Austin Movie Reviews

All men are brothers is the story of Lin Chun, a naïve but honorable general, and his friendship with Monk, Lu Chi Sum.

When Lin Chun inadvertently humiliates a nobles' young son, the cowardly youth plots revenge. He frames Lin Chun in a plot to assassinate a high-ranking official, and in the ensuing scandal has him humiliated, branded and left for dead. Only the clever monk Lu Chi Sum can save him. Can Lin Chun restore his honor?

All men are brothers is a classic HK action movie, with several truly endearing characters and a memorable friendship between Chun and Sum. Some plots and scenes in this movie are quite hilarious, especially at the beginning. However, the movie darkens quite a bit towards the end, and became slowly, more progressively violent.

Overall, I loved this movie, and found it quite entertaining! My only disappointment was the seemingly abrupt ending, and the rather badly misspelled English subtitles.

If you like humorous, campy HK action films, don't miss this one. It's over-the-top Kung Fu at its best!

All men are brothers boils down to loyalty and morals which make up our character. Oh yeah, with plenty of kung-fu. There is an actual story and plenty of kung-fu. Oh, did I mention that I just love Tony Leung Ka Fai? If you liked him in Dragon Inn (5 star movie with Brigett Lin) you will like him in this flick also. Although this is not a good as Dragon Inn it's still very enjoyable and worth checking out.

The main reason I bought this was because it was based on one of my favorite books, Shui Hu Zhuan (a.k.a. All Men are Brothers, or Outlaws of the Marsh). Video game fans may notice that this is the book that the Suikoden series of RPG's is loosely based on. I was very satisfied with this movie, and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of martial arts films or classic Chinese Literature. If you're a fan of the game, it's fun to draw parallels between the characters -- Lin Chung is the Tenyu star, a role which is filled by Kasim in Suikoden 1, and Hauser in Suikoden 2. These characters are all very bound by duty, and always follow orders. Lu chi Sum is the Tenko star, which in Suikoden 1 and 2 is the well known character of Viktor. I thought that would be interesting to any fans of the game. Regardless of that, it's a nicely done movie, and definitely worth owning

For all the fans of The Avengers familiar with the Emma Peel/Tara King era of the show, these early episodes featuring Cathy Gale and Venus Smith may come as something of a disappointment. In fact, fans of the later shows may find it hard to believe that they are even part of the same TV series!

After the initial run of 26 episodes featuring Police Surgeon David Keel and his cohort John Steed had aired in the UK in 1961/62, the producers of the program opted to bring Steed to the forefront of the action and give him a number of different "assistants." Thus, for season two, 26 further episodes were made and broadcast in 1962/63 featuring Steed abetted by Martin King, Venus Smith or Cathy Gale. Mrs. Gale turned out to be the most popular and successful foil for the suave agent, and the other characters did not return after season two. Unlike the later Peel/King stories which were all made on film, these studio based TV shows are much more reliant on dialogue and plot than visual elements, and can be somewhat heavy going as a result.

A&E is releasing these stories in a somewhat confusing order, and has started with season three. The first two sets released, Avengers 64 1 & 2, feature the LAST six episodes of season three. Next comes Avengers 63 sets 1 & 2 which comprises of the first half of the season. Next up in the release order is 63 sets 3 & 4 which precede 1 & 2 in running order and in fact feature the last seven stories from season two, plus the first from season three. Confused? Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, since thankfully there's no real reason to watch the stories in chronological order anyway.

What is interesting is the development of the production standards. 63 sets 3 & 4, featuring the latter stories from season two, are far more rudimentary in terms of production quality. The sets are extremely small and sparse; The direction very slap-hazard; Camera work shoddy; Sound is extremely poor; and the acting is negligible. With no budget for editing or reshooting, all the actor's fluffs and goofs stayed in. Steed's character is far less suave and sophisticated then he became later during his familiar role alongside Mrs. Peel, and the relationship with Mrs. Gale in particular is at first downright hostile with very little warmth between the two. He seems to get along much better with Miss Venus Smith, a night club singer who he engages at various gigs to act as his eyes and ears. Venus is a very odd character, and played strangely, but enthusiastically by Julie Stevens. She looks about 12, sings like she's forty, and dresses like anything in between. She also seems extremely naïve and it's hard to imagine why Steed engages her to help him at all. The far more intelligent and elegant Mrs. Gale does eventually warm up to Steed, and in the season three stories where she is the exclusive companion to him, their relationship develops nicely and they become much warmer and closer to each other.

