THE CRITERION COLLECTION & ECLIPSE SERIES (a J!-ENT Listing of all Criterion-related Blu-ray and DVD Reviews)

Since 1984, the Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, has been dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements.

The following is a list of all the CRITERION COLLECTION Blu-ray and DVD’s we have reviewed on J!-ENT thus far.

THE CRITERION COLLECTION BLU-RAY AND DVD REVIEWS (Listing are in the Criterion Collection & Eclipse Series  numeric order):

Note: Reviews are from 1999-Present

Seven Samurai – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #2 (Blu-ray release)

Amarcord – The Criterion Collection #4

the 400 blows – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #5

Beauty and the Beast – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #6

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #7

Walkabout – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #10

The Naked Kiss – The Criterion Collection #18

Shock Corridor – The Criterion Collection #19

High and Low – The Criterion Collection #24

alphaville – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #25

Branded to Kill – The Criterion Collection #38

Tokyo Drifter – The Criterion Collection #39

ARMAGEDDON – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #40

For All Mankind – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #54

The Passion of Joan of Arc -THE CRITERION COLLECTION #62

The Third Man – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #64

The Blood of a Poet – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #67 (part of “Jean Cocteau’s Orphic Trilogy”)

Orpheus – The Criterion Collection #68

Cléo from 5 to 7 – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #73 (part of the “4 By Agnès Varda” Box Set)

Chasing Amy – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #75

Brief Encounter – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #76

Good Morning – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #84

L’Avventura – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #98

GIMME SHELTER – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #99

BEASTIE BOYS VIDEO ANTHOLOGY – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #100

THE ROCK – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #108

M. Hulot’s Holiday – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #110

Mon Oncle – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #111

Playtime – THE CRITERON COLLECTION #112

Sullivan’s Travels – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #118

Rashomon – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #138

Contempt – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #171

Band of Outsiders – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #174

My Life as a Dog – The Criterion Collection #178

Night and Fog – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #197

The Rules of the Game – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #216 (2004 Release)

The Rules of the Game – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #216 (2011 Release)

Smiles of a Summer Night (Sommarnattens leende) – The Criterion Collection #237

A Woman is a Woman – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #238

The Battle of Algiers – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #249

SHADOWS – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #251 (as part of the “John Cassavetes Five Films” DVD Box Set)

Fighting Elegy – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #269

Tout va Bien – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #275

L’Eclisse – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #278

Jules and Jim – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #281

Le Samourai – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #306

Masculin Féminin – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #308

Metropolitan – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #326

Yi Yi – The CRITERION COLLECTION #339

The Bakery Girl of Monceau – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #343 (part of “Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales” DVD Box Set)

Suzanne’s Career – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #344 (part of Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales” DVD Box Set)

My Night at Maud’s – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #345 (part of “Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales” DVD Box Set)

Pandora’s Box – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #358

The Double Life of Veronique – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #359

symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes by William Greaves – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #360

The Emperor Jones/Paul Robeson: The Tribute to An Artist – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #370

Overlord – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #382

La Jetée/Sans Soleil – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #387

Robinson Crusoe on Mars – The Criterion Collection #404

Breathless – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #408

La Pointe Courte – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #419 (part of the “4 by Agnès Varda” Box Set)

Pierrot Le Fou – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #421

Antonio Gaudi – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #425

Trafic – The Criterion Collection #439

BOTTLE ROCKET – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #450

CHUNGKING EXPRESS – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #453

El Norte – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #458

Simon of the Desert – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #460

THE LAST METRO – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #462

In the Realm of the Senses – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #466

The Curious Case of BENJAMIN BUTTON – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #476

Made in U.S.A. – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #481

Marty (as part of “The Golden Age of Television – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #495)

Germany, Year Zero – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #499 (as part of Roberto Rosselini’s War Trilogy)

REVANCHE – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #502

Make Way for Tomorrow – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #505

Dillinger is Dead – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #506

Vivre sa vie – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #512

Summer Hours – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #513

Red Desert – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #522

The Secret of the Grain – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #527

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #535

Paths of Glory – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #538

MODERN TIMES – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #543

CRONOS – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #551

The Times of Harvey Milk – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #557

Topsy-Turvy – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #558

The Mikado – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #559

Something Wild – The Criterion Collection #563

Pale Flower – The Criterion Collection #564

The Great Dictator – The Criterion Collection #565

The Makioka Sisters – The Criterion Collection #567

People on Sunday – The Criterion Collection #569

Zazie dans le métro – The Criterion Collection #570

Léon Morin, Priest – The Criterion Collection #572

The Music Room – The Criterion Collection #573

Secret Sunshine – The Criterion Collection #576

The Complete Jean Vigo – The Criterion Collection #578

The Phantom Carriage – The Criterion Collection #579

Le Beau Serge – The Criterion Collection #580

12 Angry Men – The Criterion Collection #591

Design for a Living – The Criterion Collection #592

Belle de Jour – The Criterion Collection #593

The Moment of Truth – The Criterion Collection #595

Tiny Furniture – The Criterion Collecton #597

ECLIPSE SERIES DVD REVIEWS

One Hour With You (part of Lubitsch Musicals – Eclipse Series #8)

Tokyo Chorus (part of Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies – Eclipse Series #10)

I Was Born, But… (part of Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies – Eclipse Series #10)

The Ascent (part of Larisa Shepitko – Eclipse Series #11)

Wings (part of Larisa Shepitko – Eclipse Series #11)

Eclipse Series #21: Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties – General Review

Pleasures of the Flesh (part of Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties – Eclipse Series #21)

Violence at Noon (part of Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties – Eclipse Series #21)

Sing a Song of Sex (part of Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties – Eclipse Series #21)

Japanese Summer: Double Suicide (part of Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties – Eclipse Series #21)

Three Resurrected Drunkards (part of Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties – Eclipse Series #21)

Eclipse Series 23: The First Films of Akira Kurosawa – General Review

Sanshiro Sugata (as part of The First Films of Akira Kurosawa – Eclipse Series #23)

The Most Beautiful (as part of The First Films of Akira Kurosawa – Eclipse Series #23)

Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two (as part of The First Films of Akira Kurosawa – Eclipse Series #23)

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (as part of The First Films of Akira Kurosawa – Eclipse Series #23)

Memory for Max, Claire, Ida and Company (as part of The Actuality Dramas of Allan King – Eclipse Series #24)

Eclipse Series 25: Basil Dearden’s London Underground (General Review)

Sapphire (as part of the Basil Dearden’s London Underground – Eclipse Series #25)

The League of Gentlemen (as part of the Basil Dearden’s London Underground – Eclipse Series #25)

Victim (as part of the Basil Dearden’s London Underground – Eclipse Series #25)

All Night Long (as part of the Basil Dearden’s London Underground – Eclipse Series #25)

MISC. RELEASES

Band of Outsiders (part of the “10 Years of Rialto Pictures” DVD Box Set)

Red Balloon/White Mane

KINO Video/KINO International/KINO Lorber (a J!-ENT Listing of All KINO Blu-ray and DVD Reviews)

Kino International was founded in 1977 as a theatrical distribution company specializing in classics and foreign language art films. The company began operation with a license to handle theatrical distribution of the Janus Collection, a library containing over 100 important European and Asian art films of the 40s, 50s and 60s.

Kino now boasts a catalog of over five hundred films — one of the most important libraries of classic and contemporary world cinema titles available to the home video collector — and has been honored by numerous critical accolades, including the prestigious Heritage Award from the National Society of Film Critics for its work in film preservation in 2002 and 2003.

The following is a list of all the KINO VIDEO/KINO INTERNATIONAL/KINO LORBER Blu-ray and DVD’s we have reviewed on J!-ENT thus far.

Note: Reviews are from 1999-Present

- Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and ’30s: Ménilmontant by Dimitri Kirsanoff

- Battleship Potemkin

- The Birth of a Nation

- The Blue Angel: Special Two-Disc Collection

- Boccaccio ’70

- Buster Keaton: The Short Films Collection 1920-1923

- Casanova ’70 (as part of the “Great Italian Directors Collection”)

- The Cat and the Canary: The Photoplay Restoration (as part of the “American Silent Horror Collection”)

- The Charley Chase Collection Vol. 2: Dog Shy

- The Cigarette Girl of Mosselprom

- City of Life and Death

- The Constance Talmadge Collection: Her Night of Romance

- The Constance Talmadge Collection: Her Sister From Paris

- David Holzman’s Diary: Special Edition

- Edge of Dreaming

- A Farewell to Arms

- Film Socialisme

- A Fool There Was

- Gaumont Treasures Vol. 2 1908-1916

- The General

- Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould – Director’s Cut

- Giorgio Moroder presents Metropolis

- Go West and Battling Butler

- Going Places

- The Good Fairy (as part of the “Glamour Girls” DVD Box Set)

- Great Directors

- Great Italian Directors Collection

- happily ever after (Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d’enfants)

- Harry Langdon…the forgotten clown: Long Pants

- Ingrid Bergman in Sweden

- Intermezzo (as part of the “Ingrid Bergman in Sweden” DVD Box Set)

- Intolerance (as part of the Griffith Masterworks DVD Box Set)

- It/Clara Bow: Discovering the “It” Girl

- June Night (as part of the “Ingrid Bergman in Sweden” DVD Box Set)

- La Ronde

- Le Quattro Volte

- Liverpool

- Lost Keaton

- Mademoiselle Chambon

- Marriage Italian Style

- Metropolis: The Complete Metropolis

- Metropolis: Restored Authorized Edition

- The Norma Talmadge Collection: Kiki

- The Norma Talmadge Collection: Within the Law

- Nothing Sacred

- The Ocean Waif (as part of “The Ocean Waif plus 49-17″)

- Our Hospitality

- Pandora and the Flying Dutchman

- The Red Chapel

- The Robber

- The Sacrifice: Remastered Edition

- The Scent of Green Papaya

- Seven Chances

- Sherlock Jr. and Three Ages

- The Sound of Insects

- Steamboat Bill, Jr.

- Story of a Love Affair (as part of the “Great Italian Directors Collection”)

- Strike

- A Summer in La Goulette

- Two in the Wave

- United Red Army

- Way Down East

- Winnebago Man

- Who is Harry Nilsson (and Why is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?

