Lost Movie Reviews

I first saw this film at a small arts theater in Newburyport, Ma. in 1988. I was so taken by it that I returned the next three evenings to watch it again and again; it is that good. As soon as the film was released on VHS I purchased it, and it remains one of the treasures in my musical film library. Please, oh please, someone get this film transferred to DVD!

Let's Get Lost is one of the most haunting, visually evocative films ever made. It transcends genres. It is simply criminal that there is not a crystal clear, remastered dolby 5.1 surround version of this remarkable film on DVD! I would buy it for myself and send it as a gift to all my jazz and/or photographer friends!

A year after Chet Baker's tragic death, I remember watching, spellbound, Let's Get Lost, a video format documentary of Chet's life from a handsome, care-free young man in California playing lyrically on his horn to a gaunt-faced middle-aged man obviously ravaged by drugs but still performing with extra-ordianry brilliance only a few months away from his death. One of the most touching moments in the that documentary was a scene where his mother, wife and three kids gather in front of a record player listening to his recording of Blame It On My Youth. I am waiting for the release of a DVD format of this documentary which, sadly, is hard to find even in video format.

Mercedes Reuhel as an eccentric auntie and Irene Worth as miserable granny steal the show from nominal star Richard Dreyfuss. There's nothing wrong with Dreyfuss's performance, in fact he's very funny as a George Raft style gangster reined in by the domestic prison of his family. It's just that the aforementioned ladies are SO good that you are constantly watching them to see what they will do next.

This wartime story centres round two boys whose father sends them to live with their grandmother so he can repay a debt. There's an air of tragedy throughout this comic film. The debt is the hospital expenses of the boys' dead mother, and much of the film is spent dwelling on this and other deaths in the family. But Neil Simon does it so well, and the comedic moments do not in any way lessen the impact of the more melancholy scenes. The screenplay was adapted by Simon from his own play and it shows, with almost all scenes set in Grandma's house. But this does not detract from what is a very well made, enjoyable movie.

This briliant adaptation of the Neil Simon play was filmed on the very street where I live. Mercedes Rheul and Richard Dreyfuss are stunning in their roles as are 'grandma' and the boy. For me, the warm feelings are enhanced seeing familiar sites, but what stands out most of all is the characters and their touching humanity. The DVD version is a must see bringing more scope to what was already a wonderful film.

This movie was a wonderful movie version of Neil Simons play of the same name. Mercedes Reuhl as sweet if not simple Bella was stunning. Richard Dreyfuss played a classic fast-talking ganster. Jay and Arty were portrayed perfectly, while I was even afraid of the grandmother. The chillingly sad atmosphere of the play is brightened by Bella's never ending kindness and Arty's wonderful one liners.

Though not as true to the play as it could have been, for a movie adaption, it was very well done.

I originally saw Lost Empires on public broadcasting and it became one of my favorites, right up there with I Claudius and The Duchess of Duke Street. The cast is exceptional especially John Castle as Uncle Nick (why oh why do we so little of this wonderful, sexy actor?). The entire production is glorious, taking the viewer right back to the days of pre WWI.

What a pleasure to watch these dvds. The story flows and moves gracefully through each chapter. Firth is magnificent. Awards should have been given for this production. All the actors put so much into their performances. And to have Colin Firth narrating the entire story was music to my ears. We need more Colin Firth.

This one ranks up there with "Pride and Prejudice" for the true Firth fan! You must have it in your collection. Colin Firth is young in this one..but there are definite signs of the smoldering Darcy we all know and love. Best of all, he is in almost every scene...hours and hours of hot, hetero FIRTH! (By the way, when is somebody going to realize this guy sells movies to woman of all ages? Get him some good roles!!)

Three hours of the best damned television movies ever! I wish all television were as good as the first several _Hercules: The Legendary Journeys_ television movies and regular television seasons. The stories are simple and hackneyed, but the production is beyond comparison and just keeping a straight face while delivering the hammy lines is all anyone could expect of any actor or actress. Camp this deadpan does not exist outside of this series, except perhaps in pro wrestling. This, however, is much more interesting and slightly less homoerotic, and it's set against sublime natural backgrounds in New Zealand, er, I mean, "Greece". In my opinion, buffoonery gets no better than this.

