3Deep Movie Reviews
2 Argento Classics For The Price of 1!
THANK YOU,AMAZON.COM!SO,LETS MOVE ON THIS 2 CLASSICS.TENEBRE - UNLIKE DEEP RED,THIS IS VERY BRIGHT GIALLO,YOU CAN SEE ALL PERFECT GORY MURDERS IN ALL THEIR GLORY,BUT IT DOES NOT SOFTENED THEIR IMPACT.CAMERA WORK IS,AGAIN,OF COURSE PERFECT,MUSIC IS FOR FIRST EXPERIENCE NOT SO GOOD,BUT WORKS IN FILM VERY GOOD.SO,IF YOU HAVE TASTE FOR PERFECT GORY GIALLO IN HIS FULL REMASTERED GLORY,YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH TENEBRE!
AND IF TENEBRE WASN'T ENOUGH,ON THE SECOND DISC IS DEEP RED - DARK,SCARY GIALLO,WITH REALLY BIG STORY,LEGENDARY MUSIC FROM GOBLINS,GOOD PERFORMANCES FROM ALL ACTORS,AND IN IT'S FULL,UNCUT 126 MIN.VERSION.
GO TO THE ROOTS,WATCH IT WITH PERFECT PICTURE AND SOUND,AND ENJOY IT'S BONUS MATERIALS,ALL FOM ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAIMENT!
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Which of the two is best?
Wonderful intruction set!!
Like having private instruction at your fingertips
Like having private instruction in your own studio
This is the concerto to buy
Un DVD de colecciónAsimismo, son muy recomendables las escenas de los ensayos previos al concierto. Solo tiene un detalle; una pequeña parte del primer movimiento parece no haberse grabado.
Para todos los seguidores de "Deep Purple", éste debe ser un DVD de colección.
You Would be Wise to Buy this Robert Wise SetThen you can watch one of the best overall war movies ever, THE GREAT ESCAPE. One of the definitive Steve McQueen movies, it is the classic tale of POW camp breakout by a group of classic actors. From the first minute, to the ending credits, you will feel as though you too have escaped from a POW camp.
Together, thay may be the best combo on the market today, so add them to your collection ASAP.
A must in your War LibraryIf only Holleywood would watch these and relearn how to make movies right.
Amid all this sturm und drang the writers felt it necessary to inject some levity. In fact, there was so much comedic sidetracking this year it actually seemed as if they were afraid of the series' dark tone. Witness: Quark undergoing a temporary sex change, leading a Magnificent Seven-style band of Ferengi (with a cameo from Iggy Pop), Morn's nonspeaking character being sorely missed, the blend of Troi and Guinan into '60s crooner Vic Fontaine, and, in one fan favorite episode ("Far Beyond the Stars"), Sisko having visions of himself and the crew as 1950s staff writers on pulp magazine Incredible Tales. There were also cute reconciliations among Worf's extended family (leading to Trek's first cast wedding), and even the revelation of Bashir's genetically enhanced origins quickly became a subject for easy jokes.
Any of these events would have been satisfactorily cute if the war had ended and the show had moved on. But it confused the viewer when every so often the battle would be rejoined mid-episode. The clinching proof that no grand design was really at work was in the sudden exit of Dax. Despite all the jarring humor scattered about after the strong opening, the show seemed unable to avoid reverting to shock tactics for its finale. All of which hardly made the promised final year seem a particularly enticing prospect. --Paul Tonks
A very memorable seasonOne of them of course is the use of long, involved story lines. Almost more than any othe sci-fi series (with the possible exception of Babylon 5), DS9 showed that war was a messy, complicated business, not just in terms of body count but in compromised values, shifting allegiences, and tough decisions that may or may not be right. Sisko truly comes into his own as the leader of the station as well as a key figure in the war. The highlight of the main war story arc is In the Pale Moonlight, a true masterpiece of storytelling about the seamy side of war. Almost as good as this exceptional episode in the general story line is Inquisition, which introduces the KGB- or even Gestapo? -like Section 31(and they work for the good guys!)
