Home Movie Reviews

For those of you who don't know and love the Sopranos already, I feel sorry for you because you have been missing out on some of the best drama television has ever seen. THE SOPRANOS are the definitive modern mafia family: the boss is on Prozac, his daughter on Ecstasy, his wife preoccupied with getting her children into Ivy League schools, and they live in North Jersey. Today's television audience is celebrating The Sopranos like a godsend, and rightfully so. In this runaway hit HBO Original Series, we've found a mobster for and of the masses, a sincere, conflicted, multi-layered, overtly humanized patriarch. Though hardly humane, Tony (who is played by the ridiculously talented James Gandolfini) comes across as unusually real, normal, and essentially unremarkable. When talking shop with his captains and other employees, the show's writers employ that ubiquitous classic gangster dialogue. However, other times, at the homestead or during some of the softer moments with his old-school, endlessly nagging Italian mother, Tony reveals his emotional depth and insecurities. Yeah, he gets mad, curses, but he also listens and makes sacrifices for the people he alternately loves and hates.

The Sopranos are what I would imagine as a relatively typical modern day dysfunctional family, with more than it's fair share of twists. Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) is the New Jersey Mob capo and does a generally fine job of hiding this from his children. The inference that he is in the waste management business is really quite comical when you think about it. However Tony is suffering from anxiety attacks and seeks the professional services of a shrink to help him overcome this little problem. Something he must keep very quite as it would destroy his reputation if word got out amongst "the family". The series is based around this concept and the many trials and tribulations he faces in keeping his family, the business and of course some of his extra curricular activities in check.

The pilot episode first brings Tony to the wood-paneled office of psychiatrist Dr. Melfi, a fellow Italian; he has recently suffered his first panic attack and is worried about the implications of this medical condition in relation to his tenuous status as underboss of a major North Jersey crime syndicate. Indeed, Tony is convinced an untimely death awaits him should his competitors learn of the panic attacks or his relationship with the woman shrink. The crime family, established by his father, bears his surname, but at this early time is headed by the ailing Jackie Aprillo. Early in the first season, when Jackie succumbs to cancer, his death serves as the catalyst for a battle for new leadership. As the series moves along at pace that is at times meditative and others accelerated, we come to know and understand Tony, as a father, a son, a businessman, and a reluctant, remorseful killer. Even though he wears thousand dollar designer suits and keeps company with scumbags, whores and hit men, Tony's allure lies in his ordinariness. He's no Don Corleone, and he never aspires to become one. He's the quintessential blue-collar Don, having worked his way to where he is. He believes in family values, even though it is his other "family" that motivates and consumes him. While Tony steps seamlessly from the dark Mafioso life to the one of the guy next door, viewers of the show fancy themselves doing so with such panache. While not a "role model" per se, "T" is one smooth character. At a time when everyone is looking for heroes, Mr. Soprano becomes an attractive icon for those of us disillusioned of the unilateral integrity of cops and political leaders. Americans have always loved an underdog and identified with the great criminals, the modern day Robin Hoods-Tony Soprano is both, thus we love and identify with him too.

There are plenty of extras on the Season 1 and 2 sets, including trailers, music videos, and a behind the scenes featurette. Highly recommended!

My son is a big Sopranos fan, so I bought him the DVD set for the first season for Christmas. I myself had seen maybe two or three episodes on cable and had enjoyed them. So, when he began watching, I was right there watching with him. What a terrific show! It is absolutely gripping.

It is a marvelously creative series with a stellar cast. For those of you who have been visiting relatives in Antarctica for the past several years, the story revolves around the mob in New Jersey. It centers on one family specifically, the Sopranos, headed by Anthony Soprano (James Gandolfini), who is married to his loyal childhood sweetheart, Carmela (Edie DeFalco). Together they have two children, Meadow and Anthony, Jr. Tony's dangerously manipulative mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), is bound for a retirement home, if Tony has any say.

Tony, however, has another family, comprised of a bunch of murderous henchmen, who occasionally march to the tune of a different drummer. He also has a Russian mistress. Trying to balance all this has given Tony panic attacks, so he goes to a psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), whose relationship with her client alternates between fear and fascination.