- A Woman’s Face (as part of the “Ingrid Bergman in Sweden” DVD Box Set)

- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

SENTAI FILMWORKS LICENSES GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES

HOUSTON, December 1, 2011— Sentai Filmworks proudly announces the company’s acquisition of distribution rights for the critically acclaimed animation masterpiece GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES.  Based on the semi-autobiographical retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Iaso Takahata (co-founder, with Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli, the studio that performed the animation duties for the film,) GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES has been universally hailed as both an artistic and emotional tour de force, with famed critic Roger Ebert calling the feature “An emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation” and stating that “it belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made.”  Sentai Filmworks is extraordinarily honored to have been given the privilege of handling the digitally restored version of one of the art of animation’s true crowning achievements.

As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies.  This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources.  Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares.  Beautiful, yet at times brutal and horrifying, it is a film that perhaps only the animated medium could render without completely overloading human senses, transforming the fog of war and the screams of the dying into what Ebert calls “visual poetry.”

Digital distribution of GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES will begin through many outlets this winter, and a DVD of the digitally restored master will be in stores next year.

About Sentai Filmworks:
Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, including hit series like Highschool of the Dead, Guin Saga, Needless, Canaan and Angel Beats.  Sentai Filmworks programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23Films, The Right Stuf and other good and fine distributors.  Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, Playstation Network and YouTube.

Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

The final leg of this emotional rollercoaster ride with the Walker family comes to an end.  “Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” is entertaining, fun, emotional but overall a good conclusion for the series.  Fans of the series will definitely want to pick up this final season DVD set!

Images courtesy of © ABC Studios. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season

TV SHOW AIRDATE: 2010-2011

DURATION: 938 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions, Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles

RATED: TV 14 DLS

COMPANY: abc studios

RELEASE DATE: August 23, 2011

Created by Jon Robin Baitz

Directed by Ken Olin, Michael Owen Morris, Michael Schultz, Laura Innes and David Paymer

Written by Jon robin Baitz, David Marshall Grant, Molly Newman, Sherri Cooper, Cliff Olin, Monica Breen, Peter Calloway, Alison Schapker, Michael Foley, Liz Tigelaar, Jennifer Levin, Jason Wilborn, Daniel Silk, Josh Reims, Brian Studler, Nancy Won

Executive produced by KenOlin, Monica Breen, Alison Schapker

Produced by Suzanne Geiger, Nicole Carrasco, Sparky Hawes, Jennifer Lence, Michael Foley, Nancy Won, David Marshall Grant, Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper, Josh Reims, Molly Newman, Michael Morris, Stephen Judge, Sarah Caplin

Music by Blake Neely

Cinematography by Cynthia Pusheck, Michael Mayers

Edited by Barbara Gerard, Imelda Betiong, Kristin Windell

Casting by Gillian O’Neill, Jeanie Bacharach

Series Production Design by Lee Mayman

Series Set Decoration by Bryan Venegas

Series Costume Design by Melina Root

Cast:

Dave Annable as Justin Walker

Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker

Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon

Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden

Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper

Sally Field as Nora Walker

Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker

Kerris Dorsey as Paige Whedon

Balthazar Getty as Tommy Walker

Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker

Maxwell Perry Colton as Cooper Whedon

Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper

Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell

Ken Olin as David Caplan

Gilles Marini as Luc Laurent

Peter Gerety as Dennis York

The final season of the star-studded ABC drama continues the story of the Walkers, a contemporary picture of the American family. At the heart is matriarch Nora, who finds personal satisfaction in knowing her family is happy, however sometimes allows her intentions to be a little overbearing. Her five adult children, friends as much as they are relatives, come together to support each other through the joy and heartache as they try to manage their professional, romantic, and familial lives. Together they face genuine, relatable life issues in this warm and witty drama.

“Brothers and Sisters” is a show created back in 2006 by Jon Robin Baitz (a writer who worked on “Alias” and “West Wing”). The series revolves around the Walker family, an upperclass family that owns a major company known as Ojai Foods.

In the history of “Brothers and Sisters”, the family is rocked by the death of the father and business owner, William Walker. But even more shocking to the family is that their father had a mistress and an illegitimate daughter but that William had embezzled money from the company. So, the family focuses on the lives of the Walker family and how the brothers and sisters must move on with the family business and make sure it is not run into the ground and try to keep it afloat.

As the first two seasons had to do with the family and the family matriarch Nora (played by Sally Field) trying to keep everyone together, we see the family members going through various tribulations in their career and personal life.

In the third season, changes are afloat with Ojai Foods experiencing financial difficult. That leaves the Walker family having to partner up with Holly Harper, the mistress of William Walker. Throughout the third season, Kitty and Robert experience the highs of a family wanting to have children but also the lows as a family where their dedication to their careers interferes with their relationship.

For Sarah, knowing that she has a family to take care of, she knows that her brother Tommy is becoming the main family member dedicated to the company. As for Tommy, he starts to unearth things about his dead father and what he has done to the company, causing Tommy to make some decisions that can harm his position. Kevin will see chances for him to advance his career, but he will have to make a difficult decision of whether or not he should stay true to the person he loves and to himself or to do what he can to become a partner at his law firm. As for Justin, he tries his best to clean up, especially now that he has found love with Rebecca but has issues with recruiting people for the military.

Meanwhile, for the third season, the bombshell was that William may have had another illegitimate child, will become a significant issue for season three. If anything, relationships and family will be tested more than ever and whether or not the family matriarch, Nora can keep the family together is going to be important.

By season’s end, Kitty and Robert’s married is tested nearly to a point where Kitty nearly gets into an affair with another man, Tommy having left to Mexico, Kevin trying to keep things going right with his husband and Justin and Rebecca furthering their relationship and growing closer. Meanwhile, we are introduced Ryan Lafferty, the siblings half brother that came from an affair that William Walker had with another woman.

In season 4, the family goes through an emotional time.  While the business is doing terribly, the family goes through healing and bonding.  Kitty and Robert’s marriage grows stronger as Kitty has cancer and Robert dedicates his life to being with his wife, Justin meanwhile grows closer with Rebecca and get married, Sarah falls in love with an artist named Luc, Kevin and Scotty try to find a surrogate mother to have a baby and Nora and Holly grow their friendship.

And as everything seems to be going right for the Walker family and to celebrate, the whole family goes out on a retreat.

But just when you think all is good with the Walker family, as they leave a retreat, all get involved in a serious traffic accident and life for the Walker family will never be the same again.

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” features a total of 22 episodes on six DVD’s. In the fifth and final season of “Brothers and Sisters”, it has been a year since the accident and life for the Walker family has not been the same.  How will life go?

The main characters of “Brothers and Sisters” are:

The Walker Family

• Nora Walker (Sally Field, “Gidget”, “The Flying Nun”, “The Girl with Something Extra”, “ER”) – The Walker matriarch and the mother who likes to get involved with her children’s lives. In the first season, she tries to get over her husband’s death, learns that her husband had an illegitimate daughter and is now trying to move on. She now tries to keep the family together no matter what challenges they may face.  In Season 5, since the tragedy, Nora has not been vocal and has taken a stand back when it comes to her family.
• Sarah Walker (Rachael Griffiths, “Six Feet Under”) – The family business woman and mother who has tried to lead the family business as the company president. Has a strained relationship with her husband Joe which eventually led to a divorce. She has since left Ojai and started her own company.  In season 5, since the tragedy, her business is doing well and she is dating Luc, an artist and model.  She and Luc are planning to move to France.
• Kitty McCallister (Calista Flockhart, “Ally McBeal”) – A former radio host who marries politician, Senator Robert McCallister. Has adopted a child and has beaten cancer. In season 5, since the tragic accident, Kitty is keeping Robert alive through life support.  The family is very worried about Kitty and the Republican party needs her to return back to politics.
• Tommy Walker (Balthazar Getty, “Charmed”, “Alias”) – The other family businessman who has butted heads with his sister Sarah. Married to Julia Walker (Sarah Jane Morris), the two have major problems in their marriage. He had caused problems for Ojai and is now living in Mexico.
• Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys, “Shooters”, “The Lost World”) – A successful lawyer and a gay man. Tends to bail out his family when they need legal help but most of all but also put in situations in opposition to some of his family members. He is married to Scotty. In Season 5, since the tragedy, Kevin is working pro bono and still trying to deal with he and Scotty not being able to be parents.
• Justin Walker (Dave Annable, “Reunion”) – The youngest of the family who joined the Army and went to Afghanistan. When he came back, Justin was no longer the same as he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and also battled with drug addiction and now trying to clean himself up. In Season 5, after the tragedy, Justin rejoined the military because he is unable to deal with the situation and now his marriage to Rebecca is in big trouble.

Other Key Characters:

• Saul Holden (Ron Rifkin, “Alias”) – Older brother of Nora Walker and works at Ojai Foods and once had a relationship with Nora’s husband’s mistress Holly Harper but in season 1, it was revealed that Saul was involved in a gay relationship. In season 2, Saul comes out and admits he is a gay man.  In season 5, since the tragedy, Saul has found a person to love but Nora worries about him because he is HIV positive.
• Holly Harper (Patricia Wettig, “Prison Break”, “Alias”) – Holly is the mistress of William Walker (for 20 years) and owns a large share of Ojai Foods. In season 2, she has become the Ojai Foods CEO. Her relationship with her daughter Rebecca is stronger than ever. She and Tommy Walker are business partners and own Walker Landing Winery.  In Season 5, since the tragedy, Holly has amnesia and lost her memory.  Her relationship with Nora is sour once again.
• Rebecca Harper (Emily VanCamp, “Everwood”) – The illegitimate daughter of William Walker and Holly Harper. She works at Ojai Foods as an advertising executive and is married to Justin Walker.  In Season 5, due to Justin’s decision to join the military, their marriage is in shambles.
• Scotty Wandell (Luke Macfarlane, “Iron Road”) – A head chef who is married to Kevin Walker.  In Season 5, since the tragedy, his relationship with Kevin is on the rocks, especially since their surrogate mothers have been unsuccessful and have not been able to have children.

Here is a spoiler-less summary of the 22 episodes from season five:

DISC 1:

• EPISODE 88 – The Homecoming - It has been a year since the car tragedy and the family has gone through changes.  Meanwhile, Justin arrives back from serving another year in the marines.
• EPISODE 89 – Brief Encounter – Luc’s underwear ad campaign is the hot item and everyone wants to attend.  Meanwhile, Kevin tries to help his runaway teenage client and Kitty wonders if her mother is dating a woman…
• EPISODE 90 – Faking It – Kitty meets Jack and Sarah worries that her lie about her age may turn Luc away.  Rebecca is back and meets with her mother Holly.
• EPISODE 91 – Righteous Kiss - Holly has a breakdown and Justin and Rebecca decide what to do about their marraige.  Meanwhile, Saul is afraid to tell his boyfriend that he is HIV positive.

