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Family movie reviews for "Don" sorted by average review score:
Avengers '66: Vol. 3
Released in DVD by A & E Entertainment (31 August, 1999)
Chicken runs, rounds of Russian roulette, and teetering on ledges are for "thrill-starved teenagers," observes gentleman spy John Steed (Patrick Macnee), and not for distinguished soldiers with chests full of battle honors. So why is a corps of army elite acting "like irresponsible beatniks"? Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) meet "The Danger Makers" in a thrilling episode from the fourth season of The Avengers, directed by A Fish Called Wanda's Charles Crichton. Hold your breath during Mrs. Peel's harrowing initiation into the organization that Steed refers to as "Death Wish, Incorporated," and cock an eyebrow at Steed's provocative suggestion that Mrs. Peel impress the ringleader, a phrenologist, by showing him her "bumps" (Macnee's double take at his own innuendo is priceless). This DVD also includes the episode "A Touch of Brimstone," in which Steed and Emma are put up for membership in the Hellfire Club, whose practical jokes mask a plot to stage "a coup so outrageous the whole country will be up in arms." One Avengers-appreciation Web site ranks this among the top 10 of the Emma Peel era. Reason enough: the too-hot-for-American-television "Night of All Sins" sequence, during which Mrs. Peel reigns as Queen of Sin. Monty Python fans: that's Carol Cleveland as the insatiable Sara. In "What the Butler Saw," someone is leaking defense secrets to "the other side." While gentleman spy Steed goes undercover as a butler to locate the culprit, Mrs. Peel launches "Operation Fascination" to attract the attention of the womanizing prime suspect, Captain Miles. About to meet him for drinks, she is memorably advised by Steed, "Don't do anything I would do." Two notable bits: for security purposes, three defense officials zip themselves up in a ridiculous giant plastic body bag that anticipates Get Smart's Cone of Silence; and Mrs. Peel flees from a pursuer through a succession of doors used to train butlers, a scene echoed in Sam Raimi's Crimewave. --Jenny Brown
Average review score: 
The Danger Makers and other great Episodes1966 was a great year. 'The Avengers" was a popular 1960's British fantasy-adventure series that focused on the exploits of a male-female duo in the service of the British government. The series underwent several changes of its female lead but its one constant male lead was John Steed always portrayed by the debonair Patrick Macnee (Originally the John Steed had two male partners but that format eventually changed). Kathy Gale portrayed by Honor Blackman became Steed's first female partner. However, when Honor Blackman departed the series and Diana Rigg entered as Mrs. Emma Peel, the show became an international sensation. Rigg brought sophistication, wit, charm and beauty, which hid her lethal and highly visual judo and karate abilities. Macnee and Rigg complemented each other beautifully with their carefree witty and charming exchange of dialogue. The show distinguished itself with bizarre and futuristic villains and fantastic plots. Popular at the height of the James Bond craze, the show was able to distinguish itself with its simply over-the-top visual style. Laurie Johnson's catchy and sophisticated main title theme matched the visuals of the show and still conjures up an image of the series when listened to today. When Diana Rigg left the series, Linda Thorson entered as John Steed's new partner Tara King. The series soon went off the air in the United States. It was a shame because the episodes with Tara King were quite good. The King episodes seemed to be a little more down to earth and contained some very good writing and intricate plotting. In any event series definitely left its mark amongst the finest. These DVD copies are gorgeous and 1966 volume 3 is one of the best.
Steel Leather and an UmbrellaIf you relish a series like "Honey West," "T.H.E. Cat" or "77 Sunset Strip" you no doubt know about the content of what you are getting. You are more likely concerned about the quality of the product. Like John might say to Emma, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch your back. Just watch the hat please." John and Emma are back and are here to stay via DVD technology. Being on DVD, the aesthetics about the actual episodes are not in question here. More appropriately one may ask how they look. They look good, very good. Thank Mother because they are much better than the Sean Connery film.
You may find this offer a PeelingYou can look up the individual reviews. This collection will either bring back old memories or create some new old memories. However you will have friends and relatives that will want to remember Mother (Patrick Newell.) A single case makes the movies easier to keep track of and look better on your video storage wall. Being DVDs this is a one-time investment. Buying them individually can add up in shipping and handling. So as Emma says "Always keep your bowler on in time of stress, and watch out for diabolical masterminds." And buy the collection. Also available is Avengers '67 Set 1 Vol 02 (1966).
