Angel (DVD) Review

July 30th, 2009 by admin

Nominated for 25 Saturn Awards and one Emmy for Outstanding Makeup for a Series, Angel has established a strong cult following during its five-year run on the WB network. A spin-off of the enormously popular series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel has followed in the footsteps of its predecessor and boasts many of the same heroes and villains. Created by Joss Whedon, the show is one of a number of successful original series aired by WB including Buffy, Smallville, Dawson’s Creek, and Gilmore Girls among others…

Angel revolves around the life of Angel (David Boreanaz), a vampire turned do-gooder following a long career of killing the innocent. After spending three years in the small California town of Sunnydale with his girlfriend Buffy, Angel moves to Los Angeles where he sets up Angel Investigations to help those people most in need of protection from the dark forces that lurk within the city. Aided by old friends and new, Angel seeks to redeem his soul while cleansing the streets of Los Angeles of demons, warlocks, and evil lawyers… Angel’s supernatural fighting team includes Buffy crossover character Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter), now an aspiring actress; erudite Englishman Wesley Wyndam-Price (Alexis Denisof), and street fighter Charles Gunn (J. August Richards). Together, they join forces in a series known for its well-written and suspense riddled plots…
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All In The Family (Season 4) DVD Review

July 25th, 2009 by admin

Recipient of widespread critical acclaim and much audience adulation, All In The Family remained the top rated TV program throughout the early 1970s. Following the life of the loudmouth and often crass Archie Bunker (Carrol O’Connor), the show centered around Archie’s constant conflict with his daughter and son-in-law and their very liberal belief system. Archie also periodically clashed with his wife Edith, an often subserviant and ditzy traditional housewife. Tackling some of the more taboo issues of its time such as sexism, racism, bigotry, xenophobia, and death, All In The Family was a truly groundbreaking industry production…

The All In The Family (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “We’re Having a Heat Wave” in which Archie and Henry Jefferson (both for different reasons) try to prevent the Lorenzos, a Hispanic family, from moving into the house next door which just went up for sale… Other notable episodes from Season 4 include “Archie and the Kiss” in which Gloria brings home a Rodin-inspired centerpiece much to Archie’s chagrin, and “Edith’s Conversation” in which Archie fears that Irene Lorenzo is attempting to convert Edith to Catholicism…
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All In The Family (Season 3) DVD Review

July 20th, 2009 by admin

One of the more celebrated situation comedies of all-time, All In The Family dominated the Nielsen ratings throughout much of the 1970s. Carroll O’Connor plays the title role of Archie Bunker, the politically-incorrect head of the Bunker household. Loud and opinionated, Archie liberally dispenses his often bigoted remarks and ignorant comments from a recliner in his Queens, New York living room. Living with Archie are his loving, yet airheaded wife Edith (Jean Stapelton), progressive daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and ultra-liberal son-in-law Mike (Rob Reiner) who Archie regularly calls “Meathead”. As Archie’s ingrained assumptions clash with Gloria and Mike’s modern ideas, arguments break out everywhere in the Bunker household, but the inevitably the various family members come to love and respect each other for who they are…

The All In The Family (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Archie and the Editorial” in which Archie ardently defends his anti-gun control views on a TV editorial show, only to be held up by a pair of muggers wielding a gun when he leaves the station. The incident causes Archie to transform into a gun control advocate… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “Lionel Steps Out” in which Lionel Jefferson takes Archie’s niece out on the town (peeving Archie who believes whites and blacks don’t mix), and “Mike’s Appendix” in which Archie and Gloria fight over the credentials of female doctors when Mike is forced to have an emergency appendectomy…
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All In The Family (Season 2) DVD Review

July 15th, 2009 by admin

The top Nielsen-rated television program from 1971 to 1976, All In The Family is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV sitcoms ever produced. Inspired by The Flintstones and The Honeymooners, All In The Family focused on the weekly antics of its own loud-mouth, politically-incorrect Fred Flintstone/Ralph Kramden clone, and like his predecessors, Archie Bunker has a hidden sensitive side. Ingeniously written and downright hilarious, All In The Family established new ground for TV sitcoms with its willingness to take on the taboo social issues of its day. Topics covers included bigotry, racism, homosexuality, sexism, death, and other namby-pam, commie-lib feminist ideals (at least that’s how Archie would say it!) A true mammoth in the history of TV, All In The Family also led to a pair of highly successful spin-offs: Maude and The Jeffersons…