Every Trek season has it's off-topic type of episodes, and season 6's are some of the best. Even the Ferengi episodes are not that bad - The Magnificent Ferengi is a comic highlight. Who Mourns for Morn is uneven but nevertheless makes use of one of the most famous non-speaking parts on TV, Morn the barfly. Statistical Probabilities is a very interesting intellectual episode that furthers the story of Julian Bashir as a genetically enhanced human, and shows what can go wrong with such "enhancements". Valiant shows the effect of war on kids (a young Academy squad who somehow end up commanding their own ship after the death of their captain). One Little Ship is a ridiculous but totally fyn episode (Honey, I Shrunk The Runabout!) His Way introduced James Darren as Vic Damone, a holographic night club owner with self-awareness - since Voyager was pursuing the idea of a hologram being a sentient being, this was nice to see - and Vic becomes an important secondary character in season 7. Worf and Jadzia Dax's wedding (You Are Cordially Invited) is a bit cheesy, as many Kllingon episodes tend to be. But the Worf-Jadzia relationship was one of the very few marriages shown in Trek (aside from the O'Briens), and later episodes managed to show the difficulties of being in the same war with the one you love quite effectively, until the death of Jadzia in the last episode. The death itself was quite abrupt - almost up there with the death of Tasha Yar in TNG, but in the context of war it makes sense. Death in war is senseless...
I left the best for last - Far Beyond The Stars. This is a transcendent episode, and a must-see for any sci-fi fan - even if you don't like Trek. It asks the question, are we real? Or are we just a figment of someone's imagination? And what is it that makes what we dream of? This idea was explored somewhat in a Next Generation episode (Message In A Bottle), but it's really told beautifully here.
I can't really think of a truly bad episode in this season, like a couple of the clunkers in both season 5 and 7. All in all, this season is a keeper.
The Best YearThis season begins with a fantastic six-episode arc that begins where the season 5 cliffhanger "Call to Arms" left off, with the station in Dominion hands, Worf fighting with the Klingons, Kira and Odo serving Dukat, and Sisko and Co. plotting against the Dominion. This experiment worked extraordinarily well and recieved great acclaim from most fans of the series. Immediately following this arc is the episode "You Are Cordially Invited" which, you guessed it, has to do with the marriage of Dax and Worf. A nice little episode. Things, however, pick up in a hurry. Dukat is finally unmasked as the demon he is in "Waltz" which features Marc Alaimo's finest performance as Dukat. He is alternately psychotic, schizophrenic, and always unpredictable, and his desire to gain Sisko's respect is mesmerizing. "Far Beyond the Stars" is an incredible episode that is about racism in 1950's America on the surface, but ultimately is an intricately constructed show dealing with metaphysics and as such is fascinating. Sisko really gains a lot of depth in this episode. "Inquisition" introduces the ultrasecretive Section 31 sect and nearly makes us believe that Bashir must be a Dominion agent. This episode, along with the following one, "In the Pale Moonlight", fulfill the show's initial promise of being a darker show. "Moonlight" is, indeed, the darkest of all treks, and among the best as well. For what is essentially a morality play this episode has been labeled the most suspenseful and effective episode of the series, labels that I am inclined to agree with. The fact that the episode succeeded at all is due to writers Peter Allan Fields (Duet, Necessary Evil), Michael Taylor (The Visitor), and actors Avery Brooks and Andrew Robinson. Brooks is mesmerizing and totally credible in the role of a man who has compromised his morality, and Robinson as the pragmatist who takes charge of the alliance. "His Way" is a truly unexpected episode: a nice romantic comedy with Kira and Odo. Unlike previous attempts by the writing staff at romance (Let He Who is Without Sin...) everything clicks here. Sisko is prepared to sacrifice his son in "The Reckoning", The show races after a ghost in "The Sound of Her Voice" and there's a poignant season finale in "Tears of the Prophets."
Although the season does have its share of comic relief episodes, this is not a weakness, as the ... reviewer seems to imply. They are, by and large, successful with one notable exception (Profit and Lace). I also disagree that the show was afraid to take on a dark tone. The show took on its darkest tone in season 6 and unflinchingly took us into the darkest reaches of first Dukat, then Sisko's being. The show, however, did not want to take on a grim tone, which is why the comic relief is there. In short, this season has some of the show's best episodes and was the most complete. I would strongly recommend it.
Worf's Wedding and Benny RusselFar Beyond the Stars takes Sisko to another dimension where he is a science fiction writer facing racism in the 50's. In this one he is the creator of a Deep Space Nine saga. The editor won't publish it. Not only will the editor not publish his story but he won't consider any of his work good enough for publication. This tale is by far the most poignant and heart wrenching of all the series.
As usual the set is light on extras, but the episodes more than make up for it. If Paramount ever issues this seven season set as one unit; (like the UK Borg Box of seven seasons of Next Gen) it should have a lot more in the way of episode commentary and interviews.
For what you are paying; a lot more in the extras could have been produced for such a great series. I still have to give it five stars. The episodes surpass the final ones in the last season.