The writing for this series is splendid and the interweaving of comedic and familial moments with the darker, more violent ones provides the viewer with an intelligently woven plot. James Gandolfini is outstanding as Tony Soprano, a powerful mob boss, who can also be a teddy bear of a guy and a good friend, unless you are perceived to have been disloyal. Then, you may kiss your buns goodbye. Tony is mercurial, sexy, fearful, cautious, and, given the right circumstances, deadly. He is a fascinating and beguiling character. Edie DeFalco is warm, funny, loyal, and the glue that binds their immediate family together. Yet, she too has her own sting, and she knows the power that her husband has. She is not above using it herself, if necessary. The late Nancy Marchand was terrific as Livia, the manipulative, scheming mother.

While the first season was sensational, all I can tell you is that the second season is as good, if not better, than the first.

There are some major plot developments. Livia and Tony's uncle hatch a plan that can have murderous consequences for Tony. Carmela is doing all in her power, and I mean all, to help Meadow get into a good college. In her own sweet way, Carmela can be just as scary as Tony. Janice (Aida Turturro), Tony's sister, comes back home, wreaks havoc, marries the former mob boss's jailbird brother, and then leaves town with a bang. One of Tony's best friends becomes a snitch for the Feds. No wonder Tony continues to have anxiety attacks and still needs to see his psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi.

The writing continues to be intelligent, and the story lines are as well thought out and engrossing as ever. I absolutely love this series!

The first and second seasons DVD sets each come nicely packaged with four discs. The nice thing about the DVDs is that before an episode begins, if one likes. one may read a plot summary of that episode. The visuals and audio are crisp and clear. There are also some bonus features. There is a terrific interview with David Chase, the creator of the Sopranos, and some behind the scenes featurettes. All in all, this is a great show, and these are two great DVD sets to add to one's personal collection. I have already seen the first, second, and third seasons. I now can't wait for the fourth season to come out on DVD.

I hardly ever watch TV except for sports. But I was recommended to watch this by a friend and let me tell you, if you like goodfellas and shows like that then you will love this. The first season is the best without a doubt. The second season you really get into and then the third season starts off slow but the end is really great. This is by far the best TV series I have ever seen, even better than the simpsons(entertainment value wise). I tell you what, I can't wait for the fourth season to come out because I will get it right away.

Easily the funniest show ever concived. It will live on forvever for its humor and boldness. Better than the movie. Now I don't have to tape them. I can watch it everyday on the finest quality- DVD. GETTIN GAY WITH KIDS IS HILARIOUS! I can't wait! In the words of Chinpokomon: I'VE GOT TO BUY IT! I'VE GOT TO BUY IT!

This is one of the funniest seasons of South Park ever. Some of my favorite episodes include Homer at the Bat, The Otto Show and of course the Treehouse of Horror Part II. This is when South Park really hit its stride. You have to give it to Matt and Trey. And to think that the show has been on four 15 years! Holy Cow. Give me the rest of the seasons, I am ready.

South Park, my favorite show ever, is the greatest. Cartman is funnier than anyone. The South Park movie Bigger Longer and Uncut is the greatest 95 minutes spent of my life. The swearing is great. "You donkey raping ...." That's great. And you can't forget the B**** Song.
South Park, as Cratman says, Kick [tail].

I watched Supercar with devotion as a kid, and was ecstatic to learn it was becoming available on DVD. The video on these DVDs are extremely high-quality--Supercar looks as good as the day it first aired. There are some Supercar videos available on VHS, I might mention, that look terrible! My only gripe with this DVD set is that there are only a few extras. If you're a Gerry Anderson fan, you'll want to own these DVDs.

This is the first fully developed supermarionation series from Gerry Anderson and its shortcomings are what make it so endearing to me. While his later series became very sophisticated and the marionettes act less and less like puppets, in "Supercar" you have puppets acting and looking like puppets. Sometimes the eyes are simply painted on the heads of the puppets so that they never move. The anatomical proportions are way off so that you have large, goofy looking heads on slim, small bodies. The arms tend to wave wildly about when speaking. I like all of this: The Nelson Eddy like vocal singing/shouting the opening theme song, "Supercar!!!", the very visible strings pulling supercar up out of the water, the back screen projection of clouds and water (which actually works out well here), the "not quite right" miniature furniture (later series would scale down perfectly with obsessive attention to detail), the very simple and absurdly low budget lab equipment (although the Supercar model still looks great today). This is the Anderson series to get if you really like the 1959 look of kiddie shows. It is the earliest link in the evolutionary ladder of the Gerry Anderson series. Perfectly charming and fun.