Avengers '67 Set 1 Vol 02
Released in DVD by A & E Entertainment (16 March, 1999)
Philip Levene wrote the first episode on this DVD, "The See-Through Man," in which a discredited inventor (the delightful Roy Kinnear) sells his formula for invisibility and John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Mrs Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) believe enemy agents may be using it. Not one of the pantheon episodes, "The See-Through Man" is still quite enjoyable, particularly in its tag scene, which finds our hero and heroine pushing Steed's old Rolls after it fails to start. "The Bird Who Knew Too Much" is a Brian Clemens story in which Steed and Mrs. Peel find carrier pigeons equipped with tiny cameras used to photograph top-secret missile bases. The photography theme extends to some comic moments in which Steed and Mrs. Peel both do a little posing for a fashion cameraman, but there is also some fun with a parrot named Captain Crusoe, who at one point requests political asylum. Also on this DVD is "The Winged Avenger," a truly crafty piece of work by writer Richard Harris, with good tongue-in-cheek references to the influence of comic-book culture on 1960s television. A number of ruthless men are being ripped apart and killed by an unknown assailant, the only clue being that their murders seem to have been predicted in recent comic strips featuring a Batman-like superhero named the Winged Avenger. The zippy climax finds Mrs. Peel and a killer each wearing magnetic boots that allow them to fight on a ceiling. --Tom Keogh
Average review score:
Bring the 67 John Steed and Emma Peel Avengers BackThis was a great TV series. 'The Avengers" was a popular 1960's British fantasy-adventure series that focused on the exploits of a male-female duo in the service of the British government. The series underwent several changes of its female lead but its one constant male lead was John Steed always portrayed by the debonair Patrick Macnee (Originally the John Steed had two male partners but that format eventually changed). Kathy Gale portrayed by Honor Blackman became Steed's first female partner. However, when Honor Blackman departed the series and Diana Rigg entered as Mrs. Emma Peel, the show became an international sensation. Rigg brought sophistication, wit, charm and beauty, which hid her lethal and highly visual judo and karate abilities. Macnee and Rigg complemented each other beautifully with their carefree witty and charming exchange of dialogue. The show distinguished itself with bizarre and futuristic villains and fantastic plots. Popular at the height of the James Bond craze, the show was able to distinguish itself with its simply over-the-top visual style. Laurie Johnson's catchy and sophisticated main title theme matched the visuals of the show and still conjures up an image of the series when listened to today. When Diana Rigg left the series, Linda Thorson entered as John Steed's new partner Tara King. The series soon went off the air in the United States. It was a shame because the episodes with Tara King were quite good. The King episodes seemed to be a little more down to earth and contained some very good writing and intricate plotting. In any event series definitely left its mark amongst the finest. These DVD copies are gorgeous.
Steel Leather and an Umbrella Mrs. Peel?If you relish a series like "Honey West," "T.H.E. Cat" or "77 Sunset Strip" you no doubt know about the content of what you are getting. You are more likely concerned about the quality of the product. Like John Steed (Patrick Macnee) might say to Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), "You scratch my back and I'll scratch your back. Just watch the hat please." John and Emma are back and are here to stay via DVD technology. Being on DVD, the aesthetics about the actual episodes are not in question here. More appropriately one may ask how they look. They look good, very good.
You may find this offer a PeelingYou can look up the individual reviews. This collection will either bring back old memories or create some new old memories. However you will have friends and relatives that will want to remember Mother (Patrick Newell.) A single case makes the movies easier to keep track of and look better on your video storage wall. Being DVDs this is a one-time investment. Buying them individually can add up in shipping and handling. So as Emma says "Always keep your bowler on in time of stress, and watch out for diabolical masterminds." And buy the collection. Also available is Avengers '67 Set 1 Vol 01 (1966).