Palmer, a former rock musician and Memphis Blues Festival cofounder best known for his bylines in The New York Times and Rolling Stone, had already chronicled the saga of Southern blues in his seminal book that provides the film's title. He's an astute guide, and Mugge underlines this role by pairing him with British rocker Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), whose avid interest in the music makes him an effective foil.
The film's real triumph, however, rests in the team's success in capturing modern day blues survivors and inheritors playing in the bars, juke joints, and barns of delta country. Palmer, who had returned several years earlier to the delta to capture these artists for his scrappy Fat Possum label, introduces us to the now-amplified but still elemental blues of R.L. Burnside, the late Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes, and other keepers of the faith. Mugge, whose profiles of Al Green, Sonny Rollins, and other musicians probed their cultural and artistic contexts with intelligence and sensitivity, captures both the music and the milieu in crisp color footage. Deep Blues thus triumphs as a testament to the blues' deep roots and an unintentional eulogy for Palmer, who would pass away in the mid-'90s just as the gut-bucket music of Burnside and Kimbrough served notice that the blues were alive and kicking. --Sam Sutherland
can the impact of "deep blues" be measured?Traditional old blues haunts such as Memphis, Clarksdale and Greenville are visited, and fine artists relatively unknown at the time were recorded such as Big Jack Johnson, Booba Barnes and Lonnie Pitchford. Delta old timers Jack Owens, Bud Spires and Booker T. Laury also turn in fine, spirited performances. But for me the highlight is the attention given over to the more obscure "hill country" blues of north missisipi, featuring Jessie Mae Hemphill, R. L. Burnside and the late great Junior Kimbrough and his original juke joint in Holly Springs. Here the music extends from country blues to "drum and fife", a hypnotic musical form that predates blues all the way back to the revolutionary war, but which now faces extinction since the passing of Othar Turner (not featured here, but a close friend of Hemphill). The bonus items are very welcome, especially the extra performances by honkytonk genius Booker T. to the drunk audience comprised of Stuart and Palmer, and Lonnie Pitchford's demonstration of the diddly bow. Also included are extra audio tracks that were originally only available on the soundtrack album (now deleted).
This film helped to revive not just interest in country and acoustic blues in general, but the careers of all of the artists featured. This film is well shot, sounds great, and shares the passion and emotion of some great bluesmen and women. After this, try the "Feelin' Good" CD by Jessie Mae Hemphill. Not only is that a beautiful album, but Jessie's an invalid now who desperately needs the cash!
Simply The BestMeticulously researched, Palmer uses Muddy Waters as a jumping off point to explore the history and evolution of the blues as music as well as the society and culture from which it sprang. He peppers his work with amazing anecdotes, from the story of Robert Johnson, the Band meeting a dying Sonny Boy Williamson, an aging Howlin' Wolf giving a phenominal concert that add color to his story and helps make his frequent forays into musicology more tolerable to the non-musician. Best of all is the sense of time and place the book evokes, from plantations and dark swamps in rural Mississippi, to the noisy, crowed streets of South Chicago at the peak of the Great Migration, to small clubs and long forgotten juke-joints.
I read this book for the first time 10 years or so ago and have probably reread it 5 times since. I keep coming up with new things to admire about the book every time. That so much richness can be packed into such a short readable work is amazing. This book triumphs over everything else written on the subject and only leaves you wanting to explore further.
Sincerity!This is an earthy, funky and sincere look at some of the remnants of that period......the artists are stoned, they play a semi-tone away from the rest of the band,their equipment probably came from sears & roebuck ...but the end result is a raw, gritty and no-holds barred excursion into the basis of rock and roll! Hound Dog Taylor would've looked great also on this video (if he had still been around)
Check out the c.ds of these artists on the Fat Possum label.
If you wish to bypass B.B. King and his gold rings or Clapton and his Dolce & Gabana black suit then this IS the book/video for you!
Palmer, a former rock musician and Memphis Blues Festival cofounder best known for his bylines in The New York Times and Rolling Stone, had already chronicled the saga of Southern blues in his seminal book that provides the film's title. He's an astute guide, and Mugge underlines this role by pairing him with British rocker Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), whose avid interest in the music makes him an effective foil.