The production values on season three are also much better than the earlier episodes. The sets became larger and more elaborate. The direction, lighting and sound improved greatly and the acting was much less wooden. Some editing was clearly allowed on these later stories, whereas the earlier ones clearly were broadcast as if they were live. There's a terrific blunder in "Six hands across a table," where Cathy is called "Ros" in one scene, and both actors realize the mistake, but keep going. An even better goof comes in "Concerto" when Nigel Stock forgets his lines completely and a very audible prompt is given from off camera. Terrific stuff.

The quality of the DVD's is somewhat disappointing, even accounting for the age of the material and the production values mentioned above. It may not be the case, but it certainly appears that A&E have made no attempt whatsoever to re-master the original tapes, and the flaws, jumps, scratches and sound blips are too numerous to mention. Virtually every episode on 63 sets 3 & 4 are hampered by picture and sound flaws and defects. Things do improve for 63 1 & 2 and 64 1 & 2, but the quality is still disappointing. Mind you, it appears they have done nothing to clean up the Tara King episodes either!

As a big fan of the series, I wouldn't even consider not having these episodes in my collection, but if you're looking for the wacky camp humor and the tele-fantasy of the Peel/King eras, these stories may not be for you.

Join the elegantly ruthless John Steed and the brilliant and beautiful Mrs. Cathy Gale, as they battle villians nefariously nasty and dispicably dangerous. They are THE AVENGERS! Television's first fully formidable male/female companionship. These episodes are from 1964, Honor Blackman's 2nd and last season. These episodes, while technically inferior to the Diana Rigg episodes, are every bit as stylish and admirable.

In volume one, we have "The White Elephant" and fan favorite "The Little Wonders". In "The White Elephant", Steed and Cathy investigate the dissapearance of a rare albino elephant, and cage a group of ivory smugglers. This episode did have potential, but unfortunately its a bit average. It does however, feature an assortment of exotic animals including a monkey, leopard, but no elephant. In "The Little Wonders", Steed goes undercover as a vicar in order to infiltrate a gang of religous racketeers, while Cathy plays with dolls. A nice plot and writing make up for the average direction. Featuring the only kiss between Steed and Cathy, and Lois Maxwell (a.k.a. Miss Moneypenny) as a macinegun-toting nun. It's just a great deal of fun.

In volume two, we have two of the best episodes. The effectively harrowing "The Wringer", and the delighfully enjoyable "Mandrake". In "The Wringer", six of seven agents using a certain pipeline have been killed, so Steed sets out to find the seventh. When he does, he is accused of killing the six agents and is subject to interrogation at the hands of "The Wringer". Extremly harrowing episode features a very different feel, outstanding performances, and masterful direction. Also, Cathy's surprising feelings for Steed are touching. In "Mandrake", mysterious grave undertakings at Cornwall cemetary lead Steed and Cathy to a sinister inheritance plot. This episode features all the best AVENGERS elements: a shifty-eyed (literally) diabolical mastermind, a mad doctor, merry widows, and tons of corpses. It could have been an Emma Peel episode. Also features one of the best fights of the series between Cathy and a thug in a graveyard.

In volume three, there's "The Secrets Broker", and "The Trojan Horse". In "The Secrets Broker", it becomes apparent that a wily wine merchant and a devious medium are involved in a plot to sell ministry secrets. This episode is really very dull, as it focuses on an illicit love affair rather than on Steed and Cathy's investigations. In "The Trojan Horse", Steed gallops to the stables as he investigates a prominent stable that's become a haven for hoods in training, while Cathy becomes a syndicate bookie for a gambling orginization as it starts closing the book on prominant politicians. Cathy's bookie numbers delivery is alone worth the price of admission, and the script is also good. But nothing else really stands out here.