Avengers '67: Set 1, Vol. 1
Released in DVD by A & E Entertainment (16 March, 1999)
Is Venus about to attack Earth? Several members of the British Venusian Society think so, while other BVS devotees are being killed in a rather unearthly manner: hit by some kind of bright light that leaves them shock-white from head to toe. John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) investigate and find, naturally, a larger conspiracy than meets the eye. The enticing mystery (written by Philip Levene) is aided by a nifty sound effect (a high-pitched whine that grows stronger just before the burst of light), and Steed's infiltration of the eccentric BVS group is highly entertaining. The second episode on the DVD is another Levene script, "The Fear Merchants," in which businessmen are being reduced to babbling psychiatric patients after being subjected to their worst fears: spiders, birds, fast cars, etc. Steed has to do some fancy footwork to avoid being buried by a bulldozer, and Mrs. Peel--who apparently has no phobias--is nearly subjected to nasty surgical tortures. The satirical element, in which captains of industry are made demented by anxieties, is great fun. The final episode on this volume, "Escape in Time," finds the intrepid Steed and Mrs. Peel hot on the trail of villains who are offering criminals the perfect escape from modern law: a one-way trip to the past, where they can lose themselves in history. Levene's smart script and Avengers designer Wilfred Shingleton make the time-transport scenes convincing in a very economical way--travelers go to sleep in a room at an opulent, old country house and awaken in that same room furnished in the style of the Georgian or Elizabethan ages, etc. When Mrs. Peel takes a trip back to what she believes is going to be 1790, and is confronted by a masked executioner from an older era, it's yikes time. --Tom Keogh
Average review score:
Weird Merchants of Fear and Others Oh DearIf you fondly remember that great British import that we watched on TV way back in the 60s then you no doubt know about the content of what you are getting. You are more likely concerned about the quality of the product. Like John might say to Emma, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch your back. Just watch the hat please." John and Emma are back and are here to stay. Being on DVD, the aesthetics about the actual episodes are not in question here. More appropriately one may ask how they look. They look good, very good, excellent in fact. Still can't get that great theme out of my head.
You may find this offer a PeelingYou can look up the individual reviews. This collection will either bring back old memories or create some new old memories. However you will have friends and relatives that will want to remember Mother (Patrick Newell.) A single case makes the movies easier to keep track of and look better on your video storage wall. Being DVDs this is a one-time investment. Buying them individually can add up in shipping and handling. So as Emma says "Always keep your bowler on in time of stress, and watch out for diabolical masterminds." And buy the collection. Also available is Avengers '67 Set 1 Vol 02 (1966).
One of the best seasons for Avenger's ManiacIt's a pleasure to discover again these episodes
The Greatest '70s Cop Shows (Charlie's Angels / Starsky and Hutch / S.W.A.T. / Police Woman / The Rookies)
Released in DVD by Columbia Tristar Hom (06 May, 2003)
It may sound like a gimmick--The Greatest '70s Cop Shows is a compilation of first episodes from Starsky and Hutch, Police Woman, S.W.A.T., The Rookies, and Charlie's Angels--but this DVD anthology really opens one's eyes to the look and feel of dramatic television during the so-called Me Decade. Except for Angels, which never wavered from its self-mocking, glossy action/stiff exposition playbook, these cop-program debuts (four of them from Aaron Spelling) import much of their fluid camera movement, multiple points-of-view, and dynamic, often wordless storytelling from the era's rough-and-tumble action movies (e.g., The French Connection). Which is to say these shows may be dumb but not necessarily cheesy (except Angels' post-modern cheese). There is a lot to admire about the opening ambush in S.W.A.T.'s "The Killing Ground," the hard-boiled camaraderie of Police Woman's "The End Game," and especially the reckless physicality and ironic jokes of Starsky and Hutch's "Savage Sunday." --Tom Keogh
Average review score:
Back when TV was greatLet me tell you, I LOVE this dvd. I have been waiting for these shows to be released on dvd format for a long time. You get the first episodes of 5 classic 70's cop shows.
1. Charlies Angels
2. The Rookies
3. Starsky and Hutch
4. Swat
5. Police Woman
I love all these shows, but I espacially love Police Woman and Starsky and Hutch. I grew up watching these shows, and there is not a cop show today that can hold a candle to these shows. I have some Charlie's Angels on dvd, and Starsky and Hutch on VHS from Columbia House, but I have missed watching Police Woman in over 25 years. I had a serious crush on Angie Dickinson back in the day. This is a great dvd of classic tv, when tv was entertaining, not all this reality crap that is on now. I just hope they realease more Police Woman and Starsky and Hutch on dvd. Its well worth the price and then some. Get it....
This Is The One I Been Waiting For!!!I am so glad they are bring out those old cop shows out on DVD. I remember watching those shows like Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch,S.W.A.T, The Rookies and Police Woman back then when I was a child in the 70's. I also watched those shows when they were on TVLand til they took all the cop shows off on TVLand. I brought the DVD and I have too tell you this is the best DVD ever!!! My favorite ones on there are S.W.A.T and Charlie's Angels. You Must Buy this DVD to enjoy!!