This DVD contains the first two Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Movie Episodes. When it comes to episode television released onto DVD or VHS I'm a big fan of Continuity. Especially if several episodes are to be put on one disc or tape, I don't go for the bologna that Columbia House does with 3 or 4 episodes on one VHS in no particular order with 3 different episodes from 3 different seasons. I'm glad that Universal began releasing the Hercules DVDs right with the episodes on the same disc being in date aired order. The VHS versions are only one episode per tape, so even though the DVD is "bare bones" you get the bonus of having two episodes. Plus they have the original openings to the episodes, very often in home versions the original opening credits have conformed to whatever was used when the show hit syndication, so often times episodes from the first season will look funky with credits that show sequences from later seasons. Before becoming a regular series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys series started as part of Universal Studio's "Action Pack" series of television shows in 1994 (Shown in syndication on many stations that would become UPN stations). Shows that were part of the "Action Pack" were shown in a rotating basis. There were six shows in the rotation thus, they were an Action Six Pack. While Hercules was the most successful of the pack, by turning into a regular series and spinning off two series (Xena: Warrior Princess & Young Hercules) and an animated movie (Hercules & Xena: The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus) other "Action Pack" shows included: Tekwar starring Greg Evigan (My Two Dads) based on the William Shatner "Tek" Novels. It was the next popular/successful of the pack. The Vanishing Son (Then Vanishing Son II, III & IV. Each movie appears to have been assigned a number.), Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap) appears in The Vanishing Son II. Bandit (episodes titled "Bandit and...") based on the popular Burt Renoylds "Smoky and the Bandit" movies but this version bombed even with the lovely supermodel Kathy Ireland in "Beauty and the Bandit" in an attempt to raise ratings and attract that very sought after teen to mid-thirties male audience. I also thought that Kung Fu - The Legend Continues was part of this "Pack" but I'm not so sure. But I digress. Since this DVD has two episodes on it I've broken down my review into two sections, to give my opinions on BOTH episodes.

EPISODE ONE: HERCULES AND THE AMAZON WOMEN "Hercules It's a Woman" Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his best friend/sidekick Iolaus (Michael Hurst) are asked to help a village that is being attacked by mysterious "Beasts". These "Beasts" turn out to be female "Amazon" warriors. Lead by their Queen Hippolyta played by Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) who is deceived by and later possessed by Hera, Hercules' evil mother and queen of the Greek gods. Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) appears as Lysia the Amazon Queens' second in command. Hippolyta and her Amazons faithfully obey Hera. The Amazons have separated themselves from the men across the river they were previously their husbands and lovers. Hera has told them basically that Men are Dogs and are only good for procreation. For several years, it is unclear exactly how many, the Amazons have been ritually attacking the men for the purpose of procreation. "The Rules are No small talk...just sex". Female babies are raised as Amazons and the male offspring, are left by the river for the men to raise. Hercules of course saves the day but at a very high cost, a cost so high he pleads his case to his father Zeus "King of the Gods" played by Anthony Quinn. Zeus of course... well that would be telling now wouldn't it?