Well, die-hard fans will be pleased with this delightful package, but be warned, the quality leaves abit to be desired. But if you're in the mood for intelligent storylines, kinky fashions, and brutal action THE AVENGERS '64 is what you're looking for!

'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 (of "Goldfinger" fame) 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.

EXPENSIVE! What is this, 60 bucks for 3 movies that you can buy for 10 dollars? I wouldn't waste your time on buying 3 seperate dvds for 60 bucks, just go buy them individually.

The movies themselves are...
Movie 1-Great, new fun and perfectly cast. Everyone loves the first Austin Powers.
Movie 2-The best of all 3. This movie introduces mini-me and is the funniest one of them all.
Movie 3-Terrible, it lost everything. The jokes are all repeats, and Byonce has absolutely no chemistry with Mike Myers. We see her talking to him then BAM they are partners and it is almost stupid that he has to find ANOTHER new girl.

For some weird reason I've always enjoyed Mike Myers' ultimate vanity project, the Austin Powers flicks. Who needs high-concept humor when the lowbrow and sometimes-scatological variety will do just fine, ya know?

But, let's get away from the movies proper and discuss the physical attributes of this particular DVD set. For one thing, I'm glad New Line finally took the hint and are starting to put their platters in plastic cases instead of those chintzy cardboard snappers that they and Warner Bros. have been using since they entered the digital disc market. All I can say is, it's about freakin' time! And in case you're worried 'bout whether or not the extra features that were available on the cardboard-case platters (audio commentary, deleted scenes, 'easter eggs', what-have-you) have been carried over to the re-releases, have no fear-they're all present and accounted for!

But then there's the weird part: this so-called 'box set' doesn't actually include a box! The only thing keepin' the cases together is a little cardboard band. Sheesh-for the kinda bucks they're expectin' ya to lay down for these flicks, the least they coulda' done was throw in a proper slipcase...

'Late

Thank the good lord above that all three Austin Powers movies are finally on DVD. Better yet, they're all special editions. Better still, they're all widescreen! And even better than that, they all have tons of special features!

The Austin Powers trilogy stands proudly up with the top movie trilogies of all time, including the Scream, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones trilogies. Every film gets a solid five stars. they are all hilarious. Still, they may take awhile to grow on you. I remember watching Goldmember, and later telling my sister "That movie is not funny at all." But by the third time I had watched it, I adored it, and thought it was absoloutly hilarious! I've always thought 1 and 2 were hilarious, though I believe 2 is probably the funniest. While you're watching the trilogy, you'll start to think about the characters as friends. I love Frau, Dr. Evil, Scott, all of them! Bottom line: the series offers plenty of good laughs for a rainy day.

The DVD are prenty much quality, with each one getting better than the one before it. The problem with the first movies DVD is that it's not presented in it's original Super 35 widescreen version. It is presented in a 1:85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio. Now, this new aspect ratio confuses me, but I've come to the conclusion that maybe it's BETTER than the Super 35 one. Better? you ask. How could it be better? Well, watching "Alternate Ending 2" in the deleted scenes section, they showed many clips from the film in Super 35. I noticed you saw just as much (and NOT more) to the side, but less on the top and bottom. So, this means that the aspect ratio on the DVD shows more to the sides AND the top and bottom. That's actually pretty cool, and after I realized that, I was comfortable watching the movie in this ratio. The picture is excellent (especially for one of the first DVDS ever) and the sound mix is great. The disks not exactly loaded, but it offers some good stuff. The seven deleted scenes are fun to watch, and the commentary is a joy. An interesting thing on the DVD is the ability to see clips from other movies starring the stars of Austin Powers. You see Mimi Rogers in a scene from "Monkey Trouble" and Elizabeth Hurley in a scene from "Dangerous Ground," amongst others.

