Running Time 4117 Min
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
The facts have become legend. Star Trek, the NBC series that premiered on September 8, 1966, has become a touchstone of international popular culture. It struggled through three seasons that included cancellation and last-minute revival, and turned its creator, Gene Roddenberry, into the progenitor of an intergalactic phenomenon. Eventually expanding to encompass five separate TV series, an ongoing slate of feature films, and a fan base larger than the population of many third-world countries, the Star Trek universe began not with a Big Bang but with a cautious experiment in network TV programming. Even before its premiere episode ("The Man Trap") was aired, Star Trek had struggled to attain warp-drive velocity, barely making it into the fall '66 NBC lineup.
The series' original pilot, "The Cage," featured Jeffrey Hunter as U.S.S. Enterprise captain Christopher Pike--a variation of the role that would eventually catapult William Shatner to TV stardom. Filmed in 1964, the pilot was rejected by NBC the following year, but the network made a rare decision to order a second pilot. "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was filmed in 1965, and only one character from the previous pilot remained--a pointy-eared alien named Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), whom Roddenberry had retained despite network disapproval. The second pilot was accepted, and production on Star Trek began in earnest with the filming of its first regular episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver."
Never a ratings success despite a growing population of devoted fans, Star Trek was canceled after its second season, prompting a letter-writing campaign that resulted in the series' third-season renewal. It was a mixed blessing, since Roddenberry had departed as producer to protest the network's neglect, and Star Trek's third season contained most of the series' weakest episodes. And yet, the show continued to "to explore strange new worlds…to seek out new life and new civilizations…to boldly go where no man [a phrase later amended to "no one"] has gone before."
There were milestones along the way. The first interracial kiss on network primetime TV (between Shatner and series co-star Nichelle Nichols) furthered a richly positive and expansive view of a better, nobler future for humankind. The series offered a timelessly appealing balance of humor, imagination, and character depth. And at least one episode (Harlan Ellison's "The City on the Edge of Forever") ranks among the finest science fiction stories in any popular medium. Beloved by long-time fans in spite of its cheesy sets and costumes, and the now-dated trappings of late-1960s American culture, "classic Trek" has aged remarkably well, and its sense of adventure and idealism continues to live long and prosper. --Jeff Shannon
The three 2004 DVD sets collect all 79 episodes of the show, including "The Cage" in both a restored color version and the original, never-aired version that alternates between color and black and white. Each set is supplemented by over an hour of featurettes incorporating new and old interviews with Shatner, Nimoy, other cast members, and producers, and there's also some vintage footage of Gene Roddenberry. Accompanying the 20-minute seasonal recaps ("To Boldly Go...") are a number of interesting featurettes: "The Birth of a Timeless Legacy" examines the two pilot episodes and the development of the crew; "Sci-Fi Visionaries" discusses the series' great science fiction writers; Nimoy debunks various rumors in "Reflections of Spock"; "Kirk, Spock & Bones: The Great Trio" focuses on the interplay among Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley); and, in what is probably his last Star Trek appearance, James Doohan (Scotty), slowed by Alzheimer's but still with a twinkle in his eye, recalls his voiceover roles and his favorite episodes. As they've done for many of the feature-film special editions, Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda provide a pop-up text commentary on four of the episodes filled with history, trivia, and dry wit. It's the first commentary of any kind for a Star Trek TV show, but an audio commentary is still overdue. The technical specs are mostly the same as other Trek TV series--Dolby 5.1, English subtitles--but with the welcome addition of the episode trailers. The plastic cases are an attempt to replicate some of the fun packaging of the series' European DVD releases, but it's a bit clunky, and the paper sleeve around the disc case seems awkward and crude. Still, the sets are a vast improvement both in terms of shelf space and bonus features compared to the old two-episode discs, which were released before full-season boxed sets became the model for television DVDs. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews:
Original series is still the best"".......2007-09-14
I have just opened my set and i like the way it is packaged.My set came in a box with each season in a plastic case thats a copy of the tricorder seen on the series.Inside was a cardboard box with a plastic box inside containing each disk.Its kind of like a book.Some reviewers complaied about the way it was done but i dont see anything wrong at all.The disks are well protected and are single sided disks.Upon putting in the first disk i saw how the menus were laid out and i thought it was pretty nice how they did it.When the first episode started i expected the prints to be not so good but i was wrong.I feel they looked just fine and i noticed alot of scenes i havent seen before.The audio was fine also.Im watching them on an Oppo upconverting dvd player and it really makes a difference.I highly recommend these players as they are made well and make your disks look completely different quality wise.I am very happy with my purchase and i think most people will agree that the set is just fine.I bought it from a different seller on amazon and saved some money that way.I felt it was money well spent and i simply am not going to buy the high def sets that are coming out.They are very expensive and i personaly would rather have the original prints.That was the way it was made and thats what i prefer.
when a woman was alien.......2007-07-20
Ah yes, back in the days when a man was a man and a woman was alien. What a nice compilation of a cult classic.
Classic Star Trek.......2007-07-16
What can I say about Star Trek: The Original Series that hasn't already been said, I'll TRY to keep it brief. Way back in the mid 1960s one man had a vision of how the future of humanity could possibly turn out, it was called Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry's secular humanistic dream was of a human race that had outgrown racism, sexism, war and organised religion. Humanity had conquered disease and poverty and had no need for money any longer. The pursuit of greed and selfish goals had been replaced with a desire to better ones self and expand ones horizons. With the discovery of warp technology (faster than light travel) the human race entered onto the galactic stage for the first time in its turbulent history. With the aid of the Vulcans the human race developed a Starfleet and in time would found The Federation of Planets (based on The United Nations?) an organisation that would change the face of the known universe.