EPISODE TWO: HERCULES AND THE LOST KINGDOM "If you're trying to sacrifice yourself to the Sea God... He's not home." Hercules while searching for the Lost City of Troy, meets a girl named Deianeira played by Renee' O'Connor (Gabrielle in Xena: WP) who's trying to fulfill her destiny as a sacrifice to the Gods. They encounter along the way a slave named Waylin played by Robert Trebor (Salmoneus in later episodes). Hercules at last reaches Troy, which has been taken over by "The Blue Cult" a flock of Hera worshipers. Hercules with the help of Waylin and the people of Troy, the former occupants, reclaims the city and as a bonus good deed, which is a thorn in Hera's side, He saves Deianeira from Hera's clutches. OK! Now, the real reason you read the above synopsis in the first place. This DVD is wonderful. First off I'd like to remind fans of the WIDESCREEN format that this DVD is in the FULL SCREEN format because it was made for TV, so it's full screen, but not Pan & Scan, you ain't missing anything. I mentioned before in the intro of this review that this disc is a bare bones disc, the extras they have are cast bios of Kevin Sorbo and Anthony Quinn, but that is about it for the extras. The video quality is superb, I'm so used to seeing Hercules episodes either fresh off the air broadcast quality or from cheesy VHS copies it's nice to see how it's meant to be seen. The sound quality is also very good, in fact there were a few places when I thought some ambiance sound was coming from either outside or another room in the house. Both episodes were equal in quality for both picture and sound. If there had been a major difference I would have to have rated them individually and given the average for the overall rating. But since they were both equal I can rate the whole disc as one. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - The Amazon Women/The Lost Kingdom is a wonderful adventure, make it two wonderful adventures. They might not be the best of the entire series but they are in the upper half of the pack. The campiness is only very slight in these stories and it's not loaded down with puns like some Hercules episodes have been known for. Fanatics of the Hercules/Xena series can count this as a MUST HAVE.

This DVD contains the first two Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Movie Episodes. When it comes to episode television released onto DVD or VHS I'm a big fan of Continuity. Especially if several episodes are to be put on one disc or tape, I don't go for the bologna that Columbia House does with 3 or 4 episodes on one VHS in no particular order with 3 different episodes from 3 different seasons. I'm glad that Universal began releasing the Hercules DVDs right with the episodes on the same disc being in date aired order. The VHS versions are only one episode per tape, so even though the DVD is "bare bones" you get the bonus of having two episodes (three in the case of the Xena Trilogy Episodes, which I plan to review in the near future). Plus they have the original openings to the episodes, very often in home versions the original opening credits have conformed to whatever was used when the show hit syndication, so often times episodes from the first season will look funky with credits that show sequences from later seasons.

Before becoming a regular series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys series started as part of Universal Studio's "Action Pack" series of television shows in 1994. Shows that were part of the "Action Pack" were shown in a rotating basis. There were six shows in the rotation thus, they were an Action Six Pack. While Hercules was the most successful of the pack, by turning into a regular series and spinning off two series (Xena: Warrior Princess & Young Hercules) and an animated movie (Hercules & Xena: The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus) other "Action Pack" shows included:

Tekwar starring Greg Evigan (My Two Dads) based on the William Shatner "Tek" Novels. It was the next popular/successful of the pack.

The Vanishing Son (Then Vanishing Son II, III & IV. Each movie appears to have been assigned a number.), Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap) appears in The Vanishing Son II.

Bandit (episodes titled "Bandit and...") based on the popular Burt Renoylds "Smoky and the Bandit" movies but this version bombed even with the lovely supermodel Kathy Ireland in "Beauty and the Bandit" in an attempt to raise ratings and attract that very sought after teen to mid-thirties male audience.

I also thought that Kung Fu - The Legend Continues was part of this "Pack" but I'm not so sure. This rotation system idea was used by NBC in 1979 with a very short-lived series called "Cliffhangers". The series was an unsuccessful attempt to bring back the "serials" format of the 1930's and '40's. Each week, three episodes of three different stories were shown, unfortunately only one complete story was aired, so in a frustrating the series lived up to it's title "Cliffhangers". The stories included:

"Stop Susan Williams" later renamed "The Girl who saved the world" and aired in it's entirety on USA Network. It starred Susan Anton, helping launch her acting career, and Ray Walston.

"The Secret Empire" in which a 19th century cowboy falls into a chasm and lands in a high tech futuristic (21st or 22nd century) city.

"The Curse of Dracula" (AKA: Dracula 79) Dracula brought to the modern day. It was the only story of the series to have all its episodes aired.

I believe there were a few more stories lined up, and upon completion of the Dracula story I believe a forth story was started. But I digress.