The other DVD are much better, however. Both presented in their correct aspect ratios and loaded with extra features I(Goldmember's disk seems to be overflowing!), they make a must have buy.

A nice thing I noticed about this 3-Pack is that New Line took the time and care to change the cardboard covers of the first two into Keep Cases, the plastic ones, to make them fit with Goldmember better. I love New Line's way of improving themselves, and this is a good example.

Anyway, this is a great buy, and I'd recommend it to any body who's not offended by a dose of crude humor and wants to laugh.

While I agree that the Celebrity Deathmatch series was MTV's greatest gift to mankind, be warned that this DVD is only 45 minutes long. Don't those Sony clowns know that a DVD can easily contain 3 hours of animation? Seven fight scenes is barely two episodes. If the South Park people can fit four episodes into a DVD, I'm sure Sony can do likewise. There are so many other fights not yet available on DVD. Perhaps some entrepreneur out there would like to produce pirated Video CDs of Celebrity Deathmatch? You'd probably get more fight scenes on that!

Celebrity Death Match is a wonderfully sick masterpiece. This DVD, however, isn't worth buying. It's only 45 minutes long and [is costly]. Why doesn't Sony release a Celebrity Death Match DVD set of the entire series?

Where else can you see such fights as Sting vs. Phill Collens? Or Rob Zombie vs. Ozzie Osbourne? Or Hanson vs. The Spice Girls? Or Alfred Hitchcock vs. Steven Spielberg? Or Mills Lane vs. Judge Judy? Or Bigfoot vs. The Lockness Monster? Or The Backstreet Boys vs. The Beastie Boys in giant mechanical robots?!!! Anyway, if you've always wanted to see that celebrity that you hate get his/her @$$ kicked six ways from Sunday, than this is the show for you!

This movie was horrible!!! I watched it with my twin 6-year-olds and we were all equally bored and disappointed with this video! It was just SO far off from the story and all these extra characters (an excuse to add some star names to the mix), just came and went randomly. Most of the jokes seemed more aimed at adults than the kids it is intended for. My kids, however, are OBSESSED, with the older version of this story starring Chloris Leachman as the witch and complete with the original Engelburt Humperdink music. The video is hard to come by though. Someone should re-release it. It's great.

My husband and I watched it with our 6 and 3 year old. We ALL thought this movie was hilarious! Keep in mind though that it is silly and pretty corny but I think that's what makes it so funny. Beware there are is lot of gaseous humor. :) My kids watched this about four times in two days! It has the classic Hansel and Gretel story with a bit of a Halloween touch. We all thought it was great and we will definatly be adding this to our collection.

I rented this movie for a 3yr old and a 6yr old, expecting an updated retelling of the Grimm Fairytale. It was a whole lot better. The movie had some new characters and fun twists! The movie visually entertained my 3yr old, and my 6yr old loved the story and I loved the fun quirks and joke references. In a world where precious little is simply plain fun entertainment - this movie rocks! We will be purchasing this DVD and probably giving a few as gifts!

I will tell you from the start, I know a good amount of things about the great masterpieces of opera: I have heard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal, Verdi's La Traviata and Falstaff (I will also have Otello soon), Richard Strauss' Salome, Elektra and Rosenkavalier, as well as a bunch of other things. I can therefore say that I know what "Grand" opera is. And "Les Huguenots" is.

Meyerbeer has for long been disregarded as a great composer, and this because many other composers who now have a tremendous success (especially Schumann and Wagner) have made fun of him and ridiculised his musical skills. Today, peoples still find something bad to say of his music. Let me try to pop their balloons.