The characters of James T Kirk, Mr. Spock, Scotty, Dr McCoy and the other crew members of the Enterprise are now pop-culture icons. Star Trek was a progressive series, for instance the character of Uhura was one of the first African-American women to appear on TV. It also had a Japanese-American character named Sulu and a Russian character called Chekov, considering that World War II was still fresh in people's minds and that the cold-war was at its height this was a brave decision. We join in the daring adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew "to go boldly where no man has gone before". In their galactic voyages we meet the Vulcans and Romulans, Klingons and Andorians amongst others for the first time. Some fans have pointed out inconsistencies with later series, for example the Klingons in The Original Series don't really look like... Klingons, and all sorts of myths have grown as to why modern Klingons look soo different. I think it is only because of bigger budgets that they have changed appearance, if one watches the prequel, Star Trek: Enterprise the Klingons have those bony foreheads.
Gene Roddenberry's 60s vision of the future is funky, fun and wonderfully camp. Star Trek was made on a shoestring budget and the concept artists who worked on it had to constantly improvise, they would use anything they could get their hands on. The sets are bright and colourful as are the sometimes garish costumes, and the retro props (like the tricorder or the communicator) are big, functional and cool. When the aliens are made to look truly alien (like the Gorn or Tribbles) the results are hilarious. Star Trek was very light hearted and groovy but don't be fooled it is a rather serious show at heart. Despite Star Treks lofty ideals it is very politically incorrect, and I must admit I find this refreshingly entertaining. Captain Kirk is an outrageously chauvinistic womaniser and he has ego problems, and constant jibes are made about Mr. Spock's Vulcan heritage by Dr McCoy. The three main characters (Kirk, Spock & McCoy) have a witty on screen chemistry that the other Trek series lack. Star Trek was made in an era when men were men and the women wore mini-skirts, but at least the sexes were considered (in theory) equal. Star Trek was television that broke a lot of conservative establishment taboos, its just a shame that Treks later incarnations didn't continue in this vein (no GLBT characters or storylines) quite as much.
The three DVD boxes that The Original Series come in are beautifully designed and colourful just like the series, being yellow, blue & red. The series have been digitally re-mastered and cleared up for DVD, so its nice to watch them again and again. The special features are extensive and they will provide hours of in-depth enjoyment, there are a lot of "Easter eggs" too. If like me you are a Trekkie and you have only seen the later series, do yourself a favour and buy Star Trek: The Original Series, its ground zero and where the popular franchise began. Beam me up Scotty!!!
...to boldly go where Paramount has not gone before..........2007-07-13
So, where to start this review ? Shall I talk about the content and what impact Star Trek-The Original Series (henceforth referred to as "TOS") has made on the imagination and conscience of SF-lovers ever since? Neh, besides from mentioning that TOS has done for TV-SF, what "Forbidden Planet" and "2001, a Space Oddessey" have done for cinema-SF (granted, in hindsight), namely providing us with well written and often thought provoking SF (admittedly with the occasional exceptions) ever since, me think not, others have done this on this site, the web and in writing far more eloquently than I'll ever be able to do. Let's face it, SF , before them on the small as well as the big screen has been juvenile and "aiming for kicks" at best for most of the time. That we now enjoy the well written and thought provoking TV-shows and Movies, is in no small part due to the before mentioned events.
So, instead let's talk about releases. Albeit long, long overdue it is gratifying that Paramount finally released TOS in a format a series of the stature of TOS deserves. Not that they had a choice though. In this DVD-age other studios very early on understood that fans of TV-shows wanted to have their favourite shows released in tight season wise boxed dvd-sets (Fox-studios has to be credited for this insight, for being one of the first in regard to the X-Files series). Paramount was relatively late in understanding this. But picked up on the idea when they brought out The "Next Generation""-series and the subsequent Star Trek series, at least where DVD-releases were concerned.
A small history lesson is at it's place here. When Paramount Studios took over Desilu Studios in the late sixties (if memory serves Star Trek was well into it's second season), they were gunning for the then hit-series "Mission Impossible", no matter what they have stated since then. "Star Trek" was just part of the bargain and really not wanted. However when "Star Trek" begot a life of it's own far after cancellation, Paramount very, very slowly began to realise that they inadvertently hit upon the unintended motherload. To this date, the acquirement of "Star Trek" must stand out as the most profitable deal in TV-history. Paramount has earned billions on a show they didn't pay squat for (remember: They were after "Mission Impossible"). The result? Especially US-based fans have been paying very dearly ever since (quite literally) for releases aimed at maximizing earnings for the studio. The 1-episode/tape videotapes (repeated for the "Next Generation"-,"DS-9"-and "Voyager" series) and 2 episode/disc dvd-releases are the most evident examples that come to mind. In stark contrast, we Europeans were treated better. Even the poorest of our releases at least contained 2 episodes. Especially the latter release (2-episode/disc dvd-release) has stirred up some strong emotions amongst US-fans after the boxed sets were released, judging from some of the reviews I've read and in my modest opinion rightly so, since they were released at approximately the same time Star Trek- TNG boxed-sets were being released (A fate we Europeans were blissfully spared), Although I agree in small part with one reviewer, who stated that the "complainers" could not resist "instant gratification", fact remains that Paramount took advantage of the passion of dedicated people, much like your average street corner dope dealer does. They have not done so with overseas fans (although w've had our share of confusing releases), we got the definitive dvd-version to date at the very first go (Makes you wonder though on how Hollywood considers it's own home public). Don't get me wrong though, I do not begrudge anyone making a buck, heck it is after all "The American Way" and for that matter everybody's way, American or otherwise, but let's keep it in context here. And as far as another gripe goes, their pricing policies: Yes, they are very expensive compared to other studios, however as long as w're willing to pay for it, we can not in all fairness complain. In this matter I can't really blame them (see my above statement), but only provided we are getting from the get go the version we want!!!