HERCULES AND THE AMAZON WOMEN (1 hr 31 min)

"Hercules It's a Woman"

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his best friend/sidekick Iolaus (Michael Hurst) are asked to help a village that is being attacked by mysterious "Beasts". These "Beasts" turn out to be female "Amazon" warriors. Lead by their Queen Hippolyta played by Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) who is deceived by and later possessed by Hera, Hercules' evil mother and queen of the Greek gods. Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) appears as Lysia the Amazon Queens' second in command. Hippolyta and her Amazons faithfully obey Hera. The Amazons have separated themselves from the men across the river they were previously their husbands and lovers. Hera has told them basically that Men are Dogs and are only good for procreation. For several years, it is unclear exactly how many, the Amazons have been ritually attacking the men for the purpose of procreation. "The Rules are No small talk...just sex". Female babies are raised as Amazons and the male offspring, are left by the river for the men to raise. Hercules of course saves the day but at a very high cost, a cost so high he pleads his case to his father Zeus "King of the Gods" played by Anthony Quinn. Zeus of course... well that would be telling now wouldn't it?

HERCULES AND THE LOST KINGDOM (1 hr 31min)

"If you're trying to sacrifice yourself to the Sea God... He's not home."

Hercules while searching for the Lost City of Troy, meets a girl named Deianeira played by Renee' O'Connor (Gabrielle in Xena: WP) who's trying to fulfill her destiny as a sacrifice to the Gods. They encounter along the way a slave named Waylin played by Robert Trebor (Salmoneus in later episodes). Hercules at last reaches Troy, which has been taken over by "The Blue Cult" a flock of Hera worshipers. Hercules with the help of Waylin and the people of Troy, the former occupants, reclaims the city and as a bonus good deed, which is a thorn in Hera's side, He saves Deianeira from Hera's clutches.

OK! Now, the real reason you read the above synopsis in the first place. This DVD is wonderful. First off I'd like to remind fans of the WIDESCREEN format that this DVD is in the FULL SCREEN format because it was made for TV, so it's full screen, but not Pan & Scan, you ain't missing anything. I mentioned before in the intro of this review that this disc is a bare bones disc, the extras they have are cast bios of Kevin Sorbo and Anthony Quinn, but that is about it for the extras.

Run Time: 182 minutes (2 x 1hr 31 minutes) Region 1 Layers: Dual Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) Available subtitles: Spanish, French, English (captions) • Color, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound Format: Original Full Screen (Made for TV).

The video quality is superb, I'm so used to seeing Hercules episodes either fresh off the air broadcast quality or from cheesy VHS copies it's nice to see how it's meant to be seen. The sound quality is also very good, in fact there were a few places when I thought some ambiance sound was coming from either outside or another room in the house. Both episodes were equal in quality for both picture and sound. If there had been a major difference I would have to have rated them individually and given the average for the overall rating. But since they were both equal I can rate the whole disc.

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - The Amazon Women/The Lost Kingdom is a wonderful adventure, make it two wonderful adventures. They might not be the best of the entire series but they are in the upper half of the pack. The campiness is only very slight in these stories and it's not loaded down with puns like some Hercules episodes have been known for. Fanatics of the Hercules/Xena series can count this as a MUST HAVE.

what a awesome dvd !! well to start this is basiclly a different version of the "in god we trust album" that was recorded 3 months before the one that was released .these tapes were originaly damaged so they recorded the album ep again.so with some modern technology they fix the problem .so now we end up here twenty years later are fresher versions of the songs and some kind of remastering that acually makes it 5.1 sound .along with the audio clips you get to see them play the songs live how could ya get any better than that.these guys were in there prime and really showing you there punk craft as one of the best bands at the time.so also as a bonus there are some really wild concert performances from all "in god we trust"songs spanning a 7 year period .some shot really good some shot with a blind camera guy{back when no one recorded seriously) so if ya want to see a piece of punk rock history this is the best one this year!!!!

If your a DK fan " BUY THIS DVD "

The first part of this dvd is in the studio in 1981, and shows what it's like making a punk rock record back in the day. The 2nd part is live videos from 1979-86. I really dug the live videos ( some come from old bootlegs ) but still hold up like they were shot yesterday. The songs are only from the IN GOD WE TRUST , INC album, so no songs from bedtime, frankenchrist, P.S.D.or fresh fruit but who cares, this dvd is better than The early years & DMPO. I just hope that there are more DK dvd like this on the way!!!

thanks klaus, dh & ray for putting this out!

ps look for jello fighting during the live video of " we've got a bigger problem" crazy stuff!