The film's real triumph, however, rests in the team's success in capturing modern day blues survivors and inheritors playing in the bars, juke joints, and barns of delta country. Palmer, who had returned several years earlier to the delta to capture these artists for his scrappy Fat Possum label, introduces us to the now-amplified but still elemental blues of R.L. Burnside, the late Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes, and other keepers of the faith. Mugge, whose profiles of Al Green, Sonny Rollins, and other musicians probed their cultural and artistic contexts with intelligence and sensitivity, captures both the music and the milieu in crisp color footage. Deep Blues thus triumphs as a testament to the blues' deep roots and an unintentional eulogy for Palmer, who would pass away in the mid-'90s just as the gut-bucket music of Burnside and Kimbrough served notice that the blues were alive and kicking. --Sam Sutherland
can the impact of "deep blues" be measured?Traditional old blues haunts such as Memphis, Clarksdale and Greenville are visited, and fine artists relatively unknown at the time were recorded such as Big Jack Johnson, Booba Barnes and Lonnie Pitchford. Delta old timers Jack Owens, Bud Spires and Booker T. Laury also turn in fine, spirited performances. But for me the highlight is the attention given over to the more obscure "hill country" blues of north missisipi, featuring Jessie Mae Hemphill, R. L. Burnside and the late great Junior Kimbrough and his original juke joint in Holly Springs. Here the music extends from country blues to "drum and fife", a hypnotic musical form that predates blues all the way back to the revolutionary war, but which now faces extinction since the passing of Othar Turner (not featured here, but a close friend of Hemphill). The bonus items are very welcome, especially the extra performances by honkytonk genius Booker T. to the drunk audience comprised of Stuart and Palmer, and Lonnie Pitchford's demonstration of the diddly bow. Also included are extra audio tracks that were originally only available on the soundtrack album (now deleted).
This film helped to revive not just interest in country and acoustic blues in general, but the careers of all of the artists featured. This film is well shot, sounds great, and shares the passion and emotion of some great bluesmen and women. After this, try the "Feelin' Good" CD by Jessie Mae Hemphill. Not only is that a beautiful album, but Jessie's an invalid now who desperately needs the cash!
Simply The BestMeticulously researched, Palmer uses Muddy Waters as a jumping off point to explore the history and evolution of the blues as music as well as the society and culture from which it sprang. He peppers his work with amazing anecdotes, from the story of Robert Johnson, the Band meeting a dying Sonny Boy Williamson, an aging Howlin' Wolf giving a phenominal concert that add color to his story and helps make his frequent forays into musicology more tolerable to the non-musician. Best of all is the sense of time and place the book evokes, from plantations and dark swamps in rural Mississippi, to the noisy, crowed streets of South Chicago at the peak of the Great Migration, to small clubs and long forgotten juke-joints.
I read this book for the first time 10 years or so ago and have probably reread it 5 times since. I keep coming up with new things to admire about the book every time. That so much richness can be packed into such a short readable work is amazing. This book triumphs over everything else written on the subject and only leaves you wanting to explore further.
Sincerity!This is an earthy, funky and sincere look at some of the remnants of that period......the artists are stoned, they play a semi-tone away from the rest of the band,their equipment probably came from sears & roebuck ...but the end result is a raw, gritty and no-holds barred excursion into the basis of rock and roll! Hound Dog Taylor would've looked great also on this video (if he had still been around)
Check out the c.ds of these artists on the Fat Possum label.
If you wish to bypass B.B. King and his gold rings or Clapton and his Dolce & Gabana black suit then this IS the book/video for you!
In an undersea version of "Green Eggs and Ham," the persistent boy sponge discovers Squidward has never tasted a krabby patty and hounds him until an addiction is born. The patties are featured again in the final episode when restaurant owner Krabs insists on trying to sell a spoiled sandwich. Since no one will bite, Krabs does, leading to a near-death experience. In between, the tenacious sponge and his seastar sidekick Patrick lure aging superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (guest-voiced by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway) out of retirement to vanquish a maniac. In the remaining two stories, the "little square dude" has fun with a gum wrapper and later nearly suffocates in the air-filled home of Sandy the squirrel. Best for ages 4-12, but nothing more objectionable than vomit humor for younger siblings. --Kimberly Heinrichs
What can I say?
Spongebob is Back!!!The episode where Spongebob discovers that Squidward has never eaten let alone tasted a krabby patty. Spongebob hounds Squidward until he is addicted, and humor ensues from there.
In one episode, Spongebob and his faithful sidekick Patrick Star lure the retired superheros Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy out of the retirement home to fight "eeeeeevviill" characters off. Dirty Bubble makes an appearance in this episode.
In another episode, Spongebob has endless imaginary fun with a gum wrapper until Squidward becomes so annoyed that he gives everything he owns to Spongebob so he can play with the gum wrapper. This leads Squidward to find that it won't work for him, just Spongebob.