So back at business at hand, how do I rate this edition. Well I give it 4 stars, solely based on how it is released. We Europeans for once had a first, We got this edition before you Americans had (well over a year), mainly because the infamous 2 episode/disc-edition run was not completed yet at that time in the US-market. As far as I can ascertain the US-edition is both in packaging as in content exactly the same as the European one. Quite a few reviewers had gripes with the way the series were packaged i.e. in a hard plastic case per season. I grant them this: it is a bit ackward and yes not the very easiest of boxes to handle. However they are in line with the earlier European releases of the other Trek-series, with which the Americans are not familiar with, since they were issued with the more common standard slipcased cardboard box-sets. I can imagine that this series (together with the Animated Series-Box)looks like an ugly duckling on the shelves in any American Trek-dvdcollection, however on my shelves it does look quite natural with the other series which were released in Europe/Japan(as a limited edition) as hardplastic cased editions from the get go. From a commercial pointview, it made sense that this edition was brought out in the US, based on the European mold. And let's be honest, gripes notwithstanding, this is to date the most compact collection of TOS ever to be released.
Many reviewers commented also about the transfer being used for this edition...Here I've to agree to a considerable degree...Although something has been done for the better to the soundtracks, this is not necessarily so for picture. I know for a fact that there are least two transfer-version floating around. One is a US-version, cleaned up perhaps, used on the US-laserdisc edition and most likely used for ALL of the the dvd versions(including this and the European one). The second transfer-edition is a very much cleaned up (at the time called: re-mastered) version, then especially commissioned for the Japanese Laserdisc boxed version of TOS. I once owned a Japanese LD season-box. And truth to tell, at the time, it was much superior to the US-laserdisc edition picture qualitywise. Anyone who has ever imported Japanese discs, be it laserdisc or dvd, know that japanese do take their special editions very seriously and that their picture/sound-quality is second to none. This transfer is later used for the very last time (as far as I can ascertain) TOS has been released as VHS i.e. the (quite rare) 30th Anniversary UK-VHS edition (3, yes 3 episode/tape-edition, even for European standards quite unique)...But I'm quite sure this transfer-edition is not used for any of the dvd-releases. The big irony of this is that until the enhanced series is being released, that the Japanese LaserDisc boxed-sets is by far the most exceptional edition you could get, This discussion is, however, becoming quite moot though , since TOS is in a stage of being (digitally) re-mastered and enhanced at the moment. So expect a version being released in the future that is quite superior to everything been released to date. That being said however, this edition is the best affordable way to enjoy TOS to date, no matter what anyone else says...
On a final note. I come to my personal grievances to this release, namely the specials. I admit on being one of those nuts who are wanting their movies/tv-shows being released on dvd as complete as possible, specials and all...Or I want the most complete version commercially available and not being afraid to pay for it...That being said I found this edition of TOS lacking, much to my chagrin I've to add...This is not only true for this Trek-dvdincarnation but for others as well, on which I'll comment as I'll be able to. First things first, to be fair to Paramount, TOS is a very old show, shot in days were no one could even imagine the need for extra material intended for releases to the home market. Much of the extras had to be shot after the fact, simply because there were no contemporary extras salvaged at the time. Most interviews with cast for example concerning TOS were shot when they were doing the features and relied on their memories at the time, A very large proportion of the extras were made recently for this edition (a whopping 40 years after the fact, much like Paramount's "Once upon the West"), and admittedly quite well done. However my gripe is that there are some glaring omissions and I'll just state the ones which come to mind:
-)The famous or infamous "Blooper-reel"; since the early 70ties this has been floating around fan circles and has almost become an legend of its own. Granted, the quality is poor but to have it denied is denying a part of trek-lore...
-)25th Anniversary Special; One of the best done specials about Trek ever...Hosted by Shatner it gives a light hearted overview of 25 years of Trek history. Released on both VHS and LaserDisc, officially endorsed by Paramount, this probably is the most painfull omission....
-)"Inside Star Trek, The Real Story" By H.Solow and R.Justman, based on the book with the same title. True, not sanctioned by Paramount. But the japanese LD-version gives an insight into the makings of TOS provided by two people who made Star Trek as much as possible as G.Roddenberry did: The Producers...True they have some perceived wrongs to correct (the moneygrabbing moguls, in which service they were supposed to be) but they provide an insight in the making of TOS from a different point of view, which would be a very, very welcome counterbalance to the self-congratulary and selfindulging statements made on the extra's(a mishap occurring on all the extra's of every trek-incarnation). The problem with all the extra's on every Trek-Dvd incarnation is that it sometimes feel like an ongoing glorification of the makers and performers of Trek who made it into the limelight...Some much needed perspective is called for...Her at least is one. Unfortunately Paramount doesn't have the guts to include this one despite their usual disclaimer that everything said does not neccessarily correspond with their (or their mothercompany's) view; So what else is new...
-)The introductions per episode by cast and guest stars for the UK 30th Anniversary VHS-edition, mentioned above, especially from the ones who are not around anymore...They have it, why not use them
-)The Discovery Channel Special:"How Star Trek Changed my Life" hosted by W.Shatner; True, this special (covering on how Trek science became reality in this day and age) was almost certainly still in the making when this set was brought out, but I mention it as a reminder for a future (enhanced ) release
These are omissions I recall from the top of my head, but I'm sure that I'm missing a couple or so. Hopefully others will amend to these...It is also in conjunction with the transfer-issue the main reason why I can not give this edition the full rating of 5. However knowing the poor track record of Paramount in this respect, they have done a respectable job, Hopefully,very hopefully, their next release will include the remastered series along with the original ones (Japanese transfer, please) along with the omissions I mentioned above...For such a release I would be willing to open my coffers one more time, but knowing Paramount, I would not hold my breath...