OK, so Rickles has a limited appeal (at best)--so what! While it's pretty ponderous (I wish I wouldn't spit when I say that), "Night Train To Madrid" is interesting, if for no other reason than to see Don Rickles play a character, rather than himself. Rickles started out as an actor, and while he's no slouch, the episode does drag. It appears evident that Culp and Cosby weren't too thrilled about the script; they lack their customary energy, and the whole thing seems like a collective shrug of the shoulder.

Now then, onto the good stuff. "Little Boy Lost" is a swell episode, even though the bad guys are wearing suits in a Santa Monica amusement park (!), and you can spot 'em a mile away. Welllll, it's 1966 entertainment, folks, so deal with it and look beyond the small stuff. In this episode, Kelly is less a womanizer than he is an idealist (he argues the virtues of "The Federalist" over "Das Kapital," thereby blowing his carnal chances with a shapely blonde spy), but loses none of his appeal as a charmer in the face of danger ("Hi there! How're things on your side??"). All in all it's not bad, and the Chayefsky-esque ending is a scream.

"Casanova From Canarsie" is fluff, pure and simple, but it's pretty funny, and allows Culp to stretch out his comedic talents. Cosby maintains an air of mock dignity a la Oliver Hardy throughout, perfectly consistent with the character of Alexander Scott. On the whole, a nice offering.

Ah, but "Cops and Robbers"--the best is saved for last. This episode marks one of Bill Cosby's finest performances, and with an intelligient subtlety explores the depth of his friendship with Kelly. Clearly, by the end of 1966, Cosby had perfected the character of a man who is both cool and complex. True, Jim Brown and his henchman are casted as the stereotypical badman and his psychotic assistant, but I will presume that this was done to illustrate the stark contrasts between the villains and the controlled intelligience of Robinson and Scott. After all, there's alot of ground to cover 51 minutes, and the "I Spy" team pulls it off quite well. I'd give this disc 4 1/2 stars.

Oh, by the way, the video image is superb throughout this disc, although I did notice that the soundtrack seemed muted, particularly on "Cops and Robbers." Still, this is a superb disc, and well worth the pittance it costs to experience a fine television series at the peak of its powers.

This is not so much a review as to tell which episodes are on this DVD. Little Boy Lost (of course) with Ron Howard as a misunderstood boy who steals a piece of equiptment to get noticed by his too-busy Dad.

Casanova From Canarsie with Wally Cox as a government file clerk who becomes the target of a spy because of what he knows about the U.S. nuclear program.

Night Train to Madrid with Don Rickles as an obnoxious entertainer in a USO show.

Cops and Robbers (a boyhood friend of Scott's tries to use the relationship to get top-secret data).

DANGER WILL ROBISON, DANGER! If the folks at 20th Century Fox are listening I am sure there are other fans like me standing in line for the first season on DVD. I very much welcome the idea of the othr two seasons on DVD as well. I was 9 years old when the show came out and never missed a single episode. I built a model of the Robot, lost it and have replaced it with new one as well purchased a new one of Dr. Smith. I have found 12 episodes including the pilot on VHS, but I would much more prefer a complete collection on DVD. I can't wait to see if Fox will comply with this.

IF YOU'RE A LOST IN SPACE FAN I KNOW YOUR'RE LIKE ME YOU CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE RELEASE DATE OF 1-13-04 FOR LOST IN SPACE ON DVD. THIS WILL BE JUST THE FIRST SEASON, SO ALL LOST IN SPACE FANS NEED TO BE SURE AN GET THE WORD OUT TO BUY SEASON ONE SO THAT 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME VIDEO WILL BE SURE TO RELEASE ALL 83 EPISODES. THE PICTURE QUALITY IS SO MUCH BETTER ON THE DVD FORMAT, AND AMAZON IS OFFERING THE SEASON ONE BOX SET AT A VERY FAIR PRICE.