DISC 2:

• EPISODE 92 – Call Mom - Nora auditions for a radio show, meanwhile Kitty and Jack get closer.
• EPISODE 93 – An Ideal Husband – Scotty has a one night stand with another man and now Kevin feels betrayed.
• EPISODE 94 – Resolved - Kevin and Scotty’s relationship is tested, meanwhile Justin meets a nurse named Annie.
• EPISODE 95 – The Rhapsody of the Flash – Luc’s mother arrives to town but for some reason, Luc is not so thrilled about it.  Meanwhile, Nora goes out on a date.
• EPISODE 96 – Get a Room – Nora and Dr. Karl’s friendship may be getting stronger.  Kevin and Scotty plan to adopt.

DISC 3:

• EPISODE 97 – Cold Turkey – Nora and Karl go away for Christmas, thus ending the Walker Family tradition. So, now Kitty and Kevin debate on who will host the family celebration.
• EPISODE 98 – Scandalized – As Kevin and Scotty decide to adopt, everyone finds out that Kitty is dating a young graduate student named Seth.
• EPISODE 99 – Thanks for the Memories – Kitty is getting back into politics, Scotty and Kevin spend time with Olivia and Sarah deals with her daughter who may have a boyfriend.
• EPISODE 100 – Safe at Home – Tommy is back and he has a big surprise for the family and in other good news, Sarah announces her wedding date.
• EPISODE 101 – The One That Got Away – It’s Valentine’s Day and and Tommy reveals another secret about their mother which had been buried since they were kids.

DISC 4:

• EPISODE 102 – Brody - Nora and Brody seem to be getting closer, meanwhile, Justin tries to help out a homeless vet.
• EPISODE 103 – Home is Where the Fort Is – Nora and Sarah wonder why Kitty has not returned home.  Meanwhile, Kevin and Scotty bring their adoptive child home.
• EPISODE 104 – Olivia’s Choice – Olivia’s brother fights for custody as he doesn’t feel two men should raise Olivia.
• EPISODE 105 – Never Say Never – Sarah and Luc have pre-wedding jitters and Scotty’s mother comes to visit his and Kevin’s new adoptive daughter.
• EPISODE 106 – Wouldn’t It Be Nice – It’s Luc’s first solo art show and one again Luc and Sarah have pre-wedding jitters.  Nora wants to tell Brody how she really feels.

DISC 5:

• EPISODE 107 – Father Unknown – Luc and Saul prepare for a surprise wedding and Justin confronts his mother about Brody’s lie.  Meanwhile, Kevin and Scotty may have a baby…
• EPISODE 108 – For Better or For Worse – Sarah confronts Brody about his “lie” and Olivia wonders if Kevin and Scotty will want her now that she has a baby.
• EPISODE 109 – Walking Down the Aisle - FINAL EPISODE! It’s Sarah’s and Luc’s wedding day and other issues affect the family.

VIDEO:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” is featured in Widescreen (1:78:1), enhanced for 16×9 televisions.  For a TV series, “Brothers and Sisters” has always looked good.  The series has a lot of lighting, especially outdoor shots, so for the most part, picture quality for a TV series on DVD, “Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” looks very good.

There are a lot of outdoor and indoor shots and “Brothers and Sisters” does have quite a bit of grain but nothing too distracting. But for the most part, picture quality is very good.

AUDIO:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, the show is mostly dialogue-based but there are quite a bit of music featured in the episodes, but the audio is pretty much front and center channel driven and audio is clear. There are no really need for major sound effects for “Brothers and Sisters” but for the most part, dialogue and background music are heard quite clearly.

My receiver setup preference was set to “Stereo on all Channels” for a much more immersive soundtrack.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth Season” comes with the following special features:

DISC 1:

• Deleted Scenes – A total of two deleted scenes: “You’re Really Leaving” and “True Wreckage”.

DISC 2:

• Deleted Scenes – A total of two deleted scenes: “taking sides” and “let’s get started”.

DISC 3:

• Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary for “Cold Turkey” with Production Coordinator Jonathan Deiner, Co-Producer Stephen Judge and Producer Nicole Carrasco.

DISC 4:

• Deleted Scenes- Featuring one deleted scene “We Could Lose Her”.
• Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary for “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” with Production Coordinator Jonathan Deiner, Co-Producer Stephen Judge and Producer Nicole Carrasco.

DISC 5:

• Gilles Marini Uncovered  - (6:06) An interview with the cast about Gilles Marini (Luc) joining the cast of “Brothers & Sisters”.
  
• Writing for the Walkers – (10:00) The writers of “Brothers and Sisters” talk about the episodes of season five.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of one deleted scene and one alternate ending: “extremely awake” and “alternate ending: An Engagement Ring”
• Bloopers & Outtakes – (2:20) Outtakes from season five of “Brothers and Sisters”.

EXTRAS:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” comes with a slip over case.

With the last season of “Brothers and Sisters”, I have commented of how the last season was the best season ever!

Every episode was well-written and the season finale was an absolute shocker!  But prior to the fifth season, it was a given that Rob Lowe would not return but with news that Patricia Wettig (Holly Harper) and Emily VanCamp (Rebecca Harper) were leaving the show, needless to say, it put a damper on my excitement for the fifth season.

By the end of the fifth season, as things have ended with a good season finale, “Brothers and Sisters” was canceled.  The producers tried to get a shortened sixth season to end the season with closure for the fans but unfortunately, they were denied.

So, I do have a small bittersweet feeling about “Brothers and Sisters” because I felt that I invested watching five seasons of this series and one can only imagine how the producers and writers would have ended the series, but there were a few loose ends that I wished were touched upon.

But with the way the season ended, I suppose it works as a series finale and does end on a good note, but this is the nature of the business when it comes to television series and “Brothers and Sisters” has come to an end.

I will say that I will miss the Walker family.  As one friend told me, “Brothers and Sisters” was a show that she can watch on her DVR on the weekend, drink fine wine and enjoy the series.  I happen to agree with what she told me because the series was fun, granted, the series had its share of emotional highs and lows that comes along with a dysfunctional family but the Walker family were resilient.  They confronted their issues and challenges, like many American’s they faced a bad economy, ending of a business, health problems, adoption, surrogate mothers, raising children, finding love, crumbling of a relationship, starting over, rebuilding and like all family’s, having their fights and bonding moments.

Among the many ABC family one-hour drama series, “Brothers and Sisters” was probably one that was easily accessible because their issues and challenges are real and people can identify with these characters because despite them being from a slightly upperclassed American family, the Walker family was far from perfect, they are no different from anyone else.

While “Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth Season” was an entertaining final season, of course, because of the insurmountable challenges faced in the last season, season four was just incredible but there was no way to pull of something that emotional and tragic for a second year straight.  You needed some normalcy, real problems and that’s viewers got with season five.  Nora, single mother trying to find love.  Sarah, aging sister getting married but also dealing with a teenage daughter.  Kitty, dealing with the death of her husband, but also finding love once again.  Kevin and Scotty dealing with adoption and trying to keep their marriage alive.  And Justin, the person who had to get away from life by re-enlisting in the marines and leaving his family but returning back to find out that the sacrifice he made to get back his sanity came with a price.

But I have always felt the series was well-written, well-cast and while last year was spectacular, I admit that I was a bit upset of the direction of the Justin and Rebecca storyline hitting a dead end before the fifth season even started, but after the events that have taken place at the end of season four, I found it interesting that the one person who was instrumental in making things right was Justin, especially since he was somewhat of the problematic character because of what happened during his last enlistment with the Marines.

But like for everyone in the series and how things have played out for this fifth season, it was important to show that families must go on living.  And so in hindsight, after watching every episode and thinking about the fifth season, despite my feeling before the series began, Now that it is done, I’m actually content with how everything had ended.

Overall, “Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” marks the end of a pretty solid drama series.  Fun, enjoyable and emotional…I’ll miss this series!

It’s shame that “Brothers and Sisters” didn’t get the chance to end the way the producers/writers probably would have wanted if given that shortened sixth season.  But yet they managed to give a season finale that does provide some closure and enough to know that the Walker family has embarked in a new chapter of their lives and like all families with problems and taking care of those problems, they’ll be OK.  And like all families, we continue living with our highs and our lows but we keep on going, living life day-by-day.

There are a good number of special features included with this final season DVD set but for the most part, as a fan and viewer of “Brothers and Sisters”, it was an emotional roller coaster ride that has come to a close.

If you invested your time into watching this series or a person who has just jumped aboard and is interested in the series, “Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fifth and Final Season” is recommended!

iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Enjoyable, witty and all-out fun! “iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection” features 15 episodes and movies on three DVD’s (“iFight Shelby Marx”, “iSaved Your Life” and “iSpace Out”) for a low price + bonus episodes of “Big Time Rush” and “Victorious”.   A wonderful DVD set for “iCarly” fans!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. NICKELODEON, NICKELODEON ICARLY! and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. TM, ® & © 2011 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection

DURATION: “I Fight Shelby Marx” (145 Minutes), “iSaved Your Life” (139 Minutes), “iSpace Out” (145 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital – English Stereo, Closed Captions

COMPANY: Nickelodeon/Paramount Home Entertainment

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2011

Created by Dan Schneider

Directed by Adam Weissman

Written by Jake Farrow, Andrew Hill Newman

Executive Producer: Dan Schneider

Associate Producer: Sean Gill

Costume Design by Kristin Dangl

Featuring the voices of:

Miranda Cosgrove as Carla Shay

Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett

Nathan Kress as Freddie Benson

Jerry Trainor as Spencer Shay

Noah Munck as Gibby

Ryan Ochoa as Chuck

Mary Scheer as Marissa Benson

Three smashing iCarly DVD sets in one collection! Relive over 15 episodes including the fierce yet hilarious exhibition match with guest star Victoria Justice as Shelby Marx, the sweet yet short-lived love store of Carly and Freddie, and the outer space event that was, well, out of this world!

Since 2007, “iCarly” has been a popular series for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around Carly Shay (played by Miranda Cosgrove) and her best friend Samantha Puckett (played by Jennette McCurdy) who are the host of their popular web show “iCarly” which is edited and directed by Freddie Benson (played by Nathan Kress). Most of the scenes are shot at the home of Carly, who lives with her older brother and legal guardian, Spencer (played by Jerry Trainor).