Trekkie Heaven.......2007-07-05
Well worth the steep price, if you love the original Star Trek series. Hours and hours of great memories on DVD! Presented in the order they were shown on TV, but numbered according to the order in which they were PRODUCED -- if you want to see them in "stardate" order, just look for the next number (may involve changing discs). We're enjoying this series AGAIN, and we're raising a new generation of Kirk/Spock/Bones/Scotty fans.
Description
This pack includes the first 4 Seasons of CSI Miami. Join lead criminalist Horatio Caine (David Caruso) and his state-of-the-art forensics team as they investigate hot and steamy Miami crimes using cold hard facts.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful collection of DVDs .......2007-09-01
I am a late bloomer when it come to some of the television shows. I have only in the past year began to get addicted to this particular CSI series. When I started out I had to buy all of the previous seasons to catch up with what was going on. Then since David Caruso is such and interesting character, I looked up and bought NYPD Blue because he starred in it the first season.
I love the scenery, being a north Floridian I appreciate the beauty of the area and envy the tropical follage that grows there. Miami is one of the stars of this show, the characters are interesting and complex and you just can't seem to get enough of them.
Worth the price, they made this summer of re-runs more bearable.
Great Savings.......2007-08-05
I have been searching for CSI Miami seasons 1 thru 4. It was just too expensive. My sister in law advised me of Amazon. I am greatful that she told me about it. As I saved about $100.00. I do appreciate the savings. Thanks.
Great Shows.......2007-07-14
I've really enjoyed seeing the shows from the beginning. I love this cast - they are balanced so well!!
Excellent TV-serie.......2007-07-13
This is without a doubt the best CSI-show!
Interesting stories, nice camera, charismatic actors,
better then CSI:NY and much better then CSI:Las Vegas.
Why do they keep us waiting so long for season 5???
One of the Best Forensic Shows on TV.......2007-04-02
I have been a fan of all three CSI shows, for some time, because I love Forensics. I began to watch CSI Miami, more than the others, because I became so interested in the characters. I couldn`t believe how compassionate the Medical Examiner (Khandi Alexander) was, with her "charges". It also became a mystery to me about the complicated plots, and how they figured out the truth!The reason I bought the DVDs, besides being able to see them whenever I wanted, was because I missed quite a few shows, and had to watch re-runs. During some of the re-runs, things were mentioned, that I had no idea what they meant, and I was intent on finding out the answers. Thanks to the DVDs, I can find out all the answers. I think the CSI Series are some of the best shows on TV.
Product Description
Set in the 22nd century, a hundred years before James T. Kirk helmed the famous starship of the same name, ENTERPRISE takes place in an era when interstellar travel is still in its infancy. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) has assembled a crew of brave explorers to chart the galaxy on a revolutionary spacecraft: Enterprise NX-01. As the first human beings to venture into deep space, these pioneers will experience the wonder and mystery of the final frontier as they seek out new life and new civilizations.
Customer Reviews:
This Series needs to be seen in it's original Hi-Def.......2007-08-28
Disappointing on DVD. When this series appeared on UPN it was shown in Hi-Def. According to IMDB, this series was shot digitally in 1080P/24. I have a 70 inch Top-of-the-line Sony HD-TV (KDS-R70XBR2). The network HD showings were spectacular, especially the opening. The eye-poping picture you invite your friends over to see what Hi-Def truly is. The DVD release of Enterprise was not as good as most of the TNG DVD movies. I enjoyed the series in HD on the UPN network. I would buy the series on Blu-Ray when it is available in that format.
An Enterprising Trek Series.......2007-07-16
When I first watched the beginning of "Enterprise" I was rather dismayed. What is this musak? Where was the Star Trek title? And the jingoistic patriotism! It was so unlike what has gone before (and not in an especially good way). Having said that, I have found the show itself quite enjoyable, entertaining and as always with Star Trek optimistic and hopeful for a brighter and more tolerant future. With time I have become rather fond of Enterprise, the adventures of Captain Archer, and his bold & daring crew.
I do have some problem with Star Treks predictable and formulaic approach, such as... the name of a ship is nearly always Enterprise, why not the Endeavour or the Discovery? And surely it would have been a good gesture to all the devoted Star Trek fans around the world to have included a foreign actor or actress (an Australian a European or an Indian for example) in the Enterprise cast, other than the usual Americans or Brits. But an even more important and significant issue to me as a Bi woman, I feel saddened that there has not yet been a bisexual or homosexual character in any Star Trek series. Indeed it has not even had an episode or plot relating to - LGBT sexuality - in any Star Trek production!!! Unfortunately also including Enterprise. Of ALL the shows on television Star Trek has no excuse, the Federation of Planets is meant to be cosmopolitan and diverse isn't it? I think an enlightened organisation like this would not exclude people based on their sexual orientation, and that this topical issue should be addressed by the makers of Star Trek if they want it to remain relevant to a post-modern audience. If Gene Roddenberry was still alive today I believe the subject of a gay, lesbian or Bi character in a Star Trek series would have been breached in a positive and embracing way many years ago. I also think Enterprise is at times a little bit gung-ho and brash and that this is not in keeping with the general Star Trek spirit, but still I relish the show.