Great fun!If like me, you're a fan of '70s pop culture...you'll want to add this DVD to your collection. Sure, you'll read reviews that refer to the "cheesiness" factor. Forget all that. I hate the word "cheesy." It assumes that everything that's current and hip will always be cool and in fashion. How short-sighted. But I digress. Watching "The Greatest '70s Cop Shows" brought me back to a time when TV was truly exciting. You get the following first episodes:
"Starsky & Huch" - "Savage Sunday"
"Charlie's Angels" - "Hellride"
"The Rookies" - "Concrete Valley, Neon Sky"
"S.W.A.T." - "The Killing Ground"
"Police Woman" - "The End Game"
My favorite out of this bunch is the "Police Woman" episode. I had not seen that show in at least 25 years and it holds up very well. Angie Dickinson is extremely sexy, sensitive, feminine and tough. What an awesome, groundbreaking show.
The sound on the disc is terrific, the picture is probably the best we're going to get...and the price is right. Never mind those big-budget theatrical versions of these shows...they don't hold a candle to the originals. Buy this and go back to the groovy '70s. You'll have a great time!
Jonny Quest
Released in DVD by ()
Average review score:
Hanna Barbera's Flagship SeriesA complete DVD boxed set of the all the Jonny Quest episodes from the 1960's is on my list of things I'd like to have before I say goodbye to this world. A near perfect use of animation. Great fun for kids of all ages and a sure winner for all the baby boomers.
Please don't let these classics be lost!Please don't let these classics be lost to another generation!
The few of the original series that have been made available on VHS from Hanna-Barbera and Turner have been smash-hits with both my nephew AND my nieces. Ian, at five, wanted us to be Dr. Quest and Jonny, and we spent many hours running about the house and yard with walkie-talkies on Quest adventures (my wife got to play Roger "Race" Bannon). Kate and Kris (5 and 7) love to dance to the theme music I was fortunate enough to find on Napster in its heyday. Mary Madison (4) wants to know: "Is Hadji a girl or a boy?"
Turner Home Entertainment has done a very poor job of releasing and supporting this great series -- the few they have done are so filled with promotional crap for its Cartoon Network that it's nearly unbearable. It takes five minutes of fast-forwarding just to get to the feature. And any "Classic Quest" fan will tell you the new "Real Adventures" just don't cut the mustard (more like the cheese).
The few of the original series that have been made available on VHS from Hanna-Barbera and Turner have been smash-hits with both my nephew AND my nieces. Ian, at five, wanted us to be Dr. Quest and Jonny, and we spent many hours running about the house and yard with walkie-talkies on Quest adventures (my wife got to play Roger "Race" Bannon). Kate and Kris (5 and 7) love to dance to the theme music I was fortunate enough to find on Napster in its heyday. Mary Madison (4) wants to know: "Is Hadji a girl or a boy?"
Turner Home Entertainment has done a very poor job of releasing and supporting this great series -- the few they have done are so filled with promotional crap for its Cartoon Network that it's nearly unbearable. It takes five minutes of fast-forwarding just to get to the feature. And any "Classic Quest" fan will tell you the new "Real Adventures" just don't cut the mustard (more like the cheese).
I urge all fans to review here and sign up for release notification to help pressure Turner into properly re-mastering and releasing the entire 1964-65 series (26 episodes).
(...)
I would buy this TODAY.Jonny Quest is hands down, the finest cartoon ever created. The graphics, the music, the plots, the characters, basically everything about this show is great. Please release the original 26 episodes on DVD. This is truly a timeless show that can be enjoyed by many generations.
Money for Nothing
Released in DVD by Buena Vista Home Vid (11 November, 2003)
Starring: John Cusack and Debi Mazar
Average review score:
Money for NothingThis film is based on a true story, where a blue-collar working man finds a bag of money that literally fell off an armored truck. The pandemonium and hilarity that follows is beautifully presented by John Cusack, definitely one of the best actors of our time. I've been following Cusack's films from Class in the 1980s through today, and I have not once been disappointed by his performance. He is in top form here, making the viewer wish that they both were and weren't in his shoes. Benicio del Toro is hilarious as a swindler, and Debi Mazar is pretty good as Cusack's on-again, off-again love interest. Gandolfini of HBO's The Sopranos also costars, and is fantastic as usual. If you like any of the actors mentioned, or just want to see a good film about a real event that seems unbelievable, get your hands on this one!
