballs, however, throwing the three into a panic until the unexpected happens and saves the day. Director Mike Judge has come up with a spot-on look at work in corporate America circa 1999. With well-drawn characters and situations instantly familiar to the white-collar milieu, he captures the joylessness of many a cube denizen's work life to a T. Jennifer Aniston plays Peter's love interest, a waitress at Chotchkie's, a generic beer-and-burger joint à la Chili's, and Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show) has a minor but hilarious turn as Peter's mustached, long-haired, drywall-installin' neighbor. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

Unable to endure another mind-numbing day at Initech Corporation, cubicle slave Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) gets fired up and decides to get fired. Armed with a leisurely new attitude and a sexy new girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston), he soon masters the art of neglecting his work, which quickly propels him into the ranks of upper management! Now the stage is set for Peter to carry out a high-tech embezzling scheme that's sure to mean the end of his job and a one-way ticket to easy street. Can he pull it off before all corporate hell breaks loose?

Customer Reviews:

This Movie is Hilarious!!!.......2007-09-13

This movie is so funny, my husband and I can't get enough of it. This is not one for kids to watch with lots of bad language and rap songs in this movie. A lot of the business aspects of this movie you can relate in some way or another. I highly recommend this movie if you want a good laugh!

One of the Classics.......2007-09-03

This is in my top 5 movies of all time. My other favorites include Monty Python The Holy Grail, and Dumb and Dumber.

Absolutly pure genius.......2007-08-27

This has been a favorite of mine for a while, if you havn't seen it then treat yourself, if you have then you know what I mean!

realistically funny for the office worker.......2007-08-23

This movie is hilarious.... I thought it was amazing as I watched it in college; however now that I have a full-time job, the funny parts of this movie are things I encounter on a day-to-day basis.

A timeless movie that (frighteningly) will never grow old.......2007-08-22

As long as corporate America insists on treating people like farm animals or widgits, Office Space is going to hit home on several levels: It is a wickedly funny parody of life as a Cube Farm inhabitant; it is dead-on in all the silly and ultimately pointless exercises that upper management goes through to justify itself; and it caters to every worker's fantasy of some day Stickin' it to The Man.

There are numerous weirdly comical moments, as when the lead character, Peter Gibbons, is reclaiming his life and his sanity at the office while a rap song about "it's good to be a gangster" booms in the background; and the hysterical juxtaposition of white, straight-arrow geek programmer Michael Bolton swaying in his car to some truly off-color rap lyrics. The mumbling, goggle-eyed character Milton Waddams (EVERY office has one, you know it does) almost steals the whole show with his obsessiveness about his red Swingline stapler.

I have worked with many of the characters in this movie, and only wish that, like Peter, I had recognized far earlier in my "career" that people are not meant to live in fabric-lined enclosures and fret over things like mission statements and TPS reports.

Although the movie is a bit dated now in terms of how people dress, etc., and the rap songs in the soundtrack might be offensive to some, Office Space is a movie you will want to watch several times, so you can absorb all of the lessons it has to offer.

Office Space - Special Edition with Flair (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

This Movie is Hilarious!!!
One of the Classics
Absolutly pure genius
realistically funny for the office worker
A timeless movie that (frighteningly) will never grow old

Office Space - Special Edition with Flair (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Jennifer Aniston , Diedrich Bader , Joe Bays , Josh Bond , and Gary Cole
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Black Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000AP04KQ
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

This Movie is Hilarious!!!.......2007-09-13

One of the Classics.......2007-09-03

This is in my top 5 movies of all time. My other favorites include Monty Python The Holy Grail, and Dumb and Dumber.

Absolutly pure genius.......2007-08-27

This has been a favorite of mine for a while, if you havn't seen it then treat yourself, if you have then you know what I mean!

realistically funny for the office worker.......2007-08-23

This movie is hilarious.... I thought it was amazing as I watched it in college; however now that I have a full-time job, the funny parts of this movie are things I encounter on a day-to-day basis.

A timeless movie that (frighteningly) will never grow old.......2007-08-22

Average customer rating:

For all Office lovers
bbc
Quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen...genuinely hilarious!
The last piece to my collection
"The Office Special"

The Office Special
Starring: Mackenzie Crook , Lucy Davis (II) , Martin Freeman (II) , and Ricky Gervais
Director: Ricky Gervais
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0002W4P8Y
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

For all Office lovers.......2007-01-31

This is a great ending to the UK series. Hilariously funny. A must see for viewers who have so far only seen the US version. Watch the first two seasons first though!

bbc .......2007-01-16

Love the office. Ricky Gervais is hilarious. And thanks for sharing your comedy with the state. Cheers

Quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen...genuinely hilarious!.......2006-07-28

This show is a symphony. A perfectly constructed one, at that. The acting is spot-on and deadpan, as the cast maneuvers their way through one comedic/horrific scene to the next. The writing and directing for this TV comedy shines and lifts the product up to, dare I say, legendary status. Dare! Dare! Overall, this is one subtly brilliant television offering. This show, more than any other show that I've found (Seinfeld included) makes me want to watch its episodes over and over again - and never tire of them.