BRAD

Well I cannot believe this! At last Lost In Space the TV Series out on DVD. It would never get to us here in the United Kingdom so Ive ordered a copy of this fantastic series from Amazon. As a boy I used to look forward to every Thursday on ATV Midlands, my sister watched Blue Peter....boring...and I watched LIS in my bedroom, I was only around 7 or 8. I urge FOX to release season 2 & 3 soon...CANT WAIT!!! Just look forward to 2004 and maybe FOX could release TIME TUNNEL & VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, LAND OF THE GIANTS?

A VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER FROM THE UK!

EEEEEEEEEEEE~!! *grin* I have to admit, when I first saw Weiss Kreuz, I wasn't that impressed. But the second DVD has begun the process of devloping a plot. *gaspith* Yes! The "P" word! In this DVD we get the first glance of Schwarz (SCHU-KUN~!! EEEE! *faints*) and get to meet Schrient. (TOT OWNS!! ..don't ask..) It leaves off with a cliff hanger, however, so if you don't want to rip out your hair and scream by the end of the DVD, you might want to order DVD #3. The outtakes are great~! A must see. *nudge, nudge* All in All...a wonderful anime and one of my all time favs.^^

This series is just so awesome. I know, it's no Cowboy Bebop or Lain, but this really is a great time. Even despite flaws in its execution, it's turned out to be one of my absolute favorite shows.

It's the characters, their personalities and motivations, that draw you in. Playboy Youji, cheerful Omi, temperamental Ken, and, of course, icicle Aya. (All I can say is, an animated character has no right looking as beautiful as Aya does... Just something about those eyes... Bishounen fans, eat your hearts out. ^_^)

The music is awesome. Check out the opening theme "Velvet Underground", and the closing theme "Beautiful Alone". First time I heard "Beautiful Alone", I hated it. But listening to it a few more times really made it grow on me, and now I love it. Also, there's one BGM that's so stellar, it just catches your attention instantly. It's in the second episode, near the end... you'll know what I'm talking about if you decide to watch the show.

Then, of course, there's the animation. As I'm sure you've read if you've looked at other reviews, it's not too great, even by TV standards. Sometimes when I watch it, I really wonder what a gem it would have been if a little more money would have been spent on it. Watch the OVA's for better animation, I hear (I haven't seen them yet).

It's not that the animation is terrible. Not at all. Many shots really are beautiful, and a lot of pains were taken to make sure the main characters always look good. But some of the fight scenes are not as spectacular as other, more financially-backed anime.

But really, even despite the somewhat lacking animation, this show has really stolen my heart. If you want an anime that has a good plot, (it picks up in DVD 2), and you really don't mind low-cell-count fight scenes as long as there are a lot of pretty boys to ogle (^_~) and intriguing personalities to unravel, then BUY this anime. You won't regret it.

By the way, watch the subtitled version. The seiyuu (voice actors), for the four leads especially, are just so perfect for their roles, there's really no need to venture away from the subtitled version. Don't touch the dubbed version with a ten-foot pole... except to watch the "outtakes". Those are absolutely hilarious.

I'm so glad I found this. I've been having trouble finding WK for sale in Canada, but it was well worth the hunt. *snickers* I love the outtakes, especially the ones where they manage to stay in character the whole time (Persia).
Now that the foundation has been laid, the story can be built. And built is has been. *cue the sinister music* But I won't spoil it: find out for yourself. THE BEST!

