Sweeney Todd - The Director's Cut (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although some have tried to argue that he was an actual person, it seems likely that the story of a throat-cutting barber named Sweeney Todd arose first as a bit of urban myth that was developed into an 1846 story titled THE STRING OF PEARLS by writer Thomas Prest. A year later the story was adapted to the stage as SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. It proved a popular ticket, and in age that knew little of copyright law, versions of the play were soon springing up all over the place, each one tweaking the story a little bit in the process. Consequently, it is almost impossible to say that any one particular version is "more authentic" than any other.
In this particular version, filmed for BBC in 2006, Todd (Ray Winstone)is a barber who spent twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Released, he finds himself shaving a prison guard and on sudden impulse slits the man's throat. One thing leads to another, as you might say, and he soon makes the acquaintance of bake-shop worker Mrs. Lovett (Essie Davis); his fondness for her not only leads him to set her up in her own business, but to supply the occasional cut of meat as well. The twist to this particular version of the story is in the relationship between Todd and Lovett, the latter of whom is more sinned against than sinning.
The script is quite clever, essentially winding most of Todd's motives (including his interest in Mrs. Lovett) around his own mistreatment while an inmate of the notorious Newgate prison, and both Winstone and Davis are extremely impressive in their performances. But for all the blood, and there is aplenty, and for all the sex, and there is some, the film looks exactly like what it is: a made-for-television movie. It is also rather slow and quite often a bit too "stiff upper lip" for its own good.
The DVD release offers a good transfer but, excepting cast credits, nothing in the way of bonus material. Those interested in the various directions the story has taken will find it intriguing, but most others will likely be only mildly interested.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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Metalocalypse: Season 2 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you like Metal, _This Is Spinal Tap_, "Beavis and Butthead", the mockumentary genre, lots of death and explosions, other Adult Swim shows, brilliant writing and animation, great comedy, dark humor, buy this DVD collection now. Support quality programs on Adult Swim. They ruthlessly kill off good shows as seemingly as often as people get offed in Metalocalypse. Season 2 sees the return of characters introduced in the first series, some of whom viewers were given the impression were probably dead or gone for good. This was a pleasant surprise as is the further development of the characters. There's more to some of them than you first realize. Season 2 also continues to follow a certain strange top secret orginization monitor and cause trouble for the band. It does have me curious how they'll wrap that up. I do know this - the concluding episodes of seasons 1 and 2 are so kick *** they leave you wanting more.