In the next episode, Spongebob visits Sandy's air-filled home only to find that he can't breathe once inside. Always remember "pinky up", which is the only advice Patrick has for Spongebob.
In another episode, Mr. Krabs insists on trying to sell a spoiled krabby patty. He insists that it is ok, but no will touch it so Krabs tries it for himself. This leads Mr Krabs to a near death experience, which is quite humorous.
In the next episode, Spongebob purchases a party planning kit. Spongebob annoys his guests by planning every minute of the party. Then he accidentally gets locked outside, but that's when the real party gets started inside.
In another episode, Spongebob is unwillingly appointed the task of hall monitor. Well, he takes his duties too seriously after he leaves school by disturbing life in Bikini Bottom. Needless to say, Mrs. Puff goes to jail again!
Next, Spongebob gets in a sand-sledding accident that requires extensive surgery. He is so upset by this that he refuses to leave his house for fear of getting hurt again. That is until a gorilla attacks Patrick and Sandy. Will it be Spongebob to the resque?
In another episode, Spongebob plans a very big Valentine's Day suprise for Patrick. Sandy is supposed to fly in the giant chocolate heart but chocolate-eating mollusks try to prevent Sandy from making the delivery. Meanwhile, Patrick terrorizes the Valentine's Day carnaval trying to guess what his present is. Nothing like a crazed seastar to make things interesting. Will it be Sandy to the rescue, or Patrick the crazed seastar destroying Bikini Bottom?
Remember, I am not sure of the order of these episodes but these are the ones that will appear on the DVD...I can't wait. I hope everyone is looking forward to this release as much as I am! I also heard that there is another Spongebob DVD set for a March release. If you are a fan or watching for the first time, get this DVD! It has to be the funniest cartoon that is out now and I know you won't be disappointed.
Now we've got MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy on DVD!
Cast members seemed to have hit their stride and played off one another more assuredly than before. For example, Odo's character took several additional interesting twists, especially in his relationship with Kira. Rene Auberjonois had a very good year, directing two episodes to boot. Avery Brooks had begun this trend with the previous year's penultimate show. The real surprise was seeing Jonathan Frakes's name working behind the camera on three occasions, because he also appeared on screen in his alternate rogue Riker role, when Thomas dramatically steals the Defiant. Other welcome cameos that aided the feeling of casual camaraderie included the return of Lwaxana Troi, as well as first appearances by Quark's mother, the spooky Founder Leader, the lovely Leeta, and the sneaky Eddington. Clint Howard--a cult Trek figure--was briefly welcomed back, and with the many faces of Jeffrey Combs another was born. Stories advanced the complicated Bajoran/Cardassian healing process, while simultaneously brewing potential conflicts far worse than the behind-the-scenes ratings war. --Paul Tonks
DS9 Season Three - The series suspense is building...I highly recommend this DVD set, the two previous seasons and the remaining four seasons, to any and all fans of Star Trek, especially those who didn't quite give DS9 a chance in its beginning because you will find that DS9 represents some of the best Star Trek to date.
Standout episodes of the season: (They all stand out, but space is limited)
The Search Parts I & II - As a grand conclusion to season two's "The Jem'Hadar" and setting up season three through seven in the "epic" of Deep Space Nine, these two episodes are extraordinary. It is from this point you know as a viewer that DS9 has a sense of purpose. Here we find out where Odo comes from and the terrible truth that revelation brings about.
The House of Quark - In this hilarious Quark episode, by a twist of fate, he becomes the head of a Klingon house. Robert O'Reilly makes a return as Gowron, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. This is another brilliant Ferengi/humor episode.
Equilibrium - In this extremely compelling and captivating episode, Jadzia begins having hallucinations for no apparent reason. Then it becomes clear that she may lose her symbiont, thus her life as well. She finds out that she has not been told of "every" host the Dax symbiont has had. The ending to episode is quite beautiful.
Second Skin - This episode epitomizes why DS9 is such an exceptional series! Kira is kidnapped and altered to appear as a Cardassian and told that she is a deep under cover agent of the Obsidian Order.
Defiant - In this poignant and ominous episode, Thomas Riker makes an appearance, hijacks the Defiant as part of a Maquis operation and then takes her to Cardassian territory intent on uncovering a large fleet of Cardassian warships he "believes" are preparing to head into the DMZ.