Created and executive produced by Dan Schneider (creator of series “Drake & Josh”, “Zoey 101″, “Kenan & Kel”, “All That”, “The Amanda Show”), “iCarly” is currently on their fourth season and earlier this year, the episode titled “iSaved Your Life” became the highest rated live action telecast in Nickelodeon history (with 11.2 million viewers) and the #1 telecast of all TV (cable and broadcast) that night. “iCarly” continues to be a hit for Nickelodeon as nearly five million viewers tune into the series each week.

Needless to say, the show is a big success for the cable network and now fans of the series can enjoy the episodes from season four (2010) through “iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection” which features the three DVD’s “iFight Shelby Marx”, “iSaved Your Life” and “iSpace Out”.

Needless to say, the show is a big success for the cable network and now “iCarly: iFight Shelby Marx” is planned for release on March 30, 2010.

“iCarly: iFight Shelby Marx” features two iCarly movies from the second season and two episodes from the third:

• EPISODE 49-50 – “iFight Shelby Marx” – In this TV movie, Carly was talking a little trash on her web show about the martial-arts champ Shelby Marx.  When Shelby comes to visit her, Carly is afraid that she is going to get beaten up but finds out that Shelby wants to join forces with Carly in a one round match for charity and that she will not hurt her at all.   But during the press conference, Carly accidentally falls on Shelby’s grandmother offstage and Nevel Papperman takes advantage of the situation and now Shelby wants to hurt her in the ring.
• EPISODE 43-44 – “iDate a Bad Boy” – In this TV movie, Carly starts dating a bad boy named Griffin who tried to steal Spencer’s motorcycle.  Spencer prohibits Carly from dating him but she tries to sneak behind his back.  Meanwhile, Carly learns a major secret about her Griffin.
• EPISODE 39 – “iLook Alike” – Carly, Sam and Freddie want to interview an MMA fighter Jackson Colt but Freddie’s mom forbids him to go to an MMA fight and also Spencer forbids Carly from going as well.  So, the three come up with an idea to find lookalikes to stand for them while they do the interview.
• EPISODE 54 – “iCarly Awards” – Carly, Sam and Freddie present the first “iCarly Awards” for fans who have sent in videos but on the day of the Award show, Spencer mistakens Carly’s request to create ten awards by creating one huge award.  Now, Spencer must find a way to create them in a short amount of time, while Carly and Sam improvise the award show until each award is finished.

“iCarly: iSaved Your Life” includes four iCarly episodes and one iCarly TV Movie.  Fans of the character Freddie will enjoy these episodes as they deal with how he relates to Carly and Sam (including how he shared a kiss with each girl):

• EPISODE 60 – “iSaved Your Life”- Extended Director’s Cut – Freddie saves Carly from being hit by a taco truck and he ends up getting injured.  Now Carly falls in love with him but can this cause problems to their friendship?
• EPISODE 58-59 – “iQuit iCarly” – In this TV movie, as Carly and Sam try to help two young competitive aspiring filmmakers who have their own differences, they see themselves within these young filmmakers and sooner or later, both Carly and Sam start to not get along.  Can their friendship be repaired?
• EPISODE 51 – “iThink They Kissed” – Carly takes Sam to the dentist for an emergency checkup and while under laughing gas, Sam tells Carly that she kissed Freddie.
• EPISODE 48 – “iTwins” – Carly and Sam are known for pranking Freddie but when Sam’s twin sister Melanie (the total opposite of Sam) comes to visit, Freddie thinks Sam is trying to pull a prank by making up a fake story of having a twin sister.
• EPISODE 57 – “iMove Out” – After Freddie’s overprotective mom embarrasses him in front of his classmates, Freddie has had enough and moves out of his home.

Included on “iCarly – iSpace Out” are:

• EPISODE 63 – “iSpace Out” – A millionaire wants the “iCarly” gang to shoot in space, so Carly, Sam and Freddie take space training. Meanwhile, Spencer keeps seeing a little girl taunting him in the apartment.
• EPISODE 61 – “iWas a Pageant Girl” – Sam has competed in beauty pageants when she was younger but always lost but she competes in a beauty pageant once again.
• EPISODE 62 – “iEnrage Gibby” – When Freddie tries to help Gibby’s girlfriend Tasha, she accidentally falls on top of Freddie and Gibby happens to walk in. Now, Gibby challenges Freddie to a fight.
• EPISODE 64 – “iFix a Pop Star” – Carly, Sam and Freddie help out the pop star Ginger Fox. Meanwhile, Spencer has problems dating Gibby’s mother.
• EPISODE 66 – “iWon’t Cancel the Show” – With Sam in juvie, Carly is worried on how she will do the show without her. Especially when her father plans to watch the show that day.
• EPISODE 67 – “iBelieve in Bigfoot” – Carly believes in Bigfoot, while Spencer doesn’t and believes in “Beavecoon”.

VIDEO:

“iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection” is presented in standard definition and in full screen. Picture quality is good considering there is one TV movie and four episodes included on the DVD. There is compression artifacting and edge enhancement but for the audience being targeted, I doubt many will be that picky over picture quality.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection” is presented in English stereo and dialogue and music is clear as it comes from the front channels. Dialogue is understandable and experienced no major problems during viewing. There are no subtitles but closed captions are included.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“iCarly: iFight Shelby Marx” comes with the following special features:

• Behind-the-Scenes Extras:

- Meet Lewbert – (1:44) A featurette with Jeremy Rowley who plays the character of Lewbert the Doorman.  Jeremy talks about his character and the makeup.

- Message Board – (2:38) Nathan Kress, Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy answer a few fan questions from the icarly.com message board.

• Pilot Episode of “Big Time Rush” – (47:57) The full pilot episode to Nickelodeon’s “Big Time Rush”.  A series about four guys who become a popular boy band who move to Hollywood.

“iCarly – iSaved Your Life” comes with the following special features:

• Welcome to My Boat – (1:59) Actor Jerry Trainor gives a tour of the boat used in the episode “iQuit iCarly”.
• Window Stunt – (1:36) A look at the stunt women who double for Carly and Sam for the scaffolding stunts in the episode “iQuit iCarly”.
• Birthday - (1:48) The cast of iCarly talk about the coolest and worst birthday gift they received.
• Meet Chuck – (1:29) Young actor Ryan Ochoa talks about playing the evil kid Chuck.

“iCarly – iSpace Out” comes with the following special features:

• iSpace Out iTrivia - (23:37) While watching “iSpace Out”, viewers can learn a lot of fun facts about the series with trivia boxes with information that pops up during the entire episode.
• Bonus Episode: Victorious – Featuring the pilot episode of “Victorious”.

My young son was a big “Drake & Josh” fan and has since graduated from that series and now enjoys “iCarly”. In fact, he and his cousin are addicted to the show and absolutely love it. And they are not the only kids as this show continues to be a ratings hit as the show has attracted nearly five million viewers per episode.

For “iCarly: iFight Shelby Marx”, I feel that this is a solid release for those who are fans of the show (or parents curious about purchasing the series for their kids) when it comes to content.  Two movies, two episodes and a bonus pilot episode for “Big Time Rush” is included.

As for the parents who are wondering if the episodes are safe for the children, depending on their age, there is no major violence but there may be some content that parents may not want their younger children to see.  The episodes are not rated but I’ll point out a few things that may be of concern to some parents who are considering of buying this DVD for younger children.

There are two episodes that deal with martial fighters, in “iFight Shelby Marx”, Carly gets a light in the face and in “iLook Alike”, a fighter throws Spencer through a table.  In two episodes, Carly goes against her brother (legal guardian) when he tells her to stop seeing the bad boy in “iDate a Bad Boy” and finding lookalikes to substitute for them on the “iLook Alike” episode.  In the pilot episode of “Big Time Rush”, you have four guys singing a song about “turd”.

Personally, the series and episodes featured on this DVD are nothing for parents to worry about but if the descriptions of scenes I mentioned above causes concern, especially if you were considering of buying this for a 5-9 year old child, then perhaps parental guidance is suggested.

For “iCarly: iSaved Your Life”, I feel that this is a solid release for those who are fans of the show (or parents curious about purchasing the series for their kids) when it comes to content.  On one DVD, you get a TV movie and four episodes.

As for the parents who are wondering if the episodes are safe for the children, depending on their age, there is no major violence but there may be some content that parents may not want their younger children to see. The episodes are not rated but I’ll point out a few things that may be of concern to some parents who are considering of buying this DVD for younger children.

In the episode “iQuit iCarly”, there is a scene where both Carly and Sam walk out on a scaffold, out their building window and then trouble comes and Carly is left hanging from the scaffold.  Granted, parents should reinforce the fact that children should keep out of windows high above the ground to begin with but that is probably the only thing I can think of that may be problematic for some parents.

And the episodes featured in “iCarly – iSaved Your Life” feature Freddie kissing Carly, having kissed Samantha, etc.  So, these are young teenage situations but again, it is up to parents if they mind that or not.

Personally, the series and episodes featured on this DVD are nothing for parents to worry about but if the descriptions of scenes I mentioned above causes concern, especially if you were considering of buying this for a 5-9 year old child, then perhaps parental guidance is suggested.

For “iCarly: iSpace Out”, I feel that this is a solid release for those who are fans of the show. On one DVD, you get a total of six episodes plus a bonus episode of “Victorious”. Where the last “iCarly” DVD release (iSaved Your Life) focused on relationships, there is no general theme for “iSpace Out” and most of the episodes presented on the DVD are from the fourth season of the series which aired in 2010.

As for “Victorious”, the bonus episode revolves around singer Tori Vega (played by Victoria Justice). One day as she goes to a showcase to support her sister Trina who has a chance to be selected to attend the prestigious Hollywood Arts High School. But on the big night, Trina’s tongue begins to swell up and Tori ends up taking her sister’s place and ends up getting a chance of the lifetime opportunity to attend the school. But when she meets a mean girl at the new school who causes problems for her, Tori struggles whether or not to quit the school.

As for the parents who are wondering if the episodes are safe for the children, depending on their age, there is no major violence in the show with the exception of “iFix a Pop Star” in which a high-tempered (and violent) pop star throws a fork and it lands on Freddie’s chest. Granted, this may be too violent for some young children, so parental guidance is suggested for this one episode.

