Survivor - Season Two - The Australian Outback: The Greatest & Most Outrageous Moments (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I need to preface this review with this note: I am a HUGE fan of "Survivor," and despite the bad reviews, I actually enjoyed the DVD of the first season quite a bit.
There's nothing very interesting in this "best of" compilation. It basically starts off with each contestant's audition tape/interview, then proceeds to one scene of something that happened to them during their stay. This is immediately followed by tribal council and their final words. Unlike the first season's video release, there are no additional challenges here, there isn't any additional nudity or profanity (other than the one of Alicia and Kimmi fighting, which we've seen on TV at least a thousand times by now), there isn't any graphic footage of Michael slaughtering the pig. In fact, even the "Symbolic Tribal Council" for Michael's departure that Mark Burnett said wasn't shown on TV but would turn up on the DVD didn't make the final cut.
What do you get as far as additional features go? There's footage from all the contestants' appearances on The Early Show. If you have a DVD Rom drive, they've recreated the official CBS web site for the show on disc - including the weekly show summaries, contestant profiles, popularity poll ratings, Outback feature, games and the Real Media video clips. This is rather interesting, since you can read about what happened during their stay in the Outback in full detail, with pictures and video supplementing the experience. However, not all of the video clips on the online site made the transfer to the disc. So basically, if you have an internet connection, logging on to the official site is still a better option.
What's good about the DVD? The transfer is brilliant. You can see actual rainfall during scenes where it didn't seem to be raining when the scenes were aired on network TV. But for me to be writing a review about a show and to have to focus on this aspect should tell you what you really need to know about this DVD. After months of anticipation, it's quite a letdown.

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The Amazing Race - The Seventh Season (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having Rob and Amber from "Survivor" compete on this show's Season 7 was obviously a bit of stunt casting (and, to a degree, was regrettable, because TAR shouldn't really need to resort to such attention-grabbing ploys) but as far as that goes, they were a definite upgrade from Alison from "Big Brother", who appeared in Season 5 along with her boyfriend Donny. It really shouldn't come as a shock that they proved to be excellent competitors, and there's one leg of the race in particular where the Robfather pulls a Jedi mind trick to convince some of the weaker-willed to dance to his tune.
Personally, I think Seasons 3 and 6 have been the strongest, but this edition has one really great team (Brian and Greg), the requisite team you love to hate (Ray and Deana), the token old couple (Meredith and Gretchen) that refuses to go quietly into that good night (NEVER bet on the old couple to be eliminated first on any TAR season), a stereotypically snarky gay couple (Lynn and Alex), and the ever-popular team where you can't believe the words that are coming out of their mouths (from Kelly--not so much from Ron). At least one of the teams had no real business being on the show--the word is that they were actually recruited by the casting agents, rather going through the audition tape process like everyone else, and it is pretty much evident. A member of another team spends so much time groaning and complaining about inevitable defeat that you'll want to hit the mute button whenever he shows up on the screen.
This season spends rather more time in South America than in previous outings and, unusually, scarcely hits Europe at all, and then takes a literally surprising direction for the home stretch.
There's plenty of drama, and at least three photo finishes with desperate flat-out sprints to the mat, and one of these is among TAR's all-time great moments to watch. And thankfully, no one proves to be as wretched and vile as TAR5's Colin and Christie or TAR6's truly loathsome Jonathan and Victoria.
Plus there is llama herding, so you know that you're in for quality entertainment. Until TAR3 and TAR6 come out, this edition is not too shabby.

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AMAZING RACE:SEVENTH SEASON - DVD Movie

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The Amazing Race: The First Season (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am happy that the show finally found an audience that made the producers of the show decided to release the first season on DVD. I think of all the reality series, this one will hold its own best in "repeated viewings" and on syndication. Unlike other reality series, even if you already know who wins or who gets eliminated in a particular episode, it doesn't ruin the quality of the episode. But of course there's still nothing compared to seeing these episodes for the first time.
It is a revolutionary reality series that has a concept that was probably very hard to pull off on paper (can you imagine the reactions of the TV executives when they first heard about the concept of the show). But amazingly, they did pull it off! It is very evident that the producers treat each episode as "special episode" because can you just imagine the logistics and the number of people (across the globe) involve in producing this show?
There are some aspects of the show that were later on in the succeeding seasons were changed mostly for improvements. Example of this is that in the first season, Phil only received the teams who came in the last place (a person from that particular country receives those who came in before the last team). Part of the fun is watching the reactions of the racers anticipate whether they were eliminated or not. Because in the first season the racers already know if they came in last, we were not able to see those kinds of reactions.
Some of the most memorable teams were Team Guido (you won't believe the extent they were willing to do to get ahead), Lenny and Karyn (the original fighting couple, but their fight looked real and not some deliberate attempt to gain screen time. When Karyn said "Disappointing", you believe her!), Nancy and Emily (even though Emily acted like a brat, Nancy just radiates with motherly innocence in the race), and Kevin and Drew (the original funny guys)
When the winner finally cross the finish line at the finale, with all the eliminated teams cheering for them, you just can't help but feel like being a part of the race.

Grade: A

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The premiere season of THE AMAZING RACE sees 12 teams race around the globe to 'amazing' locations including Thailand, China, Tunisia, India, Italy, France, Alaska and Zambia for a $1,000,000 prize in the end.

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Big Brother 3 - Episodes 1-4 (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)What good is a DVD set with only the first 4 episodes? I assume the others will come out later (or not, if this one doesn't sell), but then we have to spend MORE money.
The reviews for the Big Brother 4 DVD indicate that Season 4 is only 2 discs, featuring highlights only.
Why can't CBS put out a COMPLETE SET of at least ONE season? Also, don't they realize that the true fans want everything? That includes ALL the episodes AND some uncensored clips as well.

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Contains the first 4 episodes of Big Brother 3! The Big Brother House: situated on a closed set on the CBS Studios lot in California, isoutfitted with 38 cameras and 62 microphones that record the lives of the 12 contestants24 hours a day for three months. The goings-on are broadcast on TV as well as on theinternet. Each week the contestants vote one of their own out until just two are left. Thefinal surviving House Guests are then subjected to a final vote. During that vote, thereturning "banished" House Guests pick the winner who takes home $500,000.

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