First, according to Meyerbeer bashers, his "melodic invention" is inferior to Bel-cantists, especially Verdi. His arias are, apparently, too short. I beg to differ. The only mistake Meyerbeer ever made in his arias was not to repeat himself. The arias in "Les huguenots" are, if you repeat their melodies like Verdi does in "Rigoletto", "La traviata" or "Il trovatore", we can see both are pretty much of similar length. As an example, if you take, say, Raoul(the tenor)'s romance "Plus blanche que la blanche ermine" and make him repeat it completely, with other lyrics, we obtain an aria as long as "La donna e mobile", except with better orchestration. It is, however, comprehensible they may SEEM shorter, but their musical value is in no way inferior. If you want a longer aria, just play it's part of the dvd again; it'll do just like Verdi in his middle-period arias. And for those who say this composer couldn't create complex melodic episodes, just take the 16 minutes long love-duet that ends the fourth act of this opera!

Also, it would appear that Meyerbeer's operas are too pompous, give an exterior effect, and rely on "effects without causes", to quote Wagner. It supposedly threathens the building of the acts of his operas. Only a misunderstanding of the very essence of the "Historical grand opera" can lead to such beliefs. Meyerbeer's operas are deeply humane, showing how individuals at a given historical moment influence and see their lives be influenced (often tragically) by it. It is normal Meyerbeer includes "pompous" or "cause-less" episodes in his opera, to create a picture of society at that time, and thus put into relief the human drama that later unfolds before our eyes. The perfect example would be the finale of act 3, where women wish happy days to a newly married couple, while the bride must hide her pain about being married to someone else than the one she loves (don't worry, she's more strongly built than Lucia of Lammermoor).

Finally, some say such works could only appeal to the french middle-class bourgeoisie of the time, which had inferior musical tastes, only wanted big spectacles, etc. Well, it would then mean the territory of France extended at that time from Chicago to Moscow!

Having said what I felt necessary about Meyerbeer, I will give a few words about the production of this dvd. All sets are beautiful, but the singing is a mixed bag. John Pringle (Baritone) and Amanda Thane (Dramatic soprano) give very good performances. Anson Austin (Tenor) is a bit squally, but his role is a quite difficult one. Clifford Grant (Bass) barfs his words more than he speaks them, but the singing itself is all right. John Wegner (Bass I think) has a far too light voice, I think, but his role is not that major a role. Joan Sutherland (Coloratura soprano) is hardly ok, but still listenable. All of them (even Joan Sutherland) have very good acting on their side, and only Grant, Sutherland and Thane have troubles with french diction. Subtitles are only in english, and the translating is quite passable. Good stereo sound, good conducting, good acoustics. The first scene of the fourth act was omitted, and what remains was dubbed as part of the fourth act.

To conclude, if you like operas with vivid and energetic orchestration, powerful chorus pieces, both tender and energetic melodies, human drama and grandiose finales, this opera should be your next buy. Meyerbeer was the most successful composer of his time. We must now preserve his works, instead of denigrating them, for they are as important to french opera as Wagner's lyric dramas to germans and Verdi's last four operas to italians, and are as much musical powerhouses as those are.

Joan Sutherland is a popular soprano with a following of many admirers. She has appeared in various operas now available on DVD, among them Lucrezia Borgia and La Fille Du Regiment. In the 60's and 70's Joan Sutherland grace the opera stage with her numerous sold out performances and her winning "big" voice. She was motivated to sing opera in an effort to rival Maria Callas or to follow in her footsteps. Here, she plays the role of Marguerite De Valois, the warm-hearted and freethinking French princess. Giacomo Meyebeer's operas were the trend at the time in Paris. His style "grand opera" is rarely performed today. It features lavish scenery, special effects and spectacle, crowd scenes, great singers and dramatic orchestral music. Much of these operas "L'Africaine", "La Prophete", "Robert Le Diable" were very big productions that cost a lot to produce- tales of intense drama, romance, tragedy, history, religion, etc. These operas were ancestors to Wagner operas. In fact, Meyerbeer was himself a French Wagner of his day.