Overall, “iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection” features three highly entertaining DVD’s with 15 episodes, movies plus bonus episodes of “Big Time Rush” and “Victorious” and much more!  And the fact that these three DVD’s are being released as a set for a pretty low price is wonderful.  If you own each of these DVD’s previously released back in 2010, then this is not for you!  But for those who are new to the series or have never owned an iCarly DVD, then this is a great set to start from!

So, if you are a fan of “iCarly” or a parent who have children or tweens that adore the show and you want to keep them busy over the summer (or the holidays), definitely give “iCarly: The I <3 iCarly Collection” a try!

Definitely recommended!

Classic Hollywood: Blu-ray & DVD Deals – Our Top Picks this Black Friday Week!

There are plenty of awesome sales this week and as classic Hollywood fans, there have been incredible price drops. Here are our top picks thus far:

Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection

BEFORE: $119.99 | NOW: $47.99 (AMAZON)

Bogie and Bacall – The Signature Collection (The Big Sleep / Dark Passage / Key Largo / To Have and Have Not)

BEFORE: $39.98 | NOW: $17.99 (AMAZON)

The Marlon Brando Collection (Julius Caesar / Mutiny on the Bounty 1962 / Reflections in a Golden Eye / The Teahouse of the August Moon / The Formula )

BEFORE: $59.98 | AFTER: $15.99 (AMAZON)

Gary Cooper – The Signature Collection (Sergeant York / The Fountainhead / Dallas / Springfield Rifle / The Wreck of the Mary Deare)

BEFORE:$49.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 3 (The Old Maid / All This, And Heaven Too / The Great Lie / In This Our Life / Watch on the Rhine / Deception)

BEFORE: $59.98 | NOW $16.99 (AMAZON)

TCM Spotlight: Doris Day Collection (It’s a Great Feeling / Tea for Two / April in Paris / The Tunnel of Love / Starlift)

BEFORE: $49.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

The Complete James Dean Collection (East of Eden / Giant / Rebel Without a Cause Special Edition)

BEFORE: $69.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

Errol Flynn Westerns Collection (Montana / Rocky Mountain / San Antonio / Virginia City)

BEFORE: $49.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

TCM Archives – Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 2 (The Divorcee / A Free Soul / Night Nurse / Three on a Match / Female)

BEFORE: $49.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Volume Three (Other Men’s Women / The Purchase Price / Frisco Jenny / Midnight Mary / Heroes for Sale / Wild Boys of the Road)

BEFORE: $49.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection

BEFORE: $89.99 | NOW: $15.74 (BN.COM) (USE CODE ON CHECKOUT for 30% off:  P4A4N7P)

The Marx Brothers Collection (A Night at The Opera/A Day at The Races/A Night in Casablanca/Room Service/At the Circus/Go West/The Big Store)

BEFORE: $59.98 | AFTER: $16.99 (AMAZON)

The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection (The Cocoanuts / Animal Crackers / Monkey Business / Horse Feathers / Duck Soup)

BEFORE: $59.98 | AFTER: $22.49 (AMAZON)

The Kim Novak Collection (Picnic / Jeanne Eagels / Bell, Book and Candle / Middle of the Night / Pal Joey)

BEFORE: $39.99 | NOW: $20.99 (AMAZON)

Martin Scorsese Collection (After Hours/Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore/Goodfellas/Mean Streets/Who’s That Knocking At My Door?)

BEFORE: $15.98 | AFTER: $16.99 (AMAZON)

Frank Sinatra – The Golden Years Collection (Some Came Running / The Man with the Golden Arm / The Tender Trap / None but the Brave / Marriage on the Rocks)

BEFORE: $39.98 | AFTER: $16.99

The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Volume 1

BEFORE: $39.98 | NOW: $15.99 (AMAZON)

The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Volume 2

BEFORE: $29.98 | NOW: $12.98 (AMAZON)

James Stewart – The Signature Collection (The Cheyenne Social Club / Firecreek / The FBI Story / The Naked Spur / The Spirit of St. Louis / The Stratton Story)

BEFORE: $49.98 | NOW: $17.99 (AMAZON)

Tracy & Hepburn: The Signature Collection (Pat and Mike / Adam’s Rib / Woman of the Year / The Spencer Tracy Legacy)

BEFORE: $39.98 | NOW: $17.99 (AMAZON)

Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 1 (The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties)

BEFORE: $68.98 | NOW: $17.99 (AMAZON)

Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 2 (Bullets or Ballots / City for Conquest / Each Dawn I Die / G Men / San Quentin / A Slight Case of Murder)

BEFORE: $59.98 | NOW: $17.99 (AMAZON)

Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 3 (Smart Money / Picture Snatcher / The Mayor of Hell / Lady Killer / Black Legion / Brother Orchid)

BEFORE: $69.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 4 (The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse / Invisible Stripes / Kid Galahad / Larceny, Inc. / The Little Giant / Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film)

BEFORE: $69.98 | NOW: $16.99 (AMAZON)

John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection 2009 (The Searchers Two-Disc Special Edition / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / They Were Expendable / 3 Godfathers / The Wings of Eagles / Directed by John Ford)

BEFORE: $15.98 | AFTER: $17.99 (Amazon)

TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams, Vol. 2 (Thrill of a Romance / Fiesta / This Time for Keeps / Pagan Love Song / Million Dollar Mermaid / Easy to Love)

BEFORE: $59.98 | AFTER: $16.99 (AMAZON)

Tennessee Williams Film Collection (A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone)

BEFORE: $68.98 | AFTER: $20.99 (AMAZON)

Natalie Wood Collection (Splendor in the Grass / Sex and the Single Girl / Inside Daisy Clover / Gypsy / Bombers B-52 / Cash McCall)

BEFORE: $59.98 | AFTER: $17.99 (AMAZON)

Bo Burnham – Words Words Words (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Controversial, smart and clever comedy by young comedian prodigy Bo Burnham.  If you are a big fan of his comedy work on YouTube, “Words Words Words” is a comedy DVD that is definitely for you!

Images courtesy of © 2010 Comedy Central. All Rights Reserved. COMEDY CENTRAL and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Comedy Partners. TM, ® & Copyright © 2010 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Bo Burnham – Words Words Words

YEAR OF MOVIE: 2010

DURATION: 63 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Widescreen, Closed Captions

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

RATED: Explicit Content Warning: This program is recommended for mature audiences only.  It contains adult language and situations.

RELEASE DATE: October 5, 2010

Directed by Shannon Hartman

Written and Performed by Bo Burnham

Executive Producers: Bo Burnham, Dave Becky

Producer: Michelle Caputo

Starring:

Bo Burnham

The internet (and soon to be movie, TV, radio, etc.) phenomenon, Bo Burnham, brings you his first one-hour stand-up special Bo Burnham: Words, Words, Words from the House of Blues in Boston. Before he reached his 18th birthday, Burnham entered the mainstream consciousness with internet videos of him playing uproarious songs with ingenious wordplay and bad puns. This stand-up special will surely not disappoint!

For a 19-year-old, Bo Burnham has accomplished quite a bit as a teenage comedian.  As a musician who can play guitar and a piano, he also was involved in theatre and attended NYU’s Tisch School of Arts.

But since his debut on YouTube back in 2006 (and eventually doing even better on break.com), videos that were meant for his brother in college became big hits as he would play his guitar and play an electric piano and wrote mature-themed songs which were controversial as he would sing about white supremacy, disabilities, ethnicities, homosexuality and playing off racism and say things that comedians would not touch.  Call him an equal opportunist, no one is spared from his comedy and expect to see him say things controversial when it comes to race, gender, sexuality and religion.

And next thing you know, he was signed in 2007 by the Gersch Agency’s Douglas Edley, the same agent who represents Drew Carey and Dave Chappelle.

At 19-years-old , Bo Burnham is like a mix of Eminem and the sensitivity of Andrew Dice Clay, people are going to love the dark comedy and people are going to hate it.  His comedy, aside from its controversy, the words show his education as what comes out of his mouth is smart and intelligent. He knows that his jokes are going to get people riled up but that is what people love about his comedy and now he has had a concert DVD, comedy albums and is now set to release his new comedy DVD “Words, Words Words” from Comedy Central.

Bo’s comedy presentation features random storytelling and Bo performing on the guitar or playing the piano and singing.    A style that has earned him several comedy awards and many events booking him all over the country.  But despite the popularity, Bo Burnham has his fans but he has also received protests by students at colleges where he is performing.  Although he has said his satire has well-intention, whether Bo Burnham believes the things that come out of his mouth is debatable but the fact is that there are people who love his blunt comedy and those who are sickened by it.

“Words, Words, Words” is Bo’s first special live from Boston and features lie, uncut and uncensored footage.  The comedy track listing for Bo Burnham’s new DVD are:

1. “What’s Funny”
2. Girlfriend
3. Racial Humor
4. “Men & Women”
5. One Man Shows
6. “Ironic”
7. Binary Reality
8. “Words, Words, Words”
9. A Prayer
10. How Do We Fix Africa?
11. Haikus
12. Sonnet
13. Shakespeare
14. “Rant”
15. Theoretical D**K Jokes
16. Statistics
17. “Art is Dead”
18. Traditional Stand-Up
19. “Oh Bo”
20. “I’m Bo Yo” Encore
21. “Love is” Encore

VIDEO:

“Bo Burnham – Words Words Words” is presented in widescreen.  Stage is small enough to hold his piano, guitar, chair and a few other things.  He’s not a comedian that moves around a lot but for the most part, camera angles were fine.  You get a closeup of Bo, camera from behind aimed at the audience and another camera set behind the first few rows.  But the majority of the footage are closeups or when he plays an instrument.

Picture quality for the DVD is good and lighting for the show was well-done.  It would have been nice to see audience fan reaction but for the most part, the video of his Boston show was well-done.

AUDIO:

“Bo Burnham – Words Words Words” is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.  There is a good amount of surround usage for the crowd ambiance but for the most part, dialogue and music is clear through the front and center channels.

There are no English subtitles but closed captions are included.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Bo Burnham – Words Words Words” comes with two music videos:

• “Words, Words Words” Music Video
• “Oh Bo” Music Video

Bo Burnham is definitely a comedian of the Internet age.  It’s a style of comedy that is so random, absurd, controversial and it’s like his comedy goes into tangents of whatever he feels like talking about and then starts playing a piano or the guitar and just sings or raps.  It’s a style that you don’t see with many comedians and it works for Bo Burnham.