Out of the 5 Spongebob DVDs, this is my personal favorite. To each their own, but this collection has me laughing non stop from first episode to last, my favorite episode being "Bubble Buddy" but the rest are just as great. The episodes are as follows (1) - THE SPONGE WHO COULD FLY is a double length episode, starting off with Patchy the Pirate and his parrot trying to find the 'lost episode' and their juvenile hijinks until they find it, and the episode is where Spongebob tries to find various ways to fly, but fails, until a hair dryer inflates his pants. Everyone in Bikini Bottom wants Spongebob to do favors for them that they normally can't do because of his abilities to fly, and they abuse the favors, while Spongebob is trying to hurry so he can fly with the jellyfish, which is his original intent. (2) - PLANKTON is another episode featuring Mr. Krabs enemy, who tries to steal the Krabby Patty formula. Plankton tries to befriend Spongebob, and fails, so he implants a brain control device into Spongebobs head while he's asleep, and takes him to the Chum Bucket. Will Plankton get the secret formula? Find out for yourself. (3) - BOATING SCHOOL is about Spongebob trying to get his boating license with his instructor Mrs. Puff. Spongebob fails repeatedly, so he and Patrick devise a scheme that could possibly help him finally receive the license - by stuffing a radio talker into Spongebobs head. (4) - SUDS is the episode where Spongebob becomes ill and Sandy has to take him to the hospital. Patrick tries to scare Spongebob into not going because of the fate that awaits him with his doctor visit. (5) - MERMAIDMAN AND BARNACLE BOY 2 is about Spongebob and Patricks heros once again. Spongebob wins the magic conch from the Mermaidman show and has the power to call upon his heros in time of need. This is one of the funniest episodes ever. (6) - THE CHAPERONE is about Pearl (Mr. Krabs daughter) being stood up for her prom, and Mr. Krabs makes Spongebob be her new date. He gives himself a makeover and tries his best to keep a good reputation for Pearl. (7) - Bubble Buddy is my personal favorite. Patrick and Sandy are out of town, so Spongebob tries ways to create a new friend to occupy his time, and eventually creates Bubble Buddy. Spongebob takes Bubble Buddy everywhere, drives Squidward nuts at the Krusty Krab, pays for their meal with "Bubble Money", insults and peeves off everyone at Bikini Bottom, so everyone surrounds Spongebob and his friend with sewing needles to end the madness for good. (8) - YOUR SHOE'S UNTIED is about Patrick buying a new pair of shoes, but doesn't know how to tie them. He asks Spongebob for help, and even Spongebob forgets how to tie the shoes after untying his own shoelaces. This stresses Spongebob so bad, that he goes to work and everywhere tripping over his shoelaces and walking funny, until he remembers how. (9) - PREHIBERNATION WEEK is the week before Sandy goes into hibernation, and Spongebob offers to spend time with her. Little does he know that Sandy wants to spend her last few days playing extreme sports, from finding the hay in the needle stack, to riding a bike in the industrial park to playing a round of extreme jacks, this is another of the best episodes on this collection. Overall, this is a riotous collection and not to be missed by Spongebob fans. Probably one of the best collections so far. I also recommend the Halloween collection.

THIS DVD IS THE BEST DVD IN MY SPONGEBOB DVD SET ,&I HAVE ALL 5 DVD"S RELEASED. THE SPECIAL FEATURES ARE AUDIO COMMENTARY ,STORYBOARDS ,AND 7 SPONGEBOBS LIFE STRATEGIES. EPISODES-THE SPONGE WHO COULD FLY,PLANKTON,BOATING SCHOOL,SUDS,MM&BB2,THE CHAPERONE,BUBBLE BUDDY ,YOUR SHOE IS UNTIED,AND PREHIBERNATION WEEK.

SponGE BoB SqarE PANTS is A Great ShoW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IVE alwayS WAtCHEd it bUT HAve NeVeR sEEn tHe losT EpiSOde. SO i Bought IT and CRACked UP. BUt My DaD lIckED it TOo. I'N ThAt grEAT. But alSO THEir IZ PlANktOn (i donT rEALLy lIkE THat 1) "BoaTIng ScHoOl" wiLL He EvER pASS thE EXAM? "SUds" HE NEeds to get over his dreaded sickness but PatRICK doesNT heLP, "MERmaidMAN anD BARnicle BOy II", HE Wins the CONCh SigNAL Which TELLS MERmaid maN AND BArnicle boy WHere DAnGeR is, "THE ChAperone" MR. kraBS'S daughter Pearl CANt fINd a daTE foR HeR 1st PRom So SponGE BoB GOes w/ anD MAKEs it A DISaster, "BUbble BUDDy" No one wiLL PLAy SO SPonGE BOb MAkes A FRIend What A tERRIble Idea!! "YOUr SHOEs UntieD" PatRICk GEts nEW shOes aND aSKs SPonGE BOb to TEAch hiM HoW to TIE them nOW spONge BOb is IN TErriBle Condition CUz HE CAnt TIe HIs oWN, "PReHIberNATion WEek" SANdy's AbOUT To HIbernate and SPonGE deCIDEs to GIVe Up his X-Tra timE tO HeR But HIDEs in FEAr becaUSE The GAmeS R to TOugH. SO AS U can C thIS is A Great dVd.