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90210: The Complete First Season (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)With the announcement that "90210', based on the popular hit 1990's drama series "Beverly Hills 90210' would be returning to television and feature stars from the past but also new stars for the present, the series definitely received a lot of hype and excitement. The series would be created by Darren Star ("Runaway", "Cashmere Mafia", "Beverly Hills90210', "Melrose Place" and "Sex and the City") and developed by Rob Thomas ("Dawson's Creek" and "Veronica Mars"), Jeff Judah ("Life as We Know It") and Gabe Sachs ("Freaks & Geeks", "Just Shoot Me" and "Undeclared") and began airing on the CW in 2008.
The series revolves around Harry Wilson moving his family from Kansas back to his home in Beverly Hills to live with his rich mother Tabitha and become principal of West Beverly Hills High School and his teenage children Annie and adopted son Dixon getting used to their new environment. Similar to the original series, there are a lot of twists and turns, but to best illustrate what the series is about is introducing the primary character of the series.
The Wilson Family
Harry Wilson (played by Rob Estes, "Women's Murder Club", "Providence" and "Suddenly Susan") - The father and husband. Also, the principal of West Beverly Hills High School. Used to be a wild person when he was younger and used to date Tracy Clark (the mother of Naomi) and both had a child which he never knew about.
Debbie Wilson (Lori Loughlin, "Full House", "In Case of Emergency" and "Summerland") - Loving mother and wife. A professional photographer who works at home and doesn't really get along with Harry's mother that well.
Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes, "Degrassi: The Next Generation") - The daughter who is trying to fit in and high school. Enjoys the performing arts and dates the popular jock Ethan Ward who once was in long relationship with Naomi. A former friend of Annie and now rival.
Dixon Wilson (Tristan Wilds, "The Wire") - The adoptive son of the Wilson family. Athletic and because he is African-American and was raised by a Caucasian family, he often feels like an outsider but for the most part, his parents and family love him. He dates Annie's good friend Silver. Dixon works at the Peach Pit.
Tabitha Wilson (Jessica Walter, "Arrested Development", "Trapper, John, M.D.", "Play Misty For Me") - Mother of Harry and lives in a mansion in Beverly Hills. She loves to drink alcohol too much and often meddles into the parenting of Harry and Debbie, thus her relationship with her daughter-in-law is not the best. A former actress.
The Clark Family
Tracy Clark (Christina Moore, "Hawthorne", The Bad Girls Guide") - A rich wife who is currently in a bitter divorce and is the mother of Naomi. She used to date Harry when they were teenagers and were a big couple. With Harry back in town, she starts to have interest in him despite knowing he's married. She reveals to Harry that they have a child.
Naomi Clark (AnnaLynne McCord, "Nip/Tuck", "American Heiress") - The popular diva at West Beverly High School and dated the popular jock Ethan Ward. And is used to being treated special. Spoiled but also from a broken family which leads her to bad boys. She has a bitter rivalry with Annie.
The Taylor/Silver Family
Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth, "Beverly Hills 90210', "What I Like About You") - The West Beverly Hills High School guidance counselor. Has a son with Dylan McKay and takes care of him and her sister Erin. With her recent split up with Dylan, she tries to have a relationship with teacher Ryan. And to further complicate things, her old high school friend Brenda Walsh is back. Kelly helps the teens at West Beverly Hills High School.
Erin Silver (Jessica Stroup, "Homecoming") - The anti-student who runs a blog at her high school making fun of the popular students (her former friends). Because of her mother's instability at home, she moves in with her older sister Kelly. She is Annie's best friend and dates her Annie's brother Dixon.
Other Main Characters
Ethan Ward (Dustin Milligan, "Runaway") - The high school jock and dated the most popular girl on campus Naomi. But he had a summer fling a long time ago with Annie Wilson and now that she's back, he ends up having a relationship with her. Despite his playboy ways, he gradually grows up as a person.
Adrianna Tate-Duncan (Jessica Lowndes, "The Haunting of Molley Hartley, "Greek") - The actress who's parents got into a bitter divorce and because her family doesn't make much money now, her mother pushes her to get acting or commercial roles to support them. The stress has forced her to become a drug addict and eventually pushing people away from her. Best friend of Naomi and eventually begins dating Navid.
Ryan Matthews (Ryan Eggold, "Dirt") - Ryan is a teacher at West Beverly High School. A teenager that everyone likes and is dating Kelly Taylor. Because he was messing around with an undercover officer (posing as a student at the high school), rumors ran rampant that he was having sexual relations with a student and damaged his reputation.
Navid Shirazi (Michael Steger, "The Cheetah Girls") - The media/tech expert and geek. Good friends with Dixon and eventually starts dating Adrianna and standing by her when no one else wanted to.
"90210 - THE FIRST SEASON" is featured on six DVD's. Here is a spoilerless summary of each episode:
DISC 1:
* EPISODE 1 & 2: WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE/THE JET SET - The Wilson family move to Beverly Hills and Annie and Dixon try to get used to their new surroundings and new school. And hoping to meet new friends.
* EPISODE 3: LUCKY STRIKE - Harry and Debbie have family bowling night and Annie and Dixon invite their new friends.
* EPISODE 4: THE BUBBLE - Kelly convinces Brenda Walsh to become the new theater director for West Beverly. Meanwhile Naomi confronts her father's mistress.
DISC 2:
* EPISODE 5: WIDE AWAKE AND DREAMING - Dixon and Silver grow closer, meanwhile Kelly and Ryan confront Adrianna in regards to her substance abuse.
* EPISODE 6: MODEL BEHAVIOR - Annie and Adrianna audition for an Indie film. Meanwhile Debbie is hired to photograph a fashion show.
* EPISODE 7: HOLLYWOOD FOREVER - Annie and Ethan are paired in class together to take care of a baby. Meanwhile, Naomi tries to help Adrianna with her drug problem.
* EPISODE 8: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOMECOMING - Annie gets her driver's license and both she and Ethan go an unofficial date. Meanwhile, Debbie is noticing that Tracy is trying to get close to her husband.
DISC 3:
* EPISODE 9: SECRETS AND LIES - Silver has a house party and Harry explains to his children that he had a child with Naomi's mother a long time ago.
* EPISODE 10: GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - Teacher Ryan Matthews gets into big trouble. Naomi also discovers Annie and Ethan's secret.
* EPISODE 11: THAT WHICH WE DESTROY - Dixon has a hard time accepting his new half-brother.
* EPISODE 12: HELLO, GOODBYE, AMEN - Adrianna learns shocking news that will change her life forever.
DISC 4:
* EPISODE 13: LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME - Debbie has had enough of her mother-in-law Tabitha getting involved of the raising of their children.
* EPISODE 14: BYE ACCIDENT - Adrianna makes a major revelation to her current situation. Meanwhile, Ethan gets into an accident and becomes concerned for Rhonda (Aimee Teegarden, "Friday Night Lights"), the girl he hit.
* EPISODE 15: HELP ME, RHONDA - Dixon has a hard time accepting his new half-brother. Meanwhile, Annie becomes concerned when Ethan spends too much time with Rhonda.
* EPISODE 16: OF HEARTBREAKS AND HOTELS - Naomi becomes interested in a bartender. Meanwhile, it's Valentine's Day.
DISC 5:
* EPISODE 17: LIFE'S A DRAG - Silver's relationship Dixon becomes a bit too intense.
* EPISODE 18: OFF THE RAILS - Silver does something that upsets Dixon and sets off a turbulent day in the life of Erin Silver. Meanwhile, Annie and Ethan's relationship hits a wall.
* EPISODE 19: OKAERI, DONNA - Donna Martin (Tori Spelling, "Beverly Hills 90210', "Tori & Dean: Inn Love") returns back from Japan to visit Kelly and while the others volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Dixon takes Annie with him to visit his real mother. Meanwhile, Harry has a problem with his wife's latest photoshoot - a nude male model.
* EPISODE 20: BETWEEN A SIGN AND A HARD PLACE - Harry and Debbie decide to sell their house in Kansas, while Naomi's trust in Annie starts to disappear. Meanwhile, Donna tells Kelly about what happened to her and David.
DISC 6:
* EPISODE 21: THE DIONYSIAN DEBACLE - Navid and Adrianna decide to tell their parents about their plans. Meanwhile, Naomi's sister Jen comes back to Beverly Hills.
* EPISODE 22: OFF THE RAILS - Silver does something that upsets Dixon and sets off a turbulent day in the life of Erin Silver. Meanwhile, Annie and Ethan's relationship hits a wall.
* EPISODE 23: ZERO TOLERANCE - It's prom night and a night of new beginnings for Naomi, Annie and also Adrianna. Meanwhile, Kelly is suspicious about Jen.
* EPISODE 24: ONE PARTY CAN RUIN YOUR WHOLE SUMMER - After prom night, things go crazy and definitely a night to remember.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"90210 - THE FIRST SEASON" is presented in 16:9 and features audio in English 5.1 and stereo.
I have to say that picture quality for the DVD is pretty good. Many drama television shows tend to suffer from terrible...Read more›