Past Tense Parts I & II - This two hour episode is quite possibly the most stunning and moving episode of the entire season. Sisko, Bashir and Dax attempt to transport to Starfleet Headquarters but due to unexpected circumstances are transported to the year 2024 in the midst of one of the most crucial historical reference points for Earth and the Federation.
Heart of Stone - This fascinating episode involves Kira and Odo making their way back to DS9 but they intercept a Maquis ship and follow it down to a moon in the hopes of capturing the solitary occupant. This episode is relatively important in lifting the vale on some of Odo's feelings.
Destiny - This episode is a perfect example of the beauty of the epic "saga" that is DS9 as it brings in Sisko's role as the Bajoran Emissary when the mission of trying to set up a communications array on the other side wormhole has been prophesized some three thousand years ago by a Bajoran prophet.
Prophet Motive - In this uproarious and brilliant Ferengi episode Grand Nagus Zek shows up on DS9 and he's totally rewritten the Rules of Acquisition towards a "not for profit" bent and Quark is beside himself with "grief."
Visionary - This is a brilliant O'Brien episode in which he unexpectedly finds himself time shifting around the station while at the same time, Romulans and Klingons are aboard.
Through the Looking Glass - This is another superb "Mirror, Mirror" episode that became a highly looked forward to annual episode of every season!
Improbable Cause & The Die is Cast - These episodes constitute two of the finest hours of Star Trek. Garak survives what is seemingly an "assassination" attempt and Odo steps in to investigate. Before long, we have the Obsidian Order, the Tal Shiar, the Jem'Hadar and Starfleet involved, setting up what will be the arc that carries this series.
Explorers - In this beautiful episode Sisko decides to build an Bajoran solar sailing vessel to prove that the Bajorans used these ships to get to Cardassia eight centuries earlier..
Family Business - This is another terrific and humorous Ferengi episode in which Quark is shut down by the Ferengi Commerce Authority because his "Moogie" has been earning profit and he must find a way to stop it or he'll be financially destroyed.
Facets - This brilliant episode involves Jadzia and her need to complete her "zhian'tara," a Trill ceremony where her friends temporarily receive the memories of her past hosts. This episode played wonderfully as the main characters assumed the roles of these past hosts.
The Adversary - In this exceptional season finale, Sisko is promoted to Captain and given the mission to attempt to stop a full scale war between the Federation and the Tzenkethi, or are they as they soon find that there is a changeling aboard the Defiant. The beauty of this episode plays out in the last scene. {ssintrepid}
Special Features:
The Birth of the Dominion and Beyond
Michael Westmore's Aliens - Season Three
Drew Dossier: Odo
Time Travel Files - "Past Tense"
Sailing Through The Stars: A Special Look at "Explorers"
8 "Hidden" Section 31 Files
Episode list:
The Search, parts I & II
The House of Quark
Equilibrium
Second Skin
The Abandoned
Civil Defense
Meridian
Defiant
Fascination
Past Tense, parts I & II
Life Support
Heart of Stone
Destiny
Prophet Motive
Visionary
Distant Voices
Through the Looking Glass
Improbable Cause
The Die is Cast
Explorers
Family Business
Shakaar
Facets
The Adversary
DS9 Gets DefiantWith the Dominion and Jem Ha'dar threats, hinted at in year two, Starfleet gives Sisko (Avery Brooks) a promotion to Captain (finally). He also gets to command the starship U.S.S. Defiant, docked at the station, this lean mean ship comes with a Romulan cloaking device. By giving the show its own starship, the producers were answering critics who felt the crew never went anywhere. The Search Part I & II starts the season as security chief Odo (Rene Auberjonois) learns the shocking truth of his origins. The two parter would continue to have an impact on the series until its conclusion 4 years later. Defiant saw the return of Enterprise First Officer Riker (Jonathan Frakes). In The House Of Quark station bartender Quark (Armin Shimmerman) gets involved in Klingon politics; While in Family Business, we get to meet his "moogie", or mother (Andrea Martin). The 2 parter Past Tense takes Sisko and crew back in time in a clever story. Major Kira (Nana Visitor) gets to face off against the Cardassians in Second Skin: she also loses a love and Bajor loses a spiritual leader in Life Support (my personal favorite from year 3). This forces the cunning Vedek Winn (the great Louise Fletcher) to return. Dax (Terry Farrell) loses her Equilibrium and fans of the character get to see her many Facets. Explorers allows Sisko to bond with his son (Cirroc Lofton) The season also sees the return of Trek vets Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) Gowron (Robert O'Reiley), Garak (Andrew Robinson), Tain (Paul Dooley), The Nagus (Wallace Shawn seen in Prophet Motive) and marks the first appearance of Dabo girl Leeta (Chase Masterson). This was a very busy year that ended with The Adversary, a great set up to year 4 Behind the scenes, the show's greatest boon in year 3, came in the form of former TNG writer Ronald D. Moore, coming on board as a writer producer. His respect for Trek is clear. He fit into the show like a baseball fits a glove.