The true power of the show lies in the fact that only 13 "episodes" exist. And what does exist feels volumes and volumes deeper than the total of 13 could ever communicate. In short, it never wears out it's welcome.

Highly recommended.

The last piece to my collection.......2006-07-14

I have loved the office ever since I saw it when it was brand new in the UK. I just had to buy the DVD's when I got back to the US. The Special was the last piece that I needed. I knew that it was made some time after the originals, so wasn't expecting it to be quite as good. I was not let down. The characters are still funny and get into their always crazy predicaments. If you loved the first 2 series, I think you will enjoy this one as well. I fell on the floor for David Brent's "music video"...

"The Office Special".......2006-03-06

Sorry to sound juvenile, but this is the freakin' funniest thing I have ever seen. It is sly, intelligent and very English, which is a perfect combination in my opinion.

Ricky Gervais is a great comedian and equally skilled actor (even if he begs to differ). When I first saw this on cable, I would giggle to myself for days recalling certain scenes. Now that I own it (one of the smartest purchases I've ever made), I have not stopped laughing out loud, not one day. I keep remembering hilarious lines delivered with perfectly serious faces, and I burst out laughing!

If you enjoy British humor, if you've seen only a few episodes of "The Office," do yourself a favor and buy this gem. Ricky Gervais is the best thing to come along in quite awhile. Whoever thought such non-stop fun and happiness could be found for such a low price?

Oh, and the DVD extras are even more hysterical if you can possibly believe it. The interview with Ricky and Stephen Merchant alone is a gem. But the music video, oh my God...The music video. There simply are no words. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Outstanding

Organizing From the Inside Out
Starring: Julie Morgenstern
Director: Pete Lentine
Manufacturer: Pbs Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000BITUPC
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-04-04

Julie Morgenstern delivers a humorus, compelling and practical approach to organizing. I've read numerous books on the subject and have been an organizer all my life. Her take on the subject is fun, fresh and functional.

DVD Maximum - Surf Spectacular: 4-dvd Collector's Set

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DVD Maximum - Surf Spectacular: 4-dvd Collector's Set
Starring: Surf Spectacular
Manufacturer: Topics Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00084MSR6
Release Date: 2004-12-01

Product Description

Catch the wave of adrenaline breaking over Surf Spectacular, the 4-DVD collection of outrageous surfing, kiteboarding, and windsurfing videos. The Power Trip is an around-the-world search for the hottest kiteboard action, from Africa to Hawaii. Cut the ki

DVD Success Series: Real Estate Investor's College

Average customer rating:

DVD Success Series: Real Estate Investor's College
Starring: Success Series-Real Estate
Manufacturer: Topics Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Special Interests | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000ENV2N2
Release Date: 2006-02-20

Product Description

Ever wished you had the time for a one-on-one, in-person seminar led by a world authority on real estate prosperity? With Real Estate Investor's College on DVD, property investment guru Dolf de Roos demonstrates field-tested strategies and insider techniq

Average customer rating:

Maximum: Xtreme Skateboarding
Starring: Xtreme Skateboarding
Manufacturer: Topics Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

Skateboarding | Sports | Genres | DVD | Video

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( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000IJ7AA6
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Product Description

Ollie ollie all come free to experience Xtreme Skateboarding, the 4-DVD video collection that brings you all the artistryand insanityof skating past and present. Time Machine 1 traces the evolution of the sport, revisiting the Twilight Ska

Average customer rating:

Fun To Know: Learn to Play Bass Guitar
Starring: Fun to Know
Manufacturer: Millennium Interactive
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

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Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0002SDZIY
Release Date: 2004-02-02

Product Description

The program starts at the roots of bass guitar by teaching you essential techniques such as scales, octaves, alternating & muting and more! Learn key components of the blues, timing and how to hold the beat with ease. Bonus, Bass Slappin and Poppin Lesson

Warner Box Office Hits Collection (Contact/City of Angels/L.A. Confidential/A Perfect Murder)

Average customer rating:

city of angels
Not too spectacular
Special Edition Gift Set: Warner Home Video

Warner Box Office Hits Collection (Contact/City of Angels/L.A. Confidential/A Perfect Murder)
Starring: Michael Douglas , Gwyneth Paltrow , Viggo Mortensen , Sarita Choudhury , and Michael P. Moran
Director: Andrew Davis , Robert Zemeckis , and Brad Silberling
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 0790739860
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Customer Reviews:

city of angels.......2004-02-10

I would like to own the dvd city of angels,
also the soundtrac of the movie city of angels
and the cd of sarah mc-lachlan with her song in the arms of an angel. if you want to sell it to me jaime63a@hotmail.com

Not too spectacular.......2003-12-16

LA confidential is awesome, but I can't really see the logic in packaging it with a bunch of mediocre "hits". City of Angels is not a good movie, and a perfect murder lacks any depth whatsoever. Contact is interesting, but too slow to hold much interest. Don't buy this gift set, instead, pick out the movies individually....LA confidential being the best.

Special Edition Gift Set: Warner Home Video.......2000-06-14

It is always gut to see really gut movies.. and we all love gift sets

DVD:

DVD

DVD