A Hidden GemDon't let this film pass you by. Often stashed in the 'comedy' section of the video shelves this film is often more tense drama due to the fact it is based on actual events. In 1981 unemployed laborer Joey Coyle and his pal drive through the back streets of rotting industrial Philadelphia after another unsuccessful day of looking for work. In the middle of the street they find what Coyle thinks might make a good tool box. It in fact has fallen from an armored truck and contains over a million dollars. There is humor, but more anxiety along the way as John Cusak, who portrays Coyle stuggles with what to do next. Michael Madsen gives an excellent performance as a detective from the same neighborhood who urges a reward that will be enough for the impoverished locals to buy a house. Maury Chaykin has a memorable scene as a mob boss trying to swindle Cusak and explains why Ben Franklin is his favorite currency portrait. A heartbreaking and tragic look at 1980's recession America.
John Cusack is great!I just seen Money For Nothing and I think it was a great movie that kept me entertaining. The true story of Joey Coyle was very interesting because some people who find 1.2 million dollars out of a Armored car are shelfish enough to keep it and do goofy things to try to get away with it . This film was shot in locations I was filmilar with including the Old Airport and near monoghela river in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. John Cusack was just great.
Nadia, Secret of Blue Water - The Dark Kingdom (Vol. 2)
Released in DVD by A.D. Vision (14 August, 2001)
The second installment of this anime adventure gets even grittier than the first. Our intrepid preteen inventor Jean and his charge Nadia are sea bound after their first run-in with the Nautilus. A small island looks like paradise until they are shot down. They find a dark kingdom full of warlords turning the island into a giant power station while enslaving or killing the island's residents. One lone survivor is little Marie, who quickly joins our adventurers as they try to escape. The armed-to-the-teeth baddies make the bumbling Grandis (also stuck on the island) seem even more cartoonlike. Chases, gunfights, captures, and escapes are all part of these four episodes (numbers 5 to 8), but by the end we will have a new villain to contend with and a few secrets will be revealed about the highly prized blue water necklace that Nadia wears around her neck. Ages 10 and up. --Doug Thomas
Average review score:
Even better than the first one!In the second volume of the 39-part TV series NADIA - THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER, Nadia, King, and Jean end up stranded on an island that appears deserted at first. But NO! There is a sinister cult organization, the Neo Atlanteans, ruled by the mysterious and very sinister Gargoyle, who have built this incredibly powerful tower that can wipe out an entire island in one strike! Nadia is kidnapped by Gargoyle, and Jean must rescue her. But in doing so, he teams up with unexpected allies - Grandis, and her two bumbling assistants, Sanson and Hanson (Picking up on a theme here?), who have been chasing them all this time! (Similarities to CASTLE IN THE SKY here.) Can they rescue her in time?
Finding out will have you glued to the screen and clinging to the edge of your seat. In addition, the mood of the story changes from a lighthearted adventure (which is what the first DVD was) to a more dark, brooding struggle for survival. We are also introduced to an adorable new character, a little girl named Marie, who very much reminds me of Mei from MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO. She has a lot of the same qualities that made her so lovable. The scenes where she picks flowers with King and throws tantrums about being hungry (yelling "Mama-mama-mama-mama-mama-mama, I'm hungry!!!") are precocious, and we find ourselves growing attached to her. But the first episode which we meet her in ends rather sadly; her parents (and pet dog) have been gunned down by Gargoyle's men, and she doesn't realize that they are dead... until Jean and Nadia finally reveal it to her in the episode's heartbreaking ending scene, where they stand praying by the grave.
That, and everything else about the four episodes contained on here make this DVD even better than the first NADIA. I wouldn't recommend picking this up as a first choice; I'd suggest purchasing NADIA VOL. 1 first, and then this one afterwards. That way, you'll be able to follow the story through. (In fact, this is the best advice to follow when picking up the remaining eight -!- DVDs that are to be released!)