For one, Bo Burnham has charisma and youth which literally attracts women in the audience and you can literally hear them scream of how they want to sleep with him and for the guys, he comes off like a buddy who talks shit about everyone and you either laugh or are amused.  Bo Burnham’s comedy is highlighted by a young guy who likes to talk shit about whatever he wants and then show us how talented he is with his instruments as he sings or raps to the audience.

“Words Words Words” is like half comedy show, half music show and everything is random.  He says what’s on his mind, he’ll move back to his piano and play a song and come back and talk about whatever.  You really don’t know what to expect when he’s on stage.

Needless to say, his comedy is quite unsettling and although different is presentation, his shock comedy is reminiscent of the ’90s comedian Andrew Dice Clay, controversial and he could care less of how people feel.  Burnham is without the cigarettes or the wanting to nail women bit, he’s a guy in a t-shirt, jeans, a not so Justin Bieber-ish hairstyle and looks like your average young guy.  But the more you listen to his comedy, not only do you realize that he’s smart and educated (as there are very few comedians who would touch upon Shakespear or sonnets in their comedy) but he doesn’t want to be a traditional comedian.  As he has done online, this is a new generation of comedians who want to do things their own way.

And his way will either make you love his comedy or make you sick of him.

Bo Burnham will go into tangents such as saying he would like to do a 69 with a Black woman not as a joke but so he can create yin and yang.  How he calls his Black friend Jamal even though his name is Randy or one time doing an impression of Smeagol of “Lord of the Rings” and having sex with a Black girl and saying “Oh, Precious”.

When he discusses statistics, Burnham says that “1 out of the 44 U.S. Presidents can dunk”, “The average child of Sarah Palin is 46.2 chromosomes”, “.27 percent of all Jenga games are played on 9/11″.

When discussing haiku, Burnham said, “Do unto others as you would want done to you… said the rapist.”, “If you’re friend calls, don’t answer the phone if he’s Asian” or other bits that come at random in which Burnham says, ““How old is too old to stop believing in the tooth fairy, cause my cousin is fourteen years old and he still believes in gay marriage.”

When asked that he covers so much taboo subjects, is there one subject that he would never take on and he answers, “white people… haven’t they gone through so much already”.

Bo Burnham’s comedy is subjective…you are either going to love it or hate it.  Enjoy it or feel very ticked off by it.  So, needless to say, “Words Words Words” is not a DVD that people who are sensitive are not going to watch and see.  Otherwise, if you are not offended by his controversial jokes, then you are fine.

Again, his comedy style is quite random…half prose/half music, the fact is that Bo Burnham is talented but whether or not his jokes are appropriate for you, is up to you.  The people who have brought him to popularity are those on YouTube or break.com that love his style of comedy and he doesn’t water it down.  He brings that style of entertainment that you see on his videos online to the stage and in many ways, the presentation is quite fresh because he doesn’t follow traditional comedians and their style of delivery. It’s nothing new but at the same time, how its presented is quite clever.

I also believe that because he is very young, a lot of his comedy and the things he says goes over well with this young crowd, because anyone older and saying this material will probably not receive the same results.  And as mentioned, because of his looks and his presentation, he is one of the few comedians where you will hear women screaming that they want to have sex with him during his performance.

Overall, Bo Burnham’s “Words Words Words” is an interesting, random, entertaining and absurd Comedy Central DVD.  It’s definitely different than any comedy-based DVD I have watched and reviewed and as mentioned, although the music/comedy is not new, it’s all about presentation and Burnham’s presentation is quite original.

Otherwise, if you are sensitive to racial jokes or controversial topics, this DVD is clearly not for you.  But if you are part of that crowd who has followed Burnham’s jokes online, on Youtube or other video-based site and loved his performances or his style of comedy, then “Words Words Words” is definitely for you!

Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

There was something special about this fourth season of “Brothers and Sisters” that I really loved and needless to say, this season was the most dramatic, heartfelt, tear-inducing season yet.  Well-written, well-acted and just a fantastic season!  One of the better drama series currently on television and a series on DVD which I definitely recommend!

Images courtesy of © ABC Studios. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season

TV SHOW AIRDATE: 2009-2010

DURATION: 1032 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions, Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles

RATED: TV 14 DLS

COMPANY: abc studios

RELEASE DATE: August 24, 2010

Created by Jon Robin Baitz

Directed by Ken Olin, Michael Owen Morris, Michael Schultz, Laura Innes and David Paymer

Written by Jon robin Baitz, David Marshall Grant, Molly Newman, Sherri Cooper, Cliff Olin, Monica Breen, Peter Calloway, Alison Schapker, Michael Foley, Liz Tigelaar, Jennifer Levin, Jason Wilborn, Daniel Silk, Josh Reims, Brian Studler, Nancy Won

Executive produced by KenOlin, Monica Breen, Alison Schapker

Produced by Suzanne Geiger, Nicole Carrasco, Sparky Hawes, Jennifer Lence, Michael Foley, Nancy Won, David Marshall Grant, Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper, Josh Reims, Molly Newman, Michael Morris, Stephen Judge, Sarah Caplin

Music by Blake Neely

Cinematography by Cynthia Pusheck, Michael Mayers

Edited by Barbara Gerard, Imelda Betiong, Kristin Windell

Casting by Gillian O’Neill, Jeanie Bacharach

Series Production Design by Lee Mayman

Series Set Decoration by Bryan Venegas

Series Costume Design by Melina Root

Cast:

Dave Annable as Justin Walker

Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker

Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon

Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden

Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper

Sally Field as Nora Walker

Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker

Kerris Dorsey as Paige Whedon

Balthazar Getty as Tommy Walker

Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker

Maxwell Perry Colton as Cooper Whedon

Rob Lowe as Robert McCalister

Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper

Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell

Ken Olin as David Caplan

Luke Grimes as Ryan Lafferty

Gilles Marini as Luc Laurent

Peter Gerety as Dennis York

No matter how much life changes, family stays the same. The Walkers are a contemporary picture of the American family. At the heart is matriarch Nora (Sally Field), who finds personal satisfaction in knowing her family is happy, however sometimes allows her intentions to be a littler overbearing. Her five adult children, friends as much as they are relatives, come together to support each other through the joy and heartache as they try to manage their professional, romantic and family lives. Together they face real life issues – from bankruptcy and addiction, marriage and divorce, to deceit and redemption – in this warm and witty drama.

“Brothers and Sisters” is a show created back in 2006 by Jon Robin Baitz (a writer who worked on “Alias” and “West Wing”). The series revolves around the Walker family, an upperclass family that owns a major company known as Ojai Foods.

In the history of “Brothers and Sisters”, the family is rocked by the death of the father and business owner, William Walker. But even more shocking to the family is that their father had a mistress and an illegitimate daughter but that William had embezzled money from the company. So, the family focuses on the lives of the Walker family and how the brothers and sisters must move on with the family business and make sure it is not run into the ground and try to keep it afloat.

As the first two seasons had to do with the family and the family matriarch Nora (played by Sally Field) trying to keep everyone together, we see the family members going through various tribulations in their career and personal life.

In the third season, changes are afloat with Ojai Foods experiencing financial difficult. That leaves the Walker family having to partner up with Holly Harper, the mistress of William Walker. Throughout the third season, Kitty and Robert experience the highs of a family wanting to have children but also the lows as a family where their dedication to their careers interferes with their relationship.

For Sarah, knowing that she has a family to take care of, she knows that her brother Tommy is becoming the main family member dedicated to the company. As for Tommy, he starts to unearth things about his dead father and what he has done to the company, causing Tommy to make some decisions that can harm his position. Kevin will see chances for him to advance his career, but he will have to make a difficult decision of whether or not he should stay true to the person he loves and to himself or to do what he can to become a partner at his law firm. As for Justin, he tries his best to clean up, especially now that he has found love with Rebecca but has issues with recruiting people for the military.

Meanwhile, last season’s bombshell that William may have had another illegitimate child, will become a significant issue for season three. If anything, relationships and family will be tested more than ever and whether or not the family matriarch, Nora can keep the family together is going to be important.

By season’s end, Kitty and Robert’s married is tested nearly to a point where Kitty nearly gets into an affair with another man, Tommy having left to Mexico, Kevin trying to keep things going right with his husband and Justin and Rebecca furthering their relationship and growing closer.  Meanwhile, we are introduced Ryan Lafferty, the siblings half brother that came from an affair that William Walker had with another woman.

But for Ryan’s return and trying to get close to the family, he has a burning hatred towards them because his mother ended up committing suicide because of William Walker.

This storyline is further fueled in season four as the Walker family and Holly are facing major challenges in their personal life, family member’s health and most of all tragedy.

The main characters of “Brothers and Sisters” are:

The Walker Family

• Nora Walker (Sally Field, “Gidget”, “The Flying Nun”, “The Girl with Something Extra”, “ER”) – The Walker matriarch and the mother who likes to get involved with her children’s lives. In the first season, she tries to get over her husband’s death, learns that her husband had an illegitimate daughter and is now trying to move on. She now tries to keep the family together no matter what challenges they may face.
• Sarah Walker (Rachael Griffiths, “Six Feet Under”) – The family business woman and mother who has tried to lead the family business as the company president. Has a strained relationship with her husband Joe which eventually led to a divorce.  She has since left Ojai and started her own company.
• Kitty McCallister (Calista Flockhart, “Ally McBeal”) – A former radio host who marries politician, Senator Robert McCallister. Has adopted a child but with Robert busy with his campaign, their relationship is starting to sour.
• Tommy Walker (Balthazar Getty, “Charmed”, “Alias”) – The other family businessman who has butted heads with his sister Sarah. Married to Julia Walker (Sarah Jane Morris), the two have major problems in their marriage.  He had caused problems for Ojai and is now living in Mexico.
• Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys, “Shooters”, “The Lost World”) – A successful lawyer and a gay man. Tends to bail out his family when they need legal help but most of all but also put in situations in opposition to some of his family members. Has a relationship with Scotty.  Kevin is now the campaign director for Robert.
• Justin Walker (Dave Annable, “Reunion”) – The youngest of the family who joined the Army and went to Afghanistan. When he came back, Justin was no longer the same as he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and also battled with drug addiction and now trying to clean himself up.  He is now engaged to Rebecca.