I love this series of DVD's. But I wish that there was more of the talkies available on these. Perhaps they do not fit into the "Lost" category.

Can someone please tell me what that gray square on the bottom right of the screen during some of the movies is? Habeas Corpus has it.

Volume 5 of "The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy" presents more "silent" classics from the late 1920s. "Wrong Again," a 1929 two-reeler directed by Leo McCarey, has Laurel & Hardy as a pair of stable hands who hear that the "Blue Boy" as been stolen and their is a huge reward. Of course it is the famous painting by Gainsborough that has been stolen, but the boys think it is the horse of the same name from their stable. When they go to the millionaire's home to claim their reward, the boys are instructed to bring Blue Boy in and put is on the piano: so they do. "Wrong Again" is another one of those early sound efforts where the record has been lost and we are left with the silent version. Consequently the pacing on this one seems off because the action is matching sound cues that no longer exist. "Habeas Corpus" is one of the best Laurel & Hardy two-reelers, also directed by McCarey. The set up this time around is simple enough: mad scientist Richard Carle has hired to the boys to steal bodies from a cemetery for his experiments. The end result is much more slapstick than we usually find with Stan and Ollie. My favorite is when the body in the bag is still alive and starts walking on its own. A first-rate two-reeler from the boys.

If you want to get technical, the first film in which both Laurel and Hardy appeared was "Forty-Five Minutes from Hollywood," a 1926 two-reeler that featured virtually every player under contract to Hal Roach including dinosaurs. In fact, Stan Laurel appears with an enormous mustache (a double for Jimmy Finlayson is my guess). However 1927's "Duck Soup," directed by Fred Guilo, has the distinction of being the first film in which you can really say Laurel & Hardy were a team. Stan and Ollie are a bit down on their luck and avoid the constable by stumbling onto the estate of a local millionaire. There they assume disguises as the master of the house and his maid. This is the least of the four comedies on this disc, but has "historical" importance. "Leave 'Em Laughing" is a 1928 film directed by Clyde Buckman but "supervised" by Leo McCarey with the story credit going to Hal Roach. This is the classic one where Laurel has a toothache and Hardy drags him to the dentist. After exposure to the "laughing gas," the boys cause a traffic jam and drive cop Edgar Kennedy to distraction. The solo shorts tacked on this time around are Hardy with Charley Chase in 1927's "Fluttering Hearts," and Laurel with James Finlayson in "Short Kilts" from 1924, which makes some interesting use of sound effects. Volume 5 is one of the better collections in the series.

I started collecting Laurel & Hardy films in 8 mm. back in the 1960s. Today, the video and sound qualities are better than ever and Volume 5 of the so-called Lost Films of L & H series in DVD is an absolute must for true fans. Among the many treats is the first "team" film, DUCK SOUP, that turns out to be the predecessor of their 1930 talkie, Another Fine Mess. In both cases, the plot - by Stan's father no less - gets in the way. But here, in DUCK SOUP, the Stan and Ollie characters are only partially developed and they just don't seem much like the Laurel & Hardy we know and love - sort of the way they became later in those awful 1940s films for Fox and MGM when they just didn't act like themselves.

Another highlight is the Charley Chase film, FLUTTERING HEARTS, that had me wondering why Hal Roach never gave him a chance in feature films during the sound era. This film is a surprise bonus if you expected to find only Laurel & Hardy.

The picture quality varies from very good to stunning. For whatever reason, WRONG AGAIN seems derived from two different sources. Various shots in the same scene will be sharp as a tack while others will appear soft. If there is one shortcoming, it's in the liner notes that should tell us more about the film sources. In both HABEAS CORPUS and SHORT KILTS, a small white box in the lower right of the screen is apparently hiding some logo; I suspect it's a cable station. But I'm just carping. It's a great DVD release and I had a ball.