As for the DVD, the qualities of the video and audio departments remain the same. The English dub is even more decent than the first one - Nathan Parsons's attempt at a French accent offended me somewhat on the first NADIA DVD, but somehow it didn't bother me here. Perhaps it's because he has finally hit the mark. Meg Bauman, for her part, has only gotten better as Nadia. And Sarah Richardson, Corey Gagne, and Martin Blacker are as hammy as ever as Grandis and her henchmen. The new voice actors are also good. Eleven year old Margaret Cassidy is perfect as little Marie; her childishly cute voice wins us all over. Her laughs are infectious, her cries are sympathetic, and she offers some of the best lines. David Jones as Gargoyle sounds a little flat (I expected something more menacing), but it was probably intended that way, and it seems more than appropriate. Again, the subtitle script is changed for the dub, but not drastically, and the accents aren't as bothersome this time around.
The extras are identical to that of the first one (textless opening and ending, trailers), but the menus are a boost; the water and clouds look more realistic, and flow by even more impressively than they did on the first one.
If you haven't gotten this DVD yet (along with the first NADIA DVD), it is highly recommended that you do, and soon.
A 5 STAR DVD!This is the best DVD i ever bought! The story is good! The characters are good! every thing is great! that's why this is a 5 star DVD!
A 5 star DVD!This is the best DVD i ever bought! The story is good! The characters are good! every thing is great! that's why this is a 5 star DVD!
Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water - The Prophecy Fulfilled (Vol. 10)
Released in DVD by A.D. Vision (16 July, 2002)
Average review score:
Brilliant Ending !This show is the Babylon 5 of anime. Who'd have thought that the simple storyline of a young girl pursued by jewel thieves at the start would finish like this ? I've just finished viewing this finale and still cant get over how well done it was. What a great, no AMAZING series ! My only gripes are that its now finished (I wish they had done a sequel series, yes I know there is "The Movie" to come ... however I've been told that was done to cash in on Nadia's popularity, different writers/animators, so I'm not expecting anything great from it) and the minor video artefacts throughout. I dont want to "spoil" anything so I wont give any of the storyline away in these final episodes. The cover recommends viewing by 12 years and up however I've sat through this entire series with my 8 year old niece and had to fast forward only one scene I thought would have been too disturbing for her, where the crewman is sacrificed to save the Nautilus, Jean's heart rending cries were just too well acted. To finish, fantastic ending, great storyline throughout, characters you'll love and hate (Gargoyle !) that'll make you laugh and cry, to me (an anime newbie) this is what anime is all about. P.S. Love the music too !
A truly wonderful finale.Now THIS is truly an excellent volume. It brings the series to a close, but not before shocking revelations, unexpected twists and surprises, emotionally gripping drama, love beyond death, and a tearjerking ending keep you on the edge of your seat. Featuring spectacular animation effects, clever writing, and some truly terrific music, the ending of the series more than lives up to its name as being one of the best climaxes in any Anime. The voice acting on both the Japanese and the English language tracks deliver their best ever on this volume. Not that the English dub is perfect, though. Despite the great voice acting, some lines in the last episode are awkwardly written (particularly the Epilogue), and some lines on the Japanese language track are not spoken at ALL on the English dub. Otherwise, the dub is decent.
The only other drawbacks are: sometimes fuzzy sound quality on the dub, not-as-decent video transfer, and the same textless opening and closing animations as extras (we already got those as extras on Volumes 1-3).
But the good far outweighs the bad, with text interviews with the cast members (some woefully short), and, well, the content presented here. I have rather mixed feelings about this show coming to a close, and wish they could have done more with it, but NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER, in spite of not being perfect, is a decent TV series with enough good points to outweigh the bad. Just don't buy each volume individually, especially since there are some moments that are detestable. The things that really make this series spin is not the uneven medium part of the story, but the beginning (Volumes 1-2) and the finale (Last 3/4 of Volume 9 and this volume). If anything, these are the highest selling points of the show. And that's not half a bad thing, either.
A Satisfying Conclusion to an Epic Series.For a long time, I waited and waited for the final DVD of "Nadia" to come out. And finally, it did. And the conclusion is more then satisfactory!
The characters return, and we are treated to one of the best animated battle scenes (Non-CGI!) with excellent animation and FX.
The English voices for Nemo and Gargoyle hit their best in this; making their lines one of the best English voice-acting I've heard in a long time.
The ending is one of the best I've seen. Original in a lot of ways, and a great ending with no letdowns. And the interviews of the voice actors was definately a plus, showing a rare glimpse into the actors who offered such great vocal performances for an anime dub.
Definately a great series with an even greater conclusion.
My few problems: the transfer is not as crystal clear as other DVDs I've seen. And for a final DVD, all we really get as "Extras" are credit-less opening and closing animations, (Which is what we got in the first four DVDs).