Other Key Characters:

• Saul Holden (Ron Rifkin, “Alias”) – Older brother of Nora Walker and works at Ojai Foods and once had a relationship with Nora’s husband’s mistress Holly Harper but in season 1, it was revealed that Saul was involved in a gay relationship. In season 2, Saul comes out and admits he is a gay man.
• Robert McCallister (Rob Lowe, “The West Wing”, “St. Elmo’s Fire”, “About Last Night”, “Oxford Blues”) – Married to Kitty Walker and is a Republican Senator in California. Once a candidate for the US Presidency.  He is currently having marital problems with Kitty.
• Holly Harper (Patricia Wettig, “Prison Break”, “Alias”) – Holly is the mistress of William Walker (for 20 years) and owns a large share of Ojai Foods. In season 2, she has become the Ojai Foods CEO. Her relationship with her daughter Rebecca is stronger than ever. She and Tommy Walker are business partners and own Walker Landing Winery.
• Rebecca Harper (Emily VanCamp, “Everwood”) – The illegitimate daughter of William Walker and Holly Harper. She works at Ojai Foods as an advertising executive and is engaged to Justin Walker.
• Ryan Lafferty (Luke Grimes, “Assasination of a High School President”) – The illegitimate son of William Walker who has a grudge towards his father and blames him for the death of his mother and secretly will do what he can to destroy his company.
• Scotty Wandell (Luke Macfarlane, “Iron Road”) – A head chef who is married to Kevin Walker.

Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season features a total of 24 episodes on six DVD’s.  In the fourth season, Robert is busy with his gubernatorial campaign and because his relationship with Kitty is suffering, things change when Kitty is diagnosed with cancer.  Meanwhile, Kevin and Scotty are working on trying to adopt a baby but because Kevin is busy working for Robert and Scotty as a chef, are the two ready for a child?  Tommy is still in Mexico and hasn’t been heard of, Sarah is in France and meets a man that she has fallen for but doesn’t know if she’s ready to fall in love again and the same with Nora who meets a doctor who may have other intentions in why he’s trying to get close to her.  As for Justin and Rebeccah, they are dealing with their engagement, planning for their wedding but for Justin, his mind is set on trying to pass medical school and because he’s so busy with that, he ends up neglecting his girlfriend.

And the Ojai Foods woes continues as the economy has hurt the business which is literally bleeding and losing money every day.  Saul and Holly are trying to find ways to save the company but there may be someone there who is trying to sabotage it.  Also, Holly is hit by financial problems as she gets caught up in a Ponzi scheme in which she loses nearly everything.

Needless to say, each character is facing their biggest challenge yet in their personal life and careers but can the Walker family stay strong this time around?  Will the family business survive this economy?

Here is a spoiler-less summary of the 24 episodes from season four (featured on a total of six DVD’s):

DISC 1:

• EPISODE 64 – The Road Ahead - It’s Justin and Rebecca’s engagement party but when Justin finds out he is doing terrible in med school, he feels pressured.  Meanwhile, Kitty is being diagnosed by the doctor.
• EPISODE 65 – Breaking the News – Kitty finds out the results of her test and needs to tell her husband but the Senator is having a problem with his campaign rival.
• EPISODE 66 – Almost Normal – Kitty and Robert discuss possible treatments for Kitty’s cancer and they receive news from a surprise visitor.
• EPISODE 67 – From France with Love – Sarah returns from France and tries to distract Kitty from her chemo treatments.  Meanwhile, Justin continues to struggle in school.

DISC 2:

• EPISODE 68 – Last Tango in Pasadena - Everyone is hooked on Luc (Sarah’s boyfriend from France) except Nora.  Robert does all he can to distract Kitty from her cancer.
• EPISODE 69 – Zen & The Art of Mole Making – Sarah tries to find a way to tell her kids about her new boyfriend, meanwhile Kevin and Scotty move forward in their decision to find a surrogate.
• EPISODE 70 – The Wig Party - Kitty finds out the ramifications of her cancer treatment and is devastated.  Meanwhile, Rebecca learns some big news.
• EPISODE 71 – The Wine Festival – The family puts their hope into this new wine.  Meanwhile, Nora falls for a younger man.

DISC 3:

• EPISODE 72 – Pregnant Pause – Rebecca decides to reveal a secret that may affect her relationship with Justin and Holly faces major financial problems.
• EPISODE 73 – Nearlyweds – Justin and Rebecca celebrate their beachside wedding but Justin is not sure if he wants to get married.
• EPISODE 74 – A Bone to Pick – After Kitty’s collapse at the wedding, Kitty faces a new challenge in her life in which she needs a bone marrow transplant and time is running short.
• EPISODE 75 – The Science Fair – Will Sarah find love at her daughter’s science fair?  Meanwhile, Kevin learns more about himself by trying to help Sarah’s daughter with her science fair project.

DISC 4:

• EPISODE 76 – Run Baby Run - Sarah has a new love interest.  Is she ready to move past her feelings and emotions for Luc?
• EPISODE 77 – The Pasadena Primary – Robert and Nora try to help Scotty as guest chef for his restaurant.  Meanwhile, Kitty wants to run for Robert’s senate seat.
• EPISODE 78 – A Valued Family – The family suffers loss during Valentine’s Day.  Meanwhile, Kitty hires a new campaign manager.
• EPISODE 79 – Leap of Faith – Sarah has problems when Luc has Visa issues and now is worried that she may lose him.  Meanwhile Justin worries about Rebecca.

DISC 5:

• EPISODE 80 – Freeluc.com – Nora tries to help Tommy and the company as they face their longtime nemesis Dennis York.  Meanwhile, the paparazzi start focusing on Sarah and Luc’s relationship.
• EPISODE 81 – Time After Time (Part 1 of 2) – The Walker family reminisce of an accident that took place in 1986 and realize a shocking secret that will affect the Walker family.
• EPISODE 82 – Time After Time (Part 2 of 2) – Norah and Holly go on a trip to discover how much Ojai Foods is truly worth.  Meanwhile, Justin and Rebecca make a big decision.
• EPISODE 83 – If You Bake It, He Will Come – Kevin is still upset at Nora for withholding the family secret from him.  Meanwhile, members of the family confront Dennis York and Rebecca tries to give Ojai Foods more time.

DISC 6:

• EPISODE 84 – Where There’s Smoke… – A Walker family member may be pregnant, meanwhile Nora finds out that her mother has dementia.
• EPISODE 85 – Love All – Everyone is going through changes in their personal life.  Sarah and Luc must deal with Sarah’s son who is not adjusting well to Luc.  Meanwhile, Justin is dealing with a fellow soldier’s death.
• EPISODE 86 – Lights Out – The Walker family are preparing to say goodbye to Ojai Foods.
• EPISODE 87 – On the Road Again – The Walkers struggle with the financial ruin due the closure of Ojai Foods and a member of the family is killed.

VIDEO:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season” is featured in Widescreen (1:78:1), enhanced for 16×9 televisions. There are a lot of outdoor and indoor shots and “Brothers and Sisters” does have quite a bit of grain but nothing too distracting. But for the most part, picture quality is satisfactory.

AUDIO:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season” is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, the show is mostly dialogue-based but there are quite a bit of music featured in the episodes, but the audio is pretty much front and center channel driven and audio is clear. There are no really need for major sound effects for “Brothers and Sisters” but for the most part, dialogue and background music are heard quite clearly.

My receiver setup preference was set to “Stereo on all Channels” for a much more immersive soundtrack.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season” comes with the following special features:

DISC 1:

• Deleted Scenes – A total of  four deleted scenes: Ryan steps up, taking a second, kitty’s caught in the middle, a meeting of mothers.

DISC 2:

• Deleted Scenes – A total of six deleted scenes: what to do, advice from Tommy, phone connections, happy birthday mr. governor, official entry and going for it.

DISC 3:

• Deleted Scenes – Featuring a total of three deleted scenes: Justin’s promise, being there, make a deal

DISC 4:

• Deleted Scenes – Featuring two deleted scenes: lost keys, next republic senator

DISC 5:

• Deleted Scenes – A total of three deleted scenes: tell me what happened?, second thoughts and mug shots.

DISC 6:

• The Red Carpet – (08:11) Featuring the red carpet premiere of the first episode of season 4 at the “Brothers & Sisters” premiere party.
• Off the Clock – (11:09) Behind-the-Scenes of what happens “Off-the-Clock” of “Brothers and Sisters”.  Featuring the crew of “Brothers and Sisters” and fun things that the cast take part in.
• Bloopers – (2:14) Featuring outtakes from the fourth season of “Brothers and Sisters”.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of four deleted scenes which include what’s going on?, hell of a backhand, Ojai Foods and like old times.

EXTRAS:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season” comes with a slip over case.

Heartfelt, humorous, dramatic and enjoyable, this is probably my favorite season of the popular ABC drama series yet.

I have to admit that many of my favorite drama series on television have somehow gone astray with the writing this year.  And without mentioning any series, I will say that the “thinking outside of the box” has literally brought many quite a few of these once wonderful drama series to unusual lows with unrealistic, make-believe and idiotic storylines.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with “Brothers and Sisters”.  For this fourth season, writers for this season went for accessible storylines that people can relate to.

With the Walker family, everything that had to do with the characters are stories that people can relate to.  With Nora, we see a single mother trying to get on with her life and start dating again, also having to deal with a mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease via Dementia.  With Kitty, having to face the reality that she may not be there for her young child because she is suffering from Lymphoma and having to deal with stage 3 cancer.  With Kevin and Scotty, two gay men who want to adopt and are having problems.  With Sarah, also a single mother testing out the dating scene but also having to deal with a daughter.  Tommy who has to deal with divorce and custody issues.  And then we have Justin and Rebecca who are stressed out because of their wedding, having to think of parenthood and even for Justin trying to get into medical school and realizing that he may have a learning disability.

And of course, it doesn’t stop there.  You have Holly, having to deal with losing her money to a Ponzi scheme, the reality that all that she had worked for is now gone and now finding herself in the worst position in her life and facing a future of being broke, starting over and even more which I don’t want to spoil anyone one who hasn’t seen the episodes yet.

And this is what makes the fourth season of “Brothers and Sisters” so believable and we can laugh during the jokes but when can also shed a tear when things get tough.  We can sympathize with the characters and that is one thing that really distinguishes “Brothers and Sisters” from many other drama series as many of them have become so unbelievable that these one popular shows have lost its sparkle.  Fortunately, “Brothers and Sisters” fared well and not only did it get people tearing over Kitty’s battle with cancer but with a finale so shocking, no one expected the writers to really end it in this fashion.  Definitely one of the most impressive and tragic season finales that I have ever seen.

I admit that the writers really pulled things off for the fourth season but it’s going to be quite interesting to see how they can improve on the fifth.