The DVD box set features all 26 episodes of season three, as well as some solid extras. These extras are set up in the same fashion as the previous sets for the series. The featurette The Birth of the Dominion and Beyond is my favorite of this set. In it series Executive Producer Ira Steven Behr and others discuss the development of DS9's arch nemesis and how this impacted the series. There's also a look at award winning make-up man Michael Westmore's alien designs for season three. It includes a detailed look at Ferengis, Kira as a Cardassian, Bashir's aging process, and several dramatic changes for Odo The Crew Dossier this time out spotlights Odo. It features a "new", exclusive interview with Rene Auberjonois on his character The time travel 2 parter "Past Tense" is discussed The final featurette, entitled Sailing Through the Stars a look at "Explorers", allows for production designer Herman Zimmerman and others to talk about the creation of the award-winning ship design piloted by Siko and Jake, the episode, including rarely seen still photos and illustrations of the unique flier.
Season three has it all. Bold new changes greatly enhance the show. The cast seems more comfortable as well. Season 3 is a must have set if you are a fan of the show...if you are not, now is the time to give it a shot
A great viewMy favourite episodes are (in no particular order):
- THE SEARCH 1 & 2 (Odo meet his "family")
- THE HOUSE OF QUARK (very funny)
- SECOND SKIN (Kira's worst nightmare comes true)
- CIVIL DEFENSE (The look on Dukat's face halfway through the episode is priceless)
- DEFIANT (Tom Riker (from TNG's "SECOND CHANCES") steals the Defiant)
- PAST TENSE 1 & 2 (Great drama, great acting)
- VISIONARY (I always like stories dealing with time travel)
- DISTANT VOICES (A very surreal episode)
- THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (another mirror universe adventure. The Mirror Kira is one of my favourite characters)
- IMPROBABLE CAUSE/THE DIE IS CAST (Great acting by Andrew Robinson and René Auberjonois (Garak & Odo)
- FACETS (We "meet" all of Dax's former hosts, including Curzon)
- THE ADVERSARY (a very claustrophobic episode with a surprise ending)
The extra's are all in the same league with those of season 1 & 2, with a feature on the Dominion, ODO'S CREW DOSSIER, MICHAEL WESTMORE'S ALIENS and several hidden files.
If you are a fan, as I am, you will already have bought this. If you are not, you will soon be if you buy it.
Adding to the layers of ambiguity about Earth's (read: the producers') position over being at war, was the "outing" of two recurring characters as rebel activists. Lest we forget the homely/spiritual side of the Captain, time was spent with a future version of Jake, with his father (Brock Peters), and on the nature of his role as "the Emissary." Avery Brooks worked behind the camera a couple of times, but this year the surprise was LeVar Burton directing five shows. There was still time for comedy: the Ferengi warped back to Roswell in 1947 and Bashir played James Bond. But the year will be remembered predominately for its violence. One of the episodes Burton directed had its fight scenes drastically cut, while the series as a whole won an Emmy for its space battle effects.--Paul Tonks
Good and bad
Great viewingMy favourite episode are (in no particular order):
- THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR (great double-length episode with plenty of action)
- THE VISITOR (the best episode of this season, if not the whole series, great acting from Tony Todd, Avery Brooks and Cirroc Lofton)
- INDISCRETION (any episode with Kira and Dukat is good)
- LITTLE GREEN MEN (the head-banging scene is hilarious)
- OUR MAN BASHIR (A brilliant, deliberately over-the-top episode with a great musical score. Watch out for Garak's comments!)
- CROSSFIRE (the second best episode of this season. René Auberjonois is brilliant in portraying a man torn between his duty and his feelings)
- RETURN TO GRACE (another great Kira/Dukat episode)
- SONS OF MOGH (a terrific episode with Tony Todd, this time as Worf's brother Kurn)
- RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (A courtroom drama. I love the way this was filmed, with the characters speaking directly into the camera)
- HARD TIME (extraordinary acting by Colm Meaney)
- SHATTERED MIRROR (another visit to the mirror-universe. The scenes with Garak and Worf are very funny)
- TO THE DEATH (introduces Weyoun, played by the great Jeffrey Combs)
- THE QUICKENING (Bashir is taken down a peg or two)
- BROKEN LINK (the ending makes you beg for more, more, more)
The special features are good, especially MICHAEL WESTMORE'S ALIENS. watch WORF''S CREW DOSSIER carefully and you will notice that Michael Dorn does not have the same build as Worf (in a behind the scenes clip you see him wearing padding on his chest, arms and back!).