The characters return, and we are treated to one of the best animated battle scenes (Non-CGI!) with excellent animation and FX.
The English voices for Nemo and Gargoyle hit their best in this; making their lines one of the best English voice-acting I've heard in a long time.
The ending is one of the best I've seen. Original in a lot of ways, and a great ending with no letdowns. And the interviews of the voice actors was definately a plus, showing a rare glimpse into the actors who offered such great vocal performances for an anime dub.
Definately a great series with an even greater conclusion.
My few problems: the transfer is not as crystal clear as other DVDs I've seen. And for a final DVD, all we really get as "Extras" are credit-less opening and closing animations, (Which is what we got in the first four DVDs).
Short Eyes
Released in DVD by Wellspring Media, In (12 August, 2003)
Starring: Bruce Davison and José Pérez (II)
Though time and HBO's Oz have eclipsed its ground-breaking impact, Short Eyes remains a milestone of American independent film, and a vital entry in the prison-film genre. Adapted by Miguel Piñero from his acclaimed play, this gritty drama was filmed in Manhattan's infamous Men's House of Detention (better known as "the Tombs"), giving a rough, authentic edge to Piñero's unflinching portrait of men trapped in legal-system limbo. Inmate tensions intensify when an alleged pedophile ("Short Eyes" in prison slang, played by Bruce Davison) is dropped into detention, and instantly ostracized by white, Latino, and black inmates alike. Under the documentary-like direction of Robert M. Young, this claustrophobic, emotionally raw study of hopelessness was a real eye-opener for its time (1977), revealing depths of anguish, danger, and cruelty that had never before been dramatized on film. Paving the way for harsher prison dramas that followed, Short Eyes features Piñero in a supporting role, and look closely for Traffic's Luis Guzmán in his screen debut. --Jeff Shannon
Average review score:
Short EyesI have been looking for this movie for years. I was so glad when it was finally released on DVD. This is a powerful story with a strong cast. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed OZ or other prison shows. And also to anyone who understands that the judicial system is sometimes flawed.
Reinvented the prison genreI was introduced to Short Eyes purely by chance while flipping through Leonard Maltin's movie guide which gives the film ***1/2 stars. After tracking down an out-of-print VHS tape of it, I finally saw this powerful 70's prison drama based on the play by the newly appreciated latino playwrite Miguel Pinero. Pinero's vision is so pure because it's clearly the work of a man who'd been behind bars often himself. The dialogue is amazingly real (and very profane for its time) and the overall feeling of the film is dark, gritty and stark, very much like an episode of Oz, only twenty years before that TV show aired. Shot on location at an abandoned men's prison in New York it's stage origins are only really apparant during one brief dialogue scene between Pinero (acting in his own work) and Davis (the incarerated child molestor who inflames the hatred of the other inmates).
For me the comparison that really makes me appreciate this film is with The Shawshank Redemption. That is a good film but it's also clearly the work of a man (Stephen King) who had never been behind bars for any length of time. While in that film there are two or three stereotyped baddies in the entire prison who force the hero into sex, in Short Eyes it's made very clear how long, long periods behind bars with no access to women begins to grind on many of the inmates and their desires, even men who wouldn't consider themselves to be "gay". The scene where the youngest, "prettiest" inmate Cupcake is harrased in the showers by an older guy who all but forces him into sex feels completely real, like it's the way something like that would really happen. The fact that Pinero himself (who wrote the original play) was bisexual certainly accounts for the films (virtually unique) honesty in this area.
Benjamin Bratt played Pinero in a pretty good film of the writers life the other year. That's definitely work a look but it's Short Eyes that will make you realize why he was the talk of New York at the time.
Short eyes has true visionMiguel Pinero is the most underated playwright of modern American theater. His play short eyes shows us the ugly underbelly of American society through the eyes of convicts. It is a play filled with ethnic anomosity racial rivalaries and a rigid moral code which allows no devation. Truly this film version of the stage play is worth looking at. Bruce Davidson performace is complelling and the rest of the cast never miss a beat. It is not for the faint hearted.