Les Huguenots (French Protestants) is set in the late 1500's. Queen Elizabeth I was ruling England and the heart of Europe was divided between Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation. In France, there was a bloody massacre that has become known as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Many Protestants or Huguenots were killed in cold blood in the public streets. During these troubling times, Raoul the tenor hero falls in love with Valentine, the soprano heroine. The lovers are doomed from the beginning. They both come from opposing religions and rival families. A marriage would have been inevitable. But the clever Marguerite De Valois (Joan Sutherland) devises a plan to get them married and offers the help of both Protestant and Catholic religious leaders. Joan Sutherland's Marguerite looks a lot like Queen Elizabeth I in case anyone has already figured out. Unfortunately, like in most romantic dramas of this period, the lovers do not have a happy ending. But the story is exceptional, the singing brilliant and the music to die for.

I'm getting pretty sick of all these people trashing Huguenots. I admit, Les Huguenots isn't Star Wars or even Tristan und Isolde but it is still truly a great undervalued opera. Before Wagner and Verdi transformed and magnified the opera, Meyerbeer, a Jew, was THE big opera composer. Wagner, in fact, was highly jealous of Meyerbeer's success, attacking him savagely in his infamous treatise, "Judaism in Music". Historically, Huguenots is a fascinating and all-to-rarely seen work, somewhere between the glittering bel canto of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini, the french opera comique of Auber and Boieldieu, and the "Grand Opera" of Verdi, Wagner, and their successors. It is truly a "grand" work, its length being considerable and its subject matter and scope being equally enormous. In fact, it opens with the delightful Roccoco charm of "La Dame blanche", and ends with a French dramatic grandeur that reminds me of "Les Miserables". That said, it also contains some of the most delightful and glittering (not to mention difficult) music ever written. Musically (although perhaps not dramatically) Act II deserves particular attention, with Sutherland's breathtaking coluratura. Les Huguenots will be valued by any fans of Sutherland, French Romantic or Roccoco opera, or anyone intersted witnessing a wonderful but neglected musical (not to mention historical) document.

This set shows more of the erratic writing that dominated the second season. We also begin to see that they were filming episodes back to back to cut corners. That is why they would have an episode that would feature Koenig and Maya and we would just see a glimpse of Tony and Helena back on the base and then the next episode would feature Tony and Helena and Koenig was off on an Eagle somewhere and we would just see him for a minute or two and Alan was only in every other episode. The great shots of the ships from the first season have been cut way down by this time. Of course the worse thing about the second season was the writing. Following is my breakdown for the episodes.

The rules of Luton- A silly episode that borrows from Star Trek's Arena. The monsters are terrible and the action is minimal, but Koenig and Maya share some of their past with each other and I always liked it when they filmed on location.
The mark of Archanon- A decent story about a aliens who tried to be peaceful but they could suffer from a sickness that made them have to kill. The aliens look quite bad, but Alan gives a good showing as he takes to the younger alien like a big brother.
Brian the brain- This episode is just downright horrible. A computer that likes to say woo-hoo a lot. This episode has very few redeeming values and it is probably one of the three worst of the series.
New Adam, New Eve- This is definitely the best episode of the set. An alien claims to be the creator and he wisks Koenig, Maya, Helena and Tony away to a new eden. Of course, he is not who he says he is. This episode is similiar to Star Trek's Who mourns for adonis, but I really like this one. The story is interesting and it moves along very well.
The a b chrysalis- This one seems a bit underdeveloped to me, not bad at all, but it could have been better. It seems like we spend the first 35 minutes wondering around and following the bouncing balls and then we get into a little bit of plot when there is just 15 minutes left.
Catacombs of the moon- If this episode had been done in the first season then it would have emphazied Osgood's premonitions and it would have been one of those gothic horrors that were done so well in that season. However, this is the second season so the story just seems a bit strange and off kilter and we are left to just think that Osgood is a psycho. I did like the catacombs and the part where Tony is trying to console Osgood is probably the best piece of acting that he had done at this point in the series.
Not as many good episodes as the fifth set, but not as many bad ones either.