Despite these misgivings, I love watching Enterprise and have looked forward to each new episode. The thought provoking stories, the attention to the details of the sleekly stylish sets and props, the moody and dramatic lighting, the beautiful costumes, the look of the aliens and their varied cultures or the special effects is as with all Star Trek productions impeccable and tasteful. The cast is made up of talented people (many with a theatre background) that makes you care what happens to their respective characters. All these elements combined make Enterprise addictive viewing, and what sets it (like all Star Trek series) apart from other lesser sci-fi shows. I also like the new idea of a story-arc that spans whole seasons, I think it works, the episodic story was getting a little boring. So it is a damn shame that Enterprise will be cut short after only four seasons and will not be able to complete its seven year mission, especially as it is just getting into its stride. I feel like many other Trekkies it seems, that the Paramount "executives" have made a rash error of judgement in cancelling Enterprise. Surely it would have been a wiser decision to let Enterprise run its full course of seven seasons and then to have waited to see if there is still a market for a new Star Trek series?
We should thank the heavens for DVD so that the valiant but ill fated, Star Trek: Enterprise series will at least be saved for posterity as a valuable and treasured part of the Star Trek canon. The sleek silver casing that the DVDs come in is truly elegant, I just wish there had been seven of them!!! The special features are fantastic too, with animated menus they provide hours of behind the scenes info and trivia that gives one a deeper appreciation of what goes into making a series like Enterprise. If you are a Trekkie Star Trek: Enterprise should be on your wishlist if you are collecting the various series on DVD, for the completist like me I would not have it otherwise.
The Absolute Best !!!.......2007-07-11
This is the best Star Trek series ever !!! I have watched Star Trek since I was a little kid (Old Fart Now !)and this is the absolute best one !!!
The DVD features and quality are Top Notch !!!
Live long and view on....
Is it an Asian import?.......2007-07-01
Caveat emptor / buyer beware!
This is just a note to people considering buying "Star Trek: Enterprise The Complete Seasons 1-4" on DVD from certain Amazon sellers.
If you see the Star Trek: Enterprise DVD collection in a single box rather than in four separate boxes (one box per season), it's likely an Asian import edition rather than from the studio.
Especially beware the appellation "the Chosen Collection" which was copied from the complete collector's edition of Joss Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Buffy "Chosen Collection" is official while the Star Trek: Enterprise "Chosen Collection" is not.
Furthermore, if the DVD set mentions it's region free, then it almost certainly is an Asian import, because the studio does not have a region free version of Star Trek: Enterprise on DVD (at the time of this review).
It's true the Asian import edition will be considerably cheaper, and as I mentioned region free, but there are drawbacks as well. For example, the audio and video quality suffers relative to the regular edition. Also, if there's a scratch or other slight defect on one of the DVDs, most of the sellers won't refund the buyer's money or replace the DVD(s). Some might, but it could be tricky (and perhaps despite their claims to the contrary). Not to mention that purchasing an Asian import means the money goes to the Asian distributor and its affiliates rather than to, say, the cast or crew or anyone else on the actual production team -- which in turn could presumably be funneled into bringing back Star Trek (although it's debatable).
And please make sure to read Oren D. Applequist's helpful comment below regarding World Express Mail Service (EMS).
Anyway, obviously people are free to do what they like, but I'm mentioning all this so buyers can at least be aware of the risks.
I loved it!.......2007-06-11
I loved the series. I only wish they had made more after season 4. I thought the crew worked well together personality wise and the story lines were great. I especially liked the relationship between Trip and T'pol. It's about time they allowed a romance between crew members. Does anyone know if their planning to make series 5?
Average customer rating:
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Starring:
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Irma La Douce
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Kiss Me, Stupid
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Witness For the Prosecution
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Mister Roberts
ASIN: B00005JKH5
Release Date: 2003-07-15 |
Amazon.com essential video
Hardly ever mentioned in the category of lightning-paced comedies--the His Girl Friday and Preston Sturges kind--is this breathless cold war farce from the great Billy Wilder. Adapted from a one-act play by Ferenc Molnár, Wilder and collaborator I.A.L. Diamond's hilarious screenplay is a whirlwind collection of one-liners, gags, and double-entendres, anchored for the cameras by Jimmy Cagney's cagey and frenetic performance (one of his best), and, under Wilder's direction, executed with diamond-like precision. The gangster-movie icon plays a Coca-Cola executive in West Berlin (the film's 1961 release put it squarely in the middle of the world's laserlike focus on East vs. West tensions) who has parlayed expanding American consumerism into a chance to break through the Iron Curtain and sell "the pause that refreshes" to thirsty comrades. But when his Atlanta boss's visiting 17-year-old daughter (Pamela Tiffin), a boy-crazy Southern tornado, reveals that she has secretly married an American-hating German Commie (Horst Buchholz), Cagney's big-American-fish-in-a-European-pond lifestyle is threatened, especially once Daddy hops a plane to Germany. As the plot accelerates, the lines literally spit out of the cast's mouths--the title refers to Cagney's character's rapid-fire rattling off of lists of tasks--and Wilder's penchant for urbane nastiness is perfectly measured by the order of the whole crazy circus. This movie takes gleeful potshots at both sides of a conflict that terrified audiences in its day, but has aged beautifully to become a fascinating time capsule, an exhilarating litany of zingers and a potent blueprint for razor-sharp political satire. Cagney would retire after this movie for 20 years (returning for 1981's Ragtime), and it's hardly any wonder: he has the energy of 10 performances in this one film. --Robert Abele
Description
James Cagney gives one of the richest, funniest, most breathlessly paced performances of his career (The New York Times) in this Billy Wilder comedy that defrosts the Cold War with gales of laughter! C. R. MacNamara (Cagney), a top-ranking executive stationed in West Berlin, is charged with the care of his boss visiting daughter. But when he learns that she's gone and married a fierce young communistand that his boss will be arriving in town in 24 hoursMac must transform the unwilling beatnik into a suitable son-in-law or risk losing his chance for advancement! Before you cansay one, two, three, his plans have spun out of control and into an international incident that could infuriate the Russians, the Germans and, worst of all, his own suspicious wife (Arlene Francis)!