Most unfortunate is that Mr. Pinero is no longer with us but some might remember the Miami Vice episodes he penned
Most unfortunate is that Mr. Pinero is no longer with us but some might remember the Miami Vice episodes he penned
Avengers '67 : Set 4, Vol. 7
Released in DVD by A & E Entertainment (27 April, 1999)
The glory years of The Avengers, the stylish British television series starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg as intelligence operatives, are in full bloom in this three-episode volume. First up is "The £50,000 Breakfast," a typically quirky mystery that begins with a Zurich-bound ventriloquist crashing his car and ending up in a hospital--only to be discovered carrying a stash of diamonds in his stomach. The strange circumstance leads John Steed (Macnee) and Mrs. Emma Peel (Rigg) into an investigation of a wealthy financier who may be considering taking his fortune out of England. But that's only the beginning: soon Steed and Mrs. Peel are up to their knees in murder plots and borzoi dogs, all ending in a gift of a Dalmatian-spotted tie. "Dead Man's Treasure" is probably best remembered for a harrowing scene in which poor Mrs. Peel is forced to "drive" a racing car simulator that gives powerful electric shocks when she veers off a virtual road. The simulator is one of the kookier gimmicks in a story about a fellow agent who plants a dispatch box in a car enthusiast's mansion, then arranges for Steed and Mrs. Peel to participate in a treasure hunt for the missing item. Saboteurs abound, but the episode's highlight is the hunt, which finds contestants and their autos subjected to spikes in the road, sugar in their petrol tanks, and misarranged road signs. The action is crisp, the humor cheeky, and our heroic duo sexy and sharp. The final episode begins with one of the most enjoyable stories from the series. "You Have Just Been Murdered" is a clever mystery in which wealthy men are being mock-assassinated by stalkers who shoot, stab, and otherwise "murder" them with toy weapons. The reason is simple: blackmail. If the hidden, insidious mastermind behind this plot can get that close to his victims, he can certainly put them in the grave for good. Enter Steed and Mrs.Peel into the fray, who fail to get much cooperation from the terrified millionaires and have to find their way to the villain's lair on their own. The show ends delightfully with one of the series' best tags: Steed counting his fortune in halfpennies and finding he's just short of a certain goal.... --Tom Keogh
Average review score:
Bring Back John Steed and Emma PeelOne of the best on DVD. 'The Avengers" was a popular 1960's British fantasy-adventure series that focused on the exploits of a male-female duo in the service of the British government. The series underwent several changes of its female lead but its one constant male lead was John Steed always portrayed by the debonair Patrick Macnee (Originally the John Steed had two male partners but that format eventually changed). Kathy portrayed by Honor Blackman became Steed's first female partner. However, when Honor Blackman departed the series and Diana Rigg entered as Mrs. Emma Peel, the show became an international sensation. Rigg brought sophistication, wit, charm and beauty, which hid her lethal and highly visual judo and karate abilities. Macnee and Rigg complemented each other beautifully with their carefree witty and charming exchange of dialogue. The show distinguished itself with bizarre and futuristic villains and fantastic plots. Popular at the height of the James Bond craze, the show was able to distinguish itself with its simply over-the-top visual style. Laurie Johnson's catchy and sophisticated main title theme matched the visuals of the show and still conjures up an image of the series when listened to today. When Diana Rigg left the series, Linda Thorson entered as John Steed's new partner Tara King. The series soon went off the air in the United States. It was a shame because the episodes with Tara King were quite good. The King episodes seemed to be a little more down to earth and contained some very good writing and intricate plotting. In any event series definitely left its mark amongst the finest. These DVD copies are gorgeous.
3 of the Best AvengersSet 4, Volume 7 contains what I consider the best episodes of the series. Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg are both espionage veterans via "The Avengers" British TV series as well as appearing latter in the "James Bond" series of films. Mrs. Peel and John Steed do make a handsome couple monogynously speaking.
"The £50,000 Breakfast," brings to mind Ian Fleming's "Goldfinger" and that villain's attempt to smuggle gold from country to country. By the way, that's a nice tie John.
"Dead Man's Treasure" is an interesting and memorable episode. Years ahead of its time, Mrs. Peel is compelled (that's putting it nicely) to operate a racing car at the controls of a simulator. If she doesn't keep the car on the road she is subject to electrical shock. This was a similar device used years latter in "Never Say Never Again" as James Bond and Largo "suffer the pains of their armies" on a virtual hologram game for global conquest. I do hope your navigator has a good map. Good hunting!
"You Have Just Been Murdered" is just so bizarre an episode proving that no one can ever be completely safe from would be assassins and death can come from even the most innocent looking childlike device.