I watched this television series as a child of the fifties and was totally mesmerised by all of it's cinematic wonders, which were obviously limited at the time. I was greatly pleased to see that this was to be released to DVD last month. Sometimes you wonder if past TV shows and movies have stood the test of time, SUPERCAR has most definitely. It is as real today as it was back then when I was a gullible child of eight. And...with the onset of DVD, the quality is even better now, with every episode intact and order of presentation. Thank you for this memory of my childhood that I can now treasure forever!!!!!

This is still one of my favorite Al Pacino movies. Even though
Pacino has small part his role has much impact. I tried to tell
a friend what this movie was about and my eyes started to well up. Coming from a close Italian family, this touched my heart.
This movies supplies us with excellent performances sprinkled with a heartwarming story. Watch this on a Sunday evening you
will be better off that you did

Sometimes the very best movies are those you never hear about. I never knew about this movie until it came out on video. A different kind of role for Pacino - low key and though he isn't actually on screen for that long, he's very effective in the role of the young hero's Italian grandfather (He's certainly come full circle from the Godfather movies). EXCELLENT MOVIE - A GEM!

For me, most often it's the movies that are the least advertised that are often the best. I never knew about this movie until it came out in video. Since I am an Al Pacino fan, I decided to rent it - I wasn't disappointed. Even though he's not on screen all that much, he makes the most of the time he does have. It was nice to see him in a rather different role than he usually plays. As I indicated above, a "gem of a movie." Highly recommended!

Picked this up at Tower after being intrigued by box and story synopsis. If you like Fatal Attraction, Psycho type movies, this one definitely fits the bill. Personally, I like poetic justice in a movie and this one has it! Abusive types beware! If the same things happened to you that happen to the bad guys in this movie, you'd think twice I bet! Go Amanda!

Although Justine Priestly is the featured star and on the video performance, David DeWitt steals the show and should be considered for an OSCAR. He performance is breathtaking and clearly shows his range as an actor. My sense is that other movie directors and producers will be knocking at his doorsteps
for future roles. This movie is a must see and a new star is born in David DeWitt.

Saw this film and was scared and excited all at once. Fell hook and sinker for the beautiful wife, played by Karen Grosso. Can't wait to get my very own copy!

You can look up the individual reviews. Of course some individual titles will go out of stock. Others may not be your favorite. However you will have friends and relatives that will want to compare Al's various characters. 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. With the advent of multiple DVD changers you will be able to keep Al ready at a moments notice. I tried buying individual as I had the money and found shipping was getting very expensive that way. So bite the bullet and buy the collection. There is also the Al Pacino Collection (1999)

This is a perfect collection of Al Picino movies. Every one would recieve a 5 star rating from me. He is one of the greastest actors there ever was and on DVD the movies are better than ever. A must have for any fan of Al Picino.

5 Stars

Al Pacino is great in these movies and the movies are so masterfully acted out. I believe that Al Pacino is one the best actors alive along with Robert DeNiro and in "Heat" they show that there chemistry on the screen together is untouchable by any other duo. The Devil's Advocate is a great movie because it shows another side to Al Pacino's acting ability.

After seeing this DVD I can not wait to see the new show when it comes to Nick in Nov. If you are a rugrats fan than you will love seeing how these former diaper clad babies have grown up to become teens and now have school adventures. Chuckie in braces, Dill pickles with Diddi's red hair, Phil and Lil going there seperate ways in coup Deville. I really enjoyed seeing Howard and Betty in coup Deville and how much they had aged and Betty and Chas are still working at the Java Lava. If you enjoyed" All growed up" than you will really enjoy " All grown up".