Customer Reviews:
Cold War Classic.......2007-08-22
And to think I only saw this relatively recently! A great, funny movie. Cagney is not just doing comedy he's... doing Cagney! The torture scene with the secret police had me laughing so I hard I could hardly get off the floor! And the writing... when they were talking about the wedding rings made from the steel of Soviet guns at Stalingrad: "I didn't ask who your jeweler is!"
You gotta see this one if you haven't already.
One of the best!.......2007-06-05
Classic Cagney plus Billy Wilder's directing make this is a gem!
Crackling Cold War Farce.......2007-02-26
James Cagney took a 20 year sabbatical from films before returning in "Ragtime" in 1981. This should have been his last flick because his work here is nothing less than sublime. Cagney chews on the juicy dialogue provided to him by director Billy Wilder and co-scripter I.A.L. Diamond like a hungry bulldog. He's matched(almost) word-for-word by Horst Buchholz as his Red adversary. Wilder and Diamond offer astutely comical observations about Capitalism and Communism that are both succinct and side-splitting. This film probably packed more of a punch during the Cold War but 45 years on has lost none of it's luster. This and "Dr. Strangelove" would make an excellent double-bill in understanding (and laughing at) the absurdity of the Cold War.
The jokes still work.......2007-01-31
My wife is Russian, and grew up under Communism... this film left both of us laughing so hard we had to keep pausing the DVD to catch up. The dialogue skewers both Capitalist and Communist equally, and uses that split to make fun of marriage, European aristocracy, Germany in the aftermath of WW2, and everything else that strays onto the screen.
Make sure to hit the bathroom before you start watching this film, because you won't want to get up once it starts.
Great Comedy.......2007-01-08
If you like fast past comedy, this is the movie for you. This is an all time classic. Cagney gives a great performance. I wasn't much a fan before, but after seeing him in this movie, I sure am now.
Amazon.com
The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home, chronicling a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood. The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.
Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, James Gandolfini's Tony is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings.
In its second season, The Sopranos repeatedly defies formula to let the narrative turn as a direct consequence of the characters' behavior, letting everyone in this rogue's gallery of Mafiosi, friends, and family evolve and deepen. That gamble is most apparent in the rupture of the relationship that formed the spine of the first season, the tangled ties between Tony and Livia, whose betrayal makes Tony's estrangement a logical response. Filling that vacuum, however, is prodigal sister Janice (Aida Turturro), whose New Age flakiness never successfully conceals her underlying calculation and opportunism. Soprano's relationship with therapist Melfi also frays during early episodes, as she struggles with escalating doubts about her mobbed-up patient. At home, Tony contends with wife Carmela's ruthless ambitions on behalf of college-bound Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler), as well as son Anthony Jr.'s (Robert Iler) sullen adolescent flirtation with existentialism--the sort of touch that the show handles with a smart mix of sympathy and amusement.
In the brutal and controversial third season, The Sopranos justified its 11-month hiatus with some of its best, and most hotly debated, episodes. It continued to upend convention and defy audience expectations with a deliberately paced, calm-before-the-storm season opener that revolves around the FBI's attempts to bug the Soprano household, and a season finale that (for some) frustratingly leaves several plot lines unresolved. "Employee of the Month," in which Dr. Melfi is raped and considers whether to exact revenge by telling Tony of her attack, earned Emmys for its writers, and is perhaps Emmy nominee Lorraine Bracco's finest hour. Other story arcs concern the rise of the seriously unstable Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) and Tony's affair with "full-blown loop-de-loo" Gloria (Emmy nominee Annabella Sciorra). Plus, there is Tony's estrangement from daughter Meadow, his wayward delinquent son Anthony, Jr., Carmela's crisis of conscience, bad seed Jackie Jr., and the FBI--which, as the season ends, assigns an undercover agent to befriend an unwitting figure in the Soprano family's orbit.
Though for some the widely debated fourth season contained too much yakking instead of whacking, and an emphasis on domestic family over business Family, in most respects The Sopranos remains television's gold standard. The season garnered 13 Emmy nominations, and subsequent best actor and actress wins for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco as Tony and Carmela, whose estrangement provides the season with its most powerful drama, as well as a win for Joe Pantoliano's psychopath Ralph. Other narrative threads include Christopher's (Emmy nominee Michael Imperioli) descent into heroin addiction, Uncle Junior's (Dominic Chianese) trial, an unrequited and potentially fatal attraction between Carmela and Tony's driver Furio, and a rude joke about Johnny Sack's wife that has potentially fatal implications. Other indelible moments include Christopher's girlfriend Adriana's projectile reaction to discovering that her new best friend is an undercover FBI agent in the episode "No Show," Janice giving Ralph a shove out of their relationship in "Christopher," and the classic "Quasimodo/Nostradamus" exchange in the season-opener, which garnered HBO's highest ratings to date. Freed from the understandably high expectations for the fourth season, heightened by the 16-month hiatus, these episodes can be better appreciated on their own considerable merits. They are pivotal chapters in television's most novel saga.
From the moment a wayward bear lumbers into the Sopranos' yard in the fifth-season opener, it is clear that The Sopranos is in anything but a "stagmire." The series benefits from an infusion of new blood, the so-called "Class of 2004," imprisoned "family" members freshly released from jail. Most notable among these is Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi, who directed the pivotal season 3 episode "Pine Barrens"), who initially wants to go straight, but proves himself to be something of a "free agent," setting up a climactic stand-off between Tony and New York boss Johnny Sack. These 13 mostly riveting episodes unfold with a page-turning intensity with many rich subplots. Estranged couple Tony and Carmella (the incomparable James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) work toward a reconciliation (greased by Tony's purchase of a $600,000 piece of property for Carmela to develop). The Feds lean harder on an increasingly stressed-out and distraught Adriana to "snitch" with inevitable results. This season's hot-button episode is "The Test Dream," in which Tony is visited by some of the series' dear, and not-so-dearly, departed in a harrowing nightmare.