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An edgy, contemporary spin-off of the iconic drama Beverly Hills, 90210, the new 90210 looks at life through the eyes of Annie Wilson and her brother Dixon, whose first day at West Beverly Hills High School leaves no doubt they\'re not in Kansas anymore.

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Legion of Super-Heroes, Vol. 3 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was going to hold out on buying these LSH DVDs until they release them in whole seasons... but then, with the disappointing early cancellation of the show after Season 2, I realized it might never happen. So I am glad I finally bought them... even though there are no extras, it is great to have these on DVD, commercial-free.
Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 3 contains the final five episodes of the first season... which were pretty good, especially for longtime Legion fans. They are:
- "The Substitutes" (the Legion of Substitute Heroes makes it to the animated world!)
- "Child's Play"
- "Chain of Command" (Cosmic Boy returns, hooray! He was sorely missing, as one of the original 3)
- "Sundown, Part 1"
- "Sundown, Part 2" (the fate of Ferro Lad, animated style)
Happy 50th Anniversary, LSH -- Long Live the Legion!

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Missing Pieces (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)James Coburn heads the cast of this Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. The story is centered around the accidental death of the wife and mother of a well-to-do ranch family. Coburn, the father, never forgave his son, the one who happened to be driving when the accident happened. That's all in the past. The bulk of the story happens in Mexico, where the son now lives and has a highly successful career as a painter -- that career provides another point of stress between father and son.
The father travels to Mexico to try to help his son when the son is involved in another car accident, this one a hit-and-run resulting in another death.
I enjoyed this Hallmark offering greatly, but for me it's a half-step down from other Hallmark movies like "Sarah, Plain and Tall," "The Love Letter," or "Decoration Day."
Definitely a solid 4-star offering. You'll be glad you watched this one.
Have a great day!
Alan Holyoak

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Torn Between Two Lovers (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Exceptional performances by the three leads makes this an enjoyable time-filler. Travel back to 1979 and be entertained.

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Monarch of the Glen - Series Six (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, I have been a Monarch fan for some time and I must tell you up front I love the original Monarch characters. I really miss Hector and Killwillie. Weren't you getting tired of Lexi in Series 5? They had done everything they could do with her character and if they were smart they would have shipped her and Archie off together to live happily ever after and raise some baby lairds. Unfortunately, the writers turned our beloved Lexi into a harpie by having her make out with her brother in law, Paul, as Molly watches. This scene really made my skin crawl. How about a little honor in the Highlands? This really sullied the characters of Lexi and Paul. Anyway, this season pretty well purges the old Monarch cast with the exception of Golly and Molly. It still didn't make sense to get rid of Duncan. And the way they did it was awful. He didn't even have a heart to heart with Jess before he left. The real Duncan could never do that to a pal. If they would have kept Duncan around at least Golly would have had someone to talk too. Keep in mind that this is not the Old Monarch that we are used to. There are plenty of new characters and it gives us a chance to see Glenbogle in a new light. I know I was getting bored with the bitter, business woman/laird Lexi. They sucked all the fun out of her character once she got married. Anyway, this season is a refreshing change and Uncle Donald (from Dr. Who) is every bit as eccentric as his brother Hector. If you are a die hard Monarch fan I would purchase this item. Keep in mind this isn't like any of the past series and all your old friends have left. But the new tenants of Glenbogle did keep me watching. Hey BBC, how about a Christmas at Glenbogle with all our old pals returning for a family friendly holiday season?

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The fortunes of the Macdonalds have always been up and down, but now Paul, Archie's brother, is newly installed as master of Glenbogle. But, he has to prove himself and also come to terms with his feelings for his brother's wife, Lexie. Meanwhile, Hector's flamboyant younger brother comes to visit, causing mayhem from the moment he arrives.

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