Eye just bought this dvd yesterday and Eye love it. When Nickelodeon had the "All Growed Up" episode, Eye x-pected them 2 b adults, And Nickelodeon only released it on VHS. F*** VHS!!!!!!!!! EYE H8 IT!!!!!!!!!! Now it is on this dvd!! This is a must own 4 any "Rugrats" fan!

it had a lot of stuff that was funny. the best episode is coup deville. i highly recommended this for ages 7 - 15

Wonderful package-anybody who has seen one of the various documentaries under the PBS "American Experience" banner does not have to be told how terrific they are. "The Republicans" set is equally good, and the transfers are stunning.

While there are many video documentaries available on the U.S. presidents, few are as insightful, objective and informative as this series from PBS. In fact, many teachers and professors have been known to use these films as an introductory basis for their students, and although they are long, about 12 hours combined, you will come away from the "experience" knowing much more about the presidents than you could ever have thought possible. In that vein I would suggest this series is the equivalent to reading a good 300-400 page biography of each leader separately. For anyone with an interest in U.S. history this series is a must own! Buy it today!

Politics does not matter , as this is a great work of art. VERY GOOD

This has all the basic revenge elements and formula. And who better than Kiefer Sutherland as the "Dirty Harry" type out to make amends for his dirty cop father and find other dirty cops. He teems up with "Chief" Lou Diamond Phillips of [Bats (1999) ASIN: B00003L9CQ] fame. The bad guy takes diamonds, and knows who the dirty cops are. So naturally Kiefer has to get him. This same bad guy gets an Indian sacred relic and bumps of an Indian in the process. So naturally Lou Diamond Phillips also has to seek revenge and retrieve the item. Together with the reluctant assistance of Jami Gertz the bad guy's quasi girl, this odd couple does tracking, and hitting, and jumping, and shooting, and horsing around, and and and.

If you cant remember where you saw Jami Gertz before then you may have missed [Sibling Rivalry (1990) ASIN: 0792837754] see my review.

This movie has lots of action and standard dialog some Indian mystery and you will never guess who the real bad guys are 20 minutes before the end of the movie, when they practically rub your nose in it.

Clean but full of action and violence [layed to human nature]--
No overly done female traipsing through to spoil the action.
Excellent macho performance by Kieffer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips [as should be expected].
Story line still had enough punch to make it interesting.
Hate to say it, a great acting job by the top nasty - couldn't stand the guy.
Would have liked a commentary about the actors and the work they put into their roles.
I would definitely recommend this movie and will certainly watch it over again.

I just saw this movie last night and I really enjoyed it because it had action, drama, and everything you expect. Lou Diamond Phillips and Sutherland give great proformences. So if you are in the mood the a great movie then you need to sit down and watch this one.

I have watched 4 of these cassettes and I am again amazed at the complexity and organization of a human's headquarters. Every knowledge we have about brain is gained through practical tests and we see a lot of such physology related tests in these videos. They give insight to how neurologist work with brain to understand it. I especially liked the second video telling the story of language learning.

This series from PBS is an excellent, accessible introduction to developmental neuroscience. It was developed for a lay audience, but professionals will also find the information and the visuals of great interest. I have been using excerpts from this series in professional trainings since the series was first broadcast in 2001 to the applause and appreciation of all of my students. My family and friends are also raving about this series. If you are professionally or personally interested in psychology, neuroscience, and development you will not be dissappointed.
-- Babette Rothschild, MSW
author, The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment

I found this to be an excellent DVD set. I checked it out from the public library and liked it so much that I purchased it. I used this DVD along with Synaptic Self to write a speech for speech class. I wrote almost the entire speech with just these two sources. The amount of info in the DVDs is amazing. It was especially interesting to learn that we have over one trillion neurons in our brain. The video is more than facts however. They go into the lives of many people with different neurological conditions. One example is the neurological affects on a preemies brain. They look into whether it is a result of the child being born with such an underdeveloped brain or if it is the result of all the noise in the newborn intensive care unit. Although more research is needed the study performed shows that the research is promising. In seeing real life stories one isn't filled with just technical info but real world info. It allows one to see what happens to some of our fellow species and how different things affect the brain. I would recommend this DVD to anyone wants to learn more about the brain and it's affects on individuals. I would also highly recommend Synaptic Self by Joseph Ledoux.