Customer Reviews:
High note on Sopranos.......2007-08-05
DVD's are obviously taped off either cable or A&E channel but picture quality is great. Only complaint I have is that each one begins with foreign language/writing, not English. Enjoying watching these. A real bargain.
Good story line but adult language.......2007-08-01
We have been watching bits and pieces of the Sopranos on A&E but were having a hard time with the sequencing of events. With the DVD's we are able to track the show in order.
Sopranos First Five Seasons.......2007-01-04
I bought this as an anniversary gift for my husband, who loves the series. (I refuse to watch it.) He was thrilled!
Excitement Galore.......2006-09-12
I think that this is about the best "series" I have ever watched. It grips you from the first and doesn't let go. Once you start watching the Sopranos, you're hooked. Enjoyed every moment. James Gandolfini makes this series.
The Sopranos is the best tv show ever made.......2006-06-02
I started watching the Sopranos this year. I was hooked after one episode and bought the whole series. I was always an HBO Sex and the City fan but didn't think much of the Sopranos - I thought it was only about killing, cheating, gangs and strippers. I was wrong. This show is so complex and dynamic, with outstanding character plots and realistic family dramas, worth every penny! Tony Soprano is one wiseguy you are sure to love or love to hate! The packaging of these sets is excellent and the dvds are high quality. I am only hoping that HBO comes out with a gift collection of the series when it coms to an unfortunate end like they did for Sex and the City!
Average customer rating:
- We Need a special Edition!
- A thrilling thriller
- Stand clear of the closing doors, and hang on!
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
- Take this A Train
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Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Starring:
Walter Matthau ,
Robert Shaw ,
Martin Balsam ,
Hector Elizondo , and
Earl Hindman
Director:
Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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Balsam, Martin
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Bond, Rudy
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Broderick, James
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Elizondo, Hector
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George, Nathan
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Harris, Julius
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Harris, Julius W
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Matthau, Walter
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McMillan, Kenneth
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O'Neill, Dick
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Roberts, Doris
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Shaw, Robert
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Stiller, Jerry
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Similar Items:
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The Laughing Policeman
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Charley Varrick
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The Seven-Ups
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Hopscotch - Criterion Collection
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Three Days of the Condor
ASIN: 0792843649
Release Date: 2000-02-29 |
Amazon.com essential video
Dog Day Afternoon. Annie Hall. Taxi Driver. In the pantheon of classic New York films, these three take pride of place. But there are, of course, others, some of which have fallen through the cracks over the years, criminally overlooked and unjustly relegated to commercial-riddled Saturday-afternoon TV broadcasts. Joseph Sargent's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is just such a picture. This taut 1974 thriller about four armed men who highjack a New York City subway train and hold it and its passengers for ransom may be hopelessly dated (it's loaded with ethnic stereotypes, impossibly wide neckties, and bad hairdos--and there are no explosions!), but that's part of the fun. A gruffly sardonic Walter Matthau heads a fine cast that includes Jerry Stiller, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam, and a perfectly villainous pre-Jaws Robert Shaw. Think you'll find a better film that depicts a nearly broke city led by an inept mayor forced to deal with armed terrorists? Fuhgeddaboutit! --Steve Landau
Customer Reviews:
We Need a special Edition!.......2007-08-20
This is one of those films that it is so good but has not been able to acquire the DVD treatment it deserves!
Please if you have not viewed this film and love 70s thrillers please do yourself a favor... and don't buy it just yet rent it so you can buy the special edition when it finally comes out since I have been waiting since DVDs were created and became the mass market for movie viewers! :)
Juan
A thrilling thriller.......2007-07-24
This 70's thriller is an underrated film, more like 4.5 stars for me. With a good cast including Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, taught direction, and a really good script.
There are a number of classic moments, and naturally with the film including Walter Matthau its not without some humourous moments. Perhaps most noteably after he insults some Japanese guests, who he thinks don't speak English...
The false names used by the villans in this film were the inspiriation for Quentin Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs'. It also has a classic music score by David Shire, which has one of the best movie themes of the 70's. Add this to its many other qualities and you have a great piece of entertainment which you will enjoy a lot.
Stand clear of the closing doors, and hang on!.......2007-07-24
I seen this movie back in the 70's as a young kid with my brother.
This movie was fantastic. Grabs you from the beginning, excites you in the middle, and
leaves you breathless at the end. Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw give an academy award
performence as the cat and mouse chase. Too bad they dont make movies as good as these
anymore.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.......2007-07-06
Joseph Sargent's pulsating cat-and-mouse thriller gives off a potent seventies flavor, a time when the Big Apple was in fiscal crisis. Salty New York characters are in abundance, and dog-faced Matthau fits right in, effortlessly assuming the jaded, rumpled contours of veteran Manhattan cop. As Z's chief nemesis, Shaw's Mr. Blue is a study in contrasts: cold, sharp, organized, and ruthless. In a city already coming apart at the seams, can overextended authorities prevail over these audacious criminals?
Take this A Train.......2007-04-23
I was turned on to this movie after hearing David Shire's soundtrack from Jim Aquino's "Fistful of Soundtracks" internet station -- so I came to the movie wanting to get more music. I noticed that Hollywood is currently recycling the soundtrack for some goofy new crime movie (as of April 07) -- but here I get the music set to the original images.