The All In The Family (Season 2) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “The Saga of Cousin Oscar” in which Archie’s Cousin Oscar arrives in Queens for a visit. Considering him a lazy, do-nothing, Archie isn’t pleased to be playing host to Oscar (whom we never actually see), and the irritation is further amplified when Oscar dies in the upstairs bedroom. Now mourners fill Archie’s house, and he must decide whether or not to plan a funeral… Other notable episodes from Season 2 include “Edith Writes A Song” in which Archie purchases a handgun for protection only to have two robbers use it against him, and “The Election Story” in which Mike and Gloria vociferously campaign for the liberal candidate while Archie throws his hat in with the opposition candidate…
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All In The Family (DVD) Review

July 10th, 2009 by admin

The #1 Nielsen rated program from 1971 to 1976, All In The Family is quite simply one of the greatest television programs in history. Inspired by The Honeymooners and The Flintstones, All In The Family features its own loud-mouthed, opinionated blowhard sporting a hidden soft and sensitive side. Like Ralph Kramden and Fred Flintstone, Archie Bunker fulfills his role to absolute perfection, and the result is TV magic. Well-written and outright hilarious, All In The Family broke ground in the 70′s with its willingness to tackle all the social issues and societal taboos of its day. Topics included racism, bigotry, sexism, homosexuality, death, and other namby-pam, socialist and liberal-feminist ideals (or at least that’s how Archie would put it!) A titan among television sitcoms, All In The Family spawned a pair of shows which topped the ratings in their own right – Maude and The Jeffersons…

Carroll O’Connor plays the role of Archie Bunker, the titular head of the Bunker household. Loud and crass, Archie freely dispenses his bigoted remarks and ignorant comments from the living room of his Queens, New York home. Joining Archie is his loving and ditsy wife Edith (Jean Stapelton), his beautiful and progressive daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her ultra-liberal husband Mike (Rob Reiner) whom Archie refers to as “Meathead”. As Gloria and Mike’s modern ideas clash with Archie’s old school beliefs, all hell breaks loose in the Bunker household, but the Bunkers don’t spend all their time arguing as they’re inevitably held together by the immutable bond of love…
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Alias (Season 3) DVD Review

July 5th, 2009 by admin

One of the highest rated shows of its era, Alias maintains a loyal cult following swept away by its intriguing suspense and action-packed drama. Jennifer Garner stars in the lead role of Sydney Anne Bristow, a beautiful and cerebral recruit tasked to work for a secret government entity, the SD-6 agency. But problems confront her when she eventually realizes that SD-6 is not the government agency she thinks. Reunited with her estranged father Jack (Victor Garber), she blossoms into a top tier double agent in an attempt to counter SD-6… Recipient of numerous industry awards and award nominations, Alias continues to grow its fanbase via strong writing, interesting characters, and a suspense-riddled plotline…

The Alias (Season 3) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “The Two” in which Sydney, suffering from amnesia, desperately tries to uncover the truth about the past few years of her life. Meanwhile, the CIA puts her on a case which might possibly aid in her memory’s recovery… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “Reunion” in which Sydney and Michael once again pair up on an assignment in order to halt an evil plot by Sark, and “Conscious” in which Sydney participates in a strange doctor’s experiment to recover her earlier memories…
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Alias (Season 2) DVD Review

July 1st, 2009 by admin

Making its debut in September 2001, Alias immediately struck a chord among interested television viewers. The series combines the conspiracy and intrigue of The X-Files with the action and adventure of a Hollywood blockbuster. It also helps that the central character of the show is a mysterious and beautiful woman played by Jennifer Garner. But it’s the unique plots and creative dialogue of writers which makes Alias one of the highest rated shows of its era…

The Alias (Season 2) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “The Enemy Walks In” in which, following a long search (most of Season 1), Sydney finds her mother. Meanwhile, Michael has been swept away by a tsunami in the Pacific, and it remains up in the air as to whether or not he’s still alive… Other notable episodes from Season 2 include “Cipher” in which Sydney is forced to match wits with Khasinau’s front man, Sark, while Jack meets with Sydney’s mother (whom he once believed to be dead), and “Phase One” in which SD-6 gets a new director to replace Sloane…
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