If you are a DS9 fan you will already have bought this season. If you are not, buy it now and you will be amazed.
One of the best seasonsIn The Way of the Warrior the Federation/Klingon alliance splinters. Hippocratic Oath deals with an unusual casualty of war--the slaves forced to fight it. Bashir tries to cure the Jem'Hadar of their addiction to "the white" against the wishes of fellow prisoner O'Brien. The Visitor is one of the most touching and emotionally powerful episodes written. Michael Taylor's story uses a convention that Kurt Vonnegut did in Slaugterhouse Five; Sisko becomes "unstuck in time". The only constant in is his reappearences is Jake. It's a beautifully realized script with nuanced performances from Tony Todd (who had auditioned for the role of Sisko)and Avery Brooks.
Dukat is further softened up as we discover he has a half Bajoran daughter he intends to rescue in Indescretion. He enlists a reluctant Kira to help. Though Dukat's edgy character is blunted somewhat, it adds further depth to a villan that was characteristic of DS9. The marvelous Marc Alaimo continues to amaze in this well designed episode. He's one of the most underappreciated character actors. In many respects, Indiscretion was clearly inspired by John Ford's classic western The Seachers. Rejoined allows DS9 to dip its toe in the sexuality of Trills. Dax meets a former lover and has a hard time resisting her attraction to this person. Well directed by Avery Brooks, Rejoined does what classic Trek does best--deal with difficult issues and emotions in a 45 minute episode of television. There are a number of other delightful, well written, directed and acted episodes included here.
Little Green Men was a bit too cute for me at first, but I've grown to like it over time. We finally find out the truth about Roswell and it ain't what you expect. Quark makes an early appearence on Earth and the script by Ira Steven Behr and writing partner Robert Hewitt Wolfe delightfully skewers America in 1947. While I'm not a huge fan of the "holosuite" adventures of the crew (their a bit too common and done a bit too often for my taste), Our Man Bashir is still a standout. It's a marvelous confection that tips its hat to Our Man Flint, the Bond films and Matt Helm. Ron Moore's script is on target and we discover that Avery Brooks would make a wonderful Bond villan. Are you listening MGM? Finally, Homefront demonstrates what DS9 and writer Behr & Wolfe always did best--create an atmosphere of paranoia and darkness in Roddenberry's optimistic future world. The shapeshifters are on Earth and they're quite busy undermining security. Or are they? Robert Foxworth (another great character actor)does a terrific turn as an Admiral that will use any excuse to seize power whether or not it really is in the Federation's best interest or not.
I can't comment on the discs because the set hasn't been released yet as of this writing. The DS9 sets have been improving with each set and, while the extras are nice, there's nothing like having the original episodes. My only complaint is that, again, no one was contacted to do any episodic commentary. There's no booklet to give an overview of the series episodes. I personally like the way B5 has included the previews for each episode from the original promos. These allow you to get an idea as to what each episode is about. In the absence of a booklet, these would do quite nicely as well although I doubt that Paramount will change the sets at this late date.
While many B5 fans complain that DS9 ripped off B5 (and I'm a B5 fan), it's not the actual concept of the series that matters. What matters is the quality of the acting, writing and directing of each individual episode and season. DS9, like B5, was an outstanding series even when compared to other mainstream television programs.
TENEBRE is considered by some Argento fans to be his masterpiece, and it's easy to see why; I bet Stephen King has seen this movie and could relate to it. The title refers to a murder mystery novel that is a best-seller and is being promoted in Rome by its author, Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa). Anyway, someone is on a murderous rampage seemingly inspired by the book (in fact, the first victim has the pages of the book stuffed in her mouth as she is knifed). TENEBRE is rich in symbolism and style; just check out that photography! The ending is one of the greatest horror movie endings of all time! And again, another great performance by Daria Nicolodi as the author's friend; John Saxon steals it as Neal's agent. You have got to see this movie, it will blow you away!
This limited edition 2-pack is the best way to own Dario Argento's greatest achievements! Both films are light years beyond any horror film made before, between, or after them. This is Dario Argento at his best; HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!