One reviewer here compared it to the Diehard movies -- a good comparison. I told my wife it was it was Diehard without the action, more of a psychological test. The movie is extremely enjoyable for how it depicts criminals, the law, and the people caught inbetween -- specifically how New Yorkers circa the mid-70s were. There are many goofy jokes about gender and race that just reek of the movie's time (fortunately the film, at places, shows the ability to criticize itself for having those biases).
But the movie really works because, unlike the Diehard movies, you get this very local, very New York feel. Not only are the people racist or sexist -- they just about hate everyone they work with -- the antipathy every character shows makes this movie about a hijacked subway car work. People here do not lie down when pushed, and all of the characters (except for Shaw's brilliant British merc) have a ironic edge to most of what they say. Matthau and Stiller here work great together as a pair of transit detectives. And did I say the score is awesome?
Average customer rating:
- classic Wilder collection
- great collection....but.....
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The Billy Wilder DVD Collection (The Apartment / Avanti! / The Fortune Cookie / Irma la Douce / Kiss Me Stupid / One Two Three / The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes / Some Like It Hot / Witness for the Prosecution)
Starring:
Jack Lemmon ,
Shirley MacLaine ,
Fred MacMurray ,
Ray Walston , and
Jack Kruschen
Director:
Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
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| Mystery & Suspense Masters
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Adams, Edie
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Holiday, Hope
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Jameson, Joyce
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Kruschen, Jack
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Lemmon, Jack
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MacLaine, Shirley
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Shawlee, Joan
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Stevens, Naomi
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Walston, Ray
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Waterman, Willard
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Wilder, Billy
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Similar Items:
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The Billy Wilder DVD Collection (Stalag 17 Special Collector's Edition / Sunset Boulevard / Sabrina 1954)
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Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be)
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The Woody Allen Collection, Set 3 (Hannah and Her Sisters / The Purple Rose of Cairo / Broadway Danny Rose / Zelig / A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy / Radio Days)
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The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
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Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection (Psycho / Vertigo / Rear Window / The Birds / Shadow of a Doubt / Family Plot / Frenzy / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Marnie / Rope / Saboteur / Topaz / Torn Curtain / The Trouble with Harry)
ASIN: B00008ZZ9T
Release Date: 2003-07-15 |
Amazon.com
Even if "nobody's perfect," Billy Wilder sometimes came close. This DVD box presents a strong cross-section of films by one of Hollywood's greatest directors, and although his early Paramount years are not covered (they're available in a different set), the box does include a couple of Wilder's woefully underappreciated autumnal gems. Chronologically speaking, 1957's Witness for the Prosecution is the earliest film in the set, a crackerjack courtroom drama derived from Agatha Christie. It gives especially tasty roles to Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich. With Some Like It Hot, Wilder merely created the film widely considered the best comedy of the sound era, with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon impersonating female musicians in the Roaring Twenties. Marilyn Monroe is the songbird tired of getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Wilder took home three Oscars® for The Apartment, his exquisitely bittersweet look at an organization man (Lemmon) who loans out his flat for his boss's liaisons.
One, Two, Three is a breathless Cold War comedy (and a time capsule of its era) with James Cagney as a Coca-Cola executive in Berlin. Irma La Douce teams Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in a racy Parisian love story that became a box-office smash. With Kiss Me, Stupid, Wilder suffered a rare flop, although the once-scandalous sex comedy looks better and sharper as it ages. The Fortune Cookie, which nabbed an Oscar for Walter Matthau, is one of Wilder's most cynical tales, but the last two films in the set represent Wilder's late-career romantic flowering. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes arranges slapstick around the melancholy, misogynistic figure of Holmes, who might just be a directorial self-portrait. Avanti! is a delightful, leisurely romance about a businessman (Lemmon again) who loosens up while in Italy settling his late father's business. It's a lovely end note for a snappy, often acerbic collection. --Robert Horton
Description
The Billy Wilder DVD Collection includes the following films: The Apartment, Avanti!, The Fortune Cookie, Irma la Douce, Kiss Me Stupid, One Two Three, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Some Like It Hot, and Witness for the Prosecution.
Customer Reviews:
classic Wilder collection.......2006-02-25
For Billy Wilder fans, this is a must. Get this box set now before it is discontinued now that Sony distributes MGM's library.
great collection....but............2004-12-29
This is a great collection but why is one of the best, Double Indemnity, missing ??? It is a good collection of a genius who was such a major influence on modern film making. Both his comedy and dramatic films are in this set. I have to say that his dramas hold up a lot better then the comedy films. The constent theme of stupid women, or the whore with "a heart of gold" now seems just pathatic and not endearing.
Description
Beavis and Butt-Head Gift Set (Includes the Mike Judge Collection Volumes 1-3, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America SCE)
Customer Reviews:
Great Memories!!.......2007-07-16
My husband Rudy and I really had a lot of laughs watching Beavis and Butthead do and say stupid things. It took us back to our younger years and it was great!! Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh!!
Is this the best they can do?!.......2007-07-15
OK im just reviewing the collections not the movie. I have had enough of these same old rehashed censord episodes we need more older uncensord episodes from the existing of 93-97 seasonal episodes of a box set. Im a huge B&B fan since I was 10 and I bought these collections thinking they would be uncensord with stuff like fire reference (1 & 2) but they were censord in the worst way especially in vol 1 which had a misleading commercial saying they were uncensord to scam costumers like me. Why the hell can't they just release a complete seasonal uncensord box set how friggen difficult is that?! I mean come on anyone who loves these crappy collections should be lying to themselves we don't deserve crap like this we deserve alot better than this. I hope in
The L Word - The Complete Fourth Season
Better Than Chocolate
Loving Annabelle
Imagine Me & You
If These Walls Could Talk 2