Year 2 of Space:1999 continues in Set 6, and if you were hoping for an improvement from Set 5, don't hold your breath! Though cheese and ham are served just as much as the previous collection, it's still a lot of mindless fun. There are a few moments here and there that remind of fans of Year 1, some insightful lines and illusions. But don't kid yourself. Year 2 has tons of Sci-Fi cliches and steals from a show that Space:1999 tried to challenge, Star Trek.
"The Rules of Luton", of course, is a Star Trek episode in disguise with some dated looking aliens, was one of my favorites as a kid. Of course, now, it's totally ridiculous.
"The Mark of the Archanon" is not too bad. The costumes from the guests leave very little for the imagination and some bad audio dubbing. Though, Nick Tate has a bigger role in this one.
"Brian the Brain", ugh! never thought a stupid robot could be filled with so much ham! His voice is a crossover between Woody Allen and a bad Jerry Lewis impersonation. Some good effects can't really salvage this one.
"New Adam, New Eve" is good for the main characters, but Magus is so far from an impression of God it's unintentionally funny. and the mutants, ugh, why are Space:1999 monsters so terrible?
"AB Chrysallis" is tolerable and pedestrian at times. But those bouncing balls and decent effects keep your mind off other plot holes. And the chlorine atomsphere for the aliens is a nice touch.
"Catacombs on the Moon" leaves more questions than answers. Like, how can there be catacombs on the moon without water? But, that's the least of Alpha's worries. The second class characters get a bunch more lines than the regulars, and Maya has 2 obligatory "shape-shifting" scenes.
Casual sci-fi and other viewers may not be able to tolerate Space:1999, but for an hour or two of mindless escapism, this may hust hit the spot.

An excellent set of episodes through and through. Imaginative, technically well realized, superlatively acted, and just the right mix of humor and tension of philosophical import always at the appropriate times. Is violence a disease that could be communicable at the onset of puberty ("Mark of Archanon"), is ignorance of a law an acceptable defense ("Rules of Luton"), is
artificial intelligence approximating human personality a wise thing to achieve ("Brian the Brain"), can faith sometimes supercede medical science ("Catacombs of the Moon"), might God have been an alien with physical rather than transcendental power of achieving miracles or would such an alien be mistaken for God ("New Adam New Eve"), and does an alien race have the right to defend itself if the means of doing so can obliterate hapless cosmic wanderers ("A B Chrysalis")? Each episode though outwardly action-adventure has a distinct philosophical underpinning and therefore valid as a quality science fiction product.

The Alphans continue to be a humane, empathetic, noble group of space travellers restoring balance of ecology or principle to alien races, stopping immoral menaces to the cosmos, and curing diseases where possible, while maintaining their struggle to survive and find a new planet on which to settle.

These are excellent examples of Space: 1999's format and I fail to see why so many viewers can't appreciate them. There's nothing remotely satirical about them. They aren't "sending up" the genre. They are solemn, fantastic future adventures on alien worlds. And besides all this, they look gorgeous. Colors and
contrasts are extraordinary for television of the period.

Expect no sparkle from stars or script in this remake of the witty comedy classic, which has been repeatedly filmed with varying degrees of success since 1931. There is no chemistry between the male leads, and Burnette is unspeakably bad in her cameo appearance. Recommendation: see instead "His Girl Friday," starring Rosalind Russel and Cary Grant; it is easily the finest screen version of the famous stage play.

"The Front Page" is a must-see for any fans of Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau! I bought the movie before I ever even saw it and I loved it! These two are as funny as ever in this comedy about two reporters who are on top of the hottest story in town. This is a great film to watch, although Carol Burnett's character was a down side to it, but you hardly even notice it with the rest of the fine cast. The DVD offers an overall good presentation of the film in standard (unfortunately not widescreen)format. Bottom line- it's worth buying, even if you've never seen it! Especially with the great price!

A very funny movie, if you like to laugh buy this one it is one of the best comedies you'll ever see.