Another reason why I enjoyed this season so much is how much time was given to characters such as Holly Harper, Rebecca Harper, David Caplan and Scotty Wandell.  It was good for the series to explore the relationships other than Kitty and Robert and give more screen time to these characters and see how the Walker’s have affected their relationships with these people.  Rebecca has grown to a character I enjoy watching and I also feel that the writers have treated Kevin and Scotty’s relationship was tastefully done.   And also to see Holly in a new light and to see how her relationship with Nora is evolving.

Also, the introduction to new characters was well-done.  At first, I thought they would treat the character of Luc Laurent as more of just utilizing his looks and overplay it but he has become a pretty cool character for the season and it’s always good see Sarah not so neurotic or angsty all the time.  Luc seems to have brought some stability with that character and I like that.  Also, for the younger viewers, to see Roxy Olin of MTV’s “The City” reality TV show on “Brothers and Sisters” was a bit surreal but the fact that both of her parents are on the series didn’t surprise me.

As for this DVD set, although there are not as many special features compared to last season’s DVD boxset, nor are there any commentary tracks, you do get a lot deleted scenes but also “The Red Carpet” featurette and also quite a few featurettes via the “Off the Clock” and bloopers included in this fourth season set.  So, if that was my only nitpick of this DVD set, it was the lack of audio commentary.

Overall, “Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Fourth Season” is definitely my favorite season of the drama series yet.  Well-written, well-acted and from beginning to end of this fourth season, viewers will be crying, laughing and then shocked by the season finale.  It’s that good!

Definitely recommended!

Orlando Arrives on DVD August 17th

Sony Pictures Classics & Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Present A Special Edition Re-Release of Sally Potter’s Oscar®-Nominated Film Based on the Classic Novel by Virginia Woolf

ORLANDO

Special Edition DVD with Brand-New Special Features Arrives August 17th

Culver City, CA (June 14, 2010) – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release a Special Edition DVD of writer/director Sally Potter’s (The Tango Lesson, The Man Who Cried) groundbreaking, Oscar®-nominated, and visually stunning 1993 film Orlando on August 17, 2010.  Based on the Virginia Woolf’s gender-bending novel Orlando: A Biography, Orlando stars Oscar®-winner Tilda Swinton2 (Michael Clayton) and Billy Zane (Titanic), in a witty, dream-like period piece with lavish sets, stunning costumes and cameos by Scottish pop singer Jimmy Somerville, of Bronski Beat, and English writer and queer cultural icon Quentin Crisp, author of The Naked Civil Servant. The Orlando special edition DVD includes over two hours of never before released extras including footage from the Venice film festival screening, an interview and select scene commentary with Sally Potter, a featurette on Jimmy Sommerville, and more, for the suggested price of $19.94.

Orlando is the story of a journey through time, spanning over four centuries, first as a man, then as a woman. As a  young nobleman, Orlando (Swinton) is granted favors and property by Queen Elizabeth 1 (Crisp). After her death, he falls passionately in love with a visiting Russian princess on the glittering ice of the frozen river Thames. The princess leaves Orlando, however, and, after a disastrous brush with poetry, he takes up his “manly” destiny as an Ambassador in the deserts of central Asia. There, in the midst of war, unwilling to kill or be killed, he changes sex. As a woman, Orlando returns to the formal salons of 18th century London, where she faces a choice: marry and have heirs or lose everything. In this age of wildness and repression, she meets the man of her dreams, but chooses to forsake both love and her inheritance. Finally, Orlando emerges into a twentieth century filled with speed and noise as an ordinary individual, who, in losing everything, has found herself.

Out of circulation for a number of years, Orlando is as witty, bold and modern as when initially released. A new generation of filmgoers will be able to discover Orlando when Sony Pictures Classics re-releases the film in theatres in on Friday, July 23rd, and again when the special edition DVD is released in August.

Orlando is rated PG-13 and has a run time of 93 minutes.

DVD Special Features Include:
·         Select Scenes Commentary with Sally Potter
·         Orlando goes to Russia
·         Orlando in Uzbekistan
·         Jimmy Was an Angel
·         Venice Film Festival Press Conference
·         An Interview with Sally Potter

Rating:  PG-!3

Catalog #: 35766

UPC Code: 043396357662

SLP: $ 19.94

Running Time: 93 minutes

Order Date: 7/15/2010

iCarly – iSaved Your Life (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Enjoyable, witty and all-out fun! The “iCarly: iSaved Your Life” DVD features a TV movie plus four episodes for a great price.

Images courtesy of © 2010 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: iCarly: iFight Shelby Marx

DURATION: 139 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital – English Stereo, Closed Captions

COMPANY: Nickelodeon/Paramount Home Entertainment

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: June 8, 2010

Created by Dan Schneider

Directed by Adam Weissman

Written by Jake Farrow, Andrew Hill Newman

Executive Producer: Dan Schneider

Associate Producer: Sean Gill

Costume Design by Kristin Dangl

Featuring the voices of:

Miranda Cosgrove as Carla Shay

Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett

Nathan Kress as Freddie Benson

Jerry Trainor as Spencer Shay

Noah Munck as Gibby

Ryan Ochoa as Chuck

Mary Scheer as Marissa Benson

Join Carly, Sam, Spencer and Freddie as they help Carly prepare for the scariest fight of her life in the iFight Shelby Marx TV Special, the most watched iCarly special to date, along with the iDate a Bad Boy TV Special and more all one DVD!

Since 2007, “iCarly” has been a popular series for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around Carly Shay (played by Miranda Cosgrove) and her best friend Samantha Puckett (played by Jennette McCurdy) who are the host of their popular web show “iCarly” which is edited and directed by Freddie Benson (played by Nathan Kress). Most of the scenes are shot at the home of Carly, who lives with her older brother and legal guardian, Spencer (played by Jerry Trainor).

Created and executive produced by Dan Schneider (creator of series “Drake & Josh”, “Zoey 101″, “Kenan & Kel”, “All That”, “The Amanda Show”), “iCarly” is currently on their third season and on January 18, 2010, an episode titled “iSaved Your Life” became the highest rated live action telecast in Nickelodeon history (with 11.2 million viewers) and the #1 telecast of all TV (cable and broadcast) that night.

Needless to say, the show is a big success for the cable network and now “iCarly: iSaved Your Life” is planned for release in June 2010.

The latest DVD includes four iCarly episodes and one iCarly TV Movie.  Fans of the character Freddie will enjoy these episodes as they deal with how he relates to Carly and Sam (including how he shared a kiss with each girl):

• EPISODE 60 – “iSaved Your Life”- Extended Director’s Cut – Freddie saves Carly from being hit by a taco truck and he ends up getting injured.  Now Carly falls in love with him but can this cause problems to their friendship?
• EPISODE 58-59 – “iQuit iCarly” – In this TV movie, as Carly and Sam try to help two young competitive aspiring filmmakers who have their own differences, they see themselves within these young filmmakers and sooner or later, both Carly and Sam start to not get along.  Can their friendship be repaired?
• EPISODE 51 – “iThink They Kissed” – Carly takes Sam to the dentist for an emergency checkup and while under laughing gas, Sam tells Carly that she kissed Freddie.
• EPISODE 48 – “iTwins” – Carly and Sam are known for pranking Freddie but when Sam’s twin sister Melanie (the total opposite of Sam) comes to visit, Freddie thinks Sam is trying to pull a prank by making up a fake story of having a twin sister.
• EPISODE 57 – “iMove Out” – After Freddie’s overprotective mom embarrasses him in front of his classmates, Freddie has had enough and moves out of his home.

VIDEO:

“iCarly: iSaved Your Life” is presented in standard definition and in full screen. Picture quality is good considering there is one TV  movie and four episodes  included on the DVD. There is compression artifacting and edge enhancement but for the audience being targeted, I doubt many will be that picky over picture quality.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

Audio is presented in English stereo and dialogue and music is clear as it comes from the front channels. Dialogue is understandable and experienced no major problems during viewing.  There are no subtitles but closed captions are included.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“iCarly – iSaved Your Life” comes with the following special features:

• Welcome to My Boat – (1:59) Actor Jerry Trainor gives a tour of the boat used in the episode “iQuit iCarly”.
• Window Stunt – (1:36) A look at the stunt women who double for Carly and Sam for the scaffolding stunts in the episode “iQuit iCarly”.
• Birthday - (1:48) The cast of iCarly talk about the coolest and worst birthday gift they received.
• Meet Chuck – (1:29) Young actor Ryan Ochoa talks about playing the evil kid Chuck.

My young son was a big “Drake & Josh” fan and has since graduated from that series and now enjoys “iCarly”.

Many times, I have watched the show along with him and he enjoys the humor of the series and needless to say, he loves the series. Upon reviewing this DVD, I admit I was surprised when I read the back cover and he instantly knew some of the episodes by memory. So, I would assume these have been replayed quite a bit on Nickelodeon.

For “iCarly: iSaved Your Life”, I feel that this is a solid release for those who are fans of the show (or parents curious about purchasing the series for their kids) when it comes to content.  On one DVD, you get a TV movie and four episodes.

As for the parents who are wondering if the episodes are safe for the children, depending on their age, there is no major violence but there may be some content that parents may not want their younger children to see. The episodes are not rated but I’ll point out a few things that may be of concern to some parents who are considering of buying this DVD for younger children.

In the episode “iQuit iCarly”, there is a scene where both Carly and Sam walk out on a scaffold, out their building window and then trouble comes and Carly is left hanging from the scaffold.  Granted, parents should reinforce the fact that children should keep out of windows high above the ground to begin with but that is probably the only thing I can think of that may be problematic for some parents.

And the episodes featured in “iCarly – iSaved Your Life” feature Freddie kissing Carly, having kissed Samantha, etc.  So, these are young teenage situations but again, it is up to parents if they mind that or not.

Personally, the series and episodes featured on this DVD are nothing for parents to worry about but if the descriptions of scenes I mentioned above causes concern, especially if you were considering of buying this for a 5-9 year old child, then perhaps parental guidance is suggested.

Overall, “iSaved Your Life” was an entertaining DVD. Again, my young son absolutely loves this show and he enjoyed watching the episodes (again) on DVD. I wouldn’t be surprised if other children are feel the same way and seeing how the ratings are pretty strong for “iCarly”, many will have interest for this DVD.

If you are a big fan of the show or if you are a parent of a child who loves “iCarly”, “iSaved Your Life” is a DVD worth checking out.

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