Let's be honest. It was a little frustrating watching the playful antics of Steed and Mrs Peel, knowing that all that would ever happen would be a respectful peck on the cheek or a cordial hug. Enter Tara King, Steed's last partner. She is a Peel-in-training, only a little younger and a lot more in love with John Steed. Of course we know that nothing overt would ever happen between the two. It's just nice to know that when the credits roll the two might actually kiss on the lips. Linda Thorson is absolutely terrific as Steed's sidekick. She is athletic, fearless and determined. The '68 episodes were constructed with the same care and attention as the Rigg episodes and they are a pleasure to watch. If you think Mrs Peel was the only game in town, check out Tara King. She is a gas.

As some of you who have read other reviews that I have done for The Avengers series and I'll say it again... Being a new fan in terms of seeing the movie, see my review, I became interested in the show.

Now granted Mrs. Peel was beautiful and had class and brains, and Blackman had curves and brains also, yet most people over look Tara King. She did have very good wits and great intellect.

When I first bought this set I thought I was wasting my money, but I was wrong. This volume is pretty good. The firt two episodes are hard to get use to the idea of Steed working with someone else other than Peel, yet after that you warm up to the idea nicely. She adds a new spark to the show and a something... I don't know what, as the French would say. The transfer of the shows is not bad although A&E should have made another master copy and given some better color job or sharpened the picture. Yet those are just small complaints. Steed and King do work well together and they do have chemistry which does make watching the show more enjoyable.

For those new to The Avengers, ignore all the bad press that the delectable Tara King gets. Sure Emma Peel was sublime, and Cathy Gale was right on. But Tara King was also top notch, as were most of her episodes. Wherever you go on the web you will find Tara's episodes variously panned. Tish and pish! They are some of the most interesting, quirky and truly '60's' episodes of ANY television show ever.

Let me first state that the high rating of five stars relates to the greatness of the episodes, which is mainly the point of these reviews. Sadly the quality of these so-called 'digitally remastered' episodes by A&E is worse than bad.

Unfortunately the picture quality of my A&E DVD release of these magnificent episodes is passable at best. Now given the mass production method used in manufacturing these things I do not accept that only my copy is dodgy and I assume that the VHS releases are similarly affected. In particular, the episode on vol 1 of this set, "You'll Catch Your Death" is so poorly remastered as to be distracting. The brightness is shocking and the screen flickers with the old stains and blemishes I can only assume remain on the original film stock. Why haven't they been removed? Come on A&E (and Canal+ in France) get it together! There are many fans out there that expect better and will pay for it. Don't sell us short.

If you want truly good remastered episodes, I suggest you try and find the (now deleted) 1990's Lumiere releases on VHS. I know its an increasingly unpopular format, but faced with the abysmal quality of the A&E releases, it's worth the hunt believe me. I have several and they are excellent.

Sorry A&E but you should know better than that.

After viewing this several times and then comparing to the "Live at Oak Mtn" show, it's apparent these guys are tyring hard to carry on. But, it needs to be taken in the context of when it was recorded: three weeks after Houser leaves the band and discloses he's dying and three weeks before he does die.

With that in mind, what an inspired show. It still rocks and rocks hard in the 2nd set. The jam is very cool. I disagree this is a band in decline. They take their lumps and do what they do best ... play.

Compare this to the recent Allman Brother's "live at the Beacon" dvd (which incidently was filmed by the same guys) and you'll see a big difference.

As a recent Widespread fan, I understand the controversy behind George's addition to the band. However, he truly shines on this dvd in several songs. Although "Bayou Lena" isn't typical of WP, it made the dvd a must have for me, and "Stop Breaking Down Blues" is mind blowing with the guy from North Miss. All Stars making a guest appearance. The future of Widespread looks bright.

I have read numerous reviews from folks that do not like this DVD because Michael Houser is no longer with us. It is rather obvious to me that these folk have no idea what they are talking about. Perhaps they would have preferred if WP had just quit making music after Michael passed away? Or perhaps, they feel that Michael's body would have played a good guitar?
This is a GREAT concert. Do not let these other rubes that detract from this DVD fool you. I would say that Mr. Houser would be very proud to see his band striving on, in the face of adversity, still making awesome music. George McConnell plays a mean guitar and fills Michael's shoes just nicely, thank you very much! Rock on WP!!