The Man Who Could Work Miracles Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Man Who Could Work Miracles" is a marvelous humorous fantasy the screenplay of which was both written by and based on a short story by the great early science fiction writer H. G. Wells of "Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds" fame.
"Miracles" tells of a Mr. Fotheringay, a simple dry goods clerk in early 20th England who is given the power to work miracles by a god who wants to see what use he will make of it. Starring Roland Young (best known in this country as the original "Cosmo Topper" in the film "Topper." The film is highly entertaining as it depicts Mr. Fotheringay's adventures and also raises some genuine moral and philosophical issues about how power should be used and its limits. The FILM is highly recommended.
On the other hand, this is a lousy transfer of the film to DVD, blurry and with a constant annoying flicker. True, the film is nearly 70 years old, but I have a transfer that I made from a laserdisc copy I owned to a DVD-R which is still far superior in quality to this one. In this case, the name of the publisher "Cheezy Flicks" is, I'm afraid, merely a case of truth in advertising!

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W. Somerset Maugham Collection - 3-DVD Set ( Trio / Quartet / Encore ) Review

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(More customer reviews)These adaptations of Maugham's stories are truly great. Please, we need them in U.S. DVD format!

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Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete First Season (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)Wow! Never in my wildest dreams did I think this classic 70's cartoon would get released on dvd!!! I remember when the cartoon network briefly aired the episodes in prime-time several years ago. Unfortunately they were recorded on vhs from a old tv at the time, so the episodes had very poor sound quality. At that point I was just happy to record one of my favorite cartoon shows of the 1970's!!!
The Boyle family included father Harry Boyle(voiced by Tom Bosley of Happy Days), wife Irma, oldest son Chet, daughter Alice, and youngest son Jamie. The oldest son Chet was a college dropout, who still lived at home and never really wanted to work. Alice was the sweet overweight daughter who was always the free thinker, and wanting to try new things, and the youngest son Jamie was the little capitalist always trying to make a fast buck! The mother Irma was just plain hilarious in her way of thinking and that whiney nasal voice simply added to the humor! There was also Harry's nextdoor neighbor Ralph, who was this military fanatic, that was paranoid about so-called communist, and being ready to attack at anytime.
Althought Wait til your father gets home only lasted about 2 full seasons, they included some very funny episodes and funny guest stars like the voices of Don Knotts, Phyliss Diller, and Monty Hall. One of my favorite episodes was when Dad Harry Boyle decided to build a swimming pool and the nightmare that came along with it. I also loved the episode when the Boyles go on a summer vacation and there are nudist hanging around on the beach. Wow! I can't wait to enjoy this show all over again on dvd!!! June 5th can't come fast enough!!!

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Wait Till Your Father Gets Home chronicles the lives of the Boyles, your average 1970's American family. Harry Boyle, the father, owns a restaurant supply company. His wife Irma portrays the typical housewife, with an occasional independent flare. Harry and Irma have three children: Chet, Alice, and Jamie. Chet, who is 22, is a college dropout, who spends most of his time sleeping. Alice is a rather robust 16-year-old, who teams up with her mother, to display the independence of women, in the 70's. Jamie is the Capitalist of the family, even though he is only 9.

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Ben 10 - Season 4 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)We find out in Season 4 that there are alot of alien races out there that are fighting one another for control of the galaxy. As we all know, there is one 10 year old kid that ain't going to let that happen and that is Ben Tennyson. Season Four opens up with Ben living out a perfect day, perhaps too perfect-I'm afraid- as he soon discovers and things escalate from there. While most of the episodes walk a familiar ground, the plot thickens more as you soon discover before the Season is over. Team Tennyson may be no more. As for extras, we are given three alternate versions of the Ben 10 Secret of the Omnitrix movie. While each version has minor changes(different heroes used to combat the enemy, a pop up trivia version for fans, etc), they are still worth watching. I'm glad Cartoon Network included this movie with Season Four(it makes one less thing I have to buy in order to have the complete Ben 10 Collection). Other than that, nothing much to speak of.
While I'm older than the audience this series was created for, I can honestly say that it appeals to me too. See, Ben is living every kid's dream of being a hero and I think that is what appeals to fans of the show, including me. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a real hero?? Besides, the cartoon is fun with lots of twists and turns in the storyline. With all the aliens that Ben turns into and the things that he faces, that makes for alot of episode possibilites.
If you're into Ben 10 Alien Force, you owe it to yourself to pick up the series that started it all: Ben 10. I'll admit, I wasn't much of a fan til I saw the new show. The series is definitely worth picking up.
Now, it is time for me to pick up Volume One of Ben 10 Alien Force.

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Ben Tennyson was just an average 10-year-old kid – until he discovered a strange alien watch in a crashed meteorite. Called the Omnitrix, this watch gives Ben the ability to transform into any of 10 alien heroes, all the while keeping his 10-year-old personality.

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Popeye the Sailor: 1941-1943, Vol. 3 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Just a word of caution, these are from the wartime years and do contain non-politically correct wartime stereotypes.
This collection completes the Max Fleischer produced cartoons on disc 1 & some of disc 2. The Famous Studios B&W produced cartoons are also included on disc 2.
Disc 1 (all Fleischer produced)
Problem Pappy (1941) w/ Poopdeck Pappy
Quiet! Pleeze (1941) w/ Poopdeck Pappy
Olive's Sweepstakes Ticket (1941) w/ Olive, Swee'pea, Bluto & Poopdeck Pappy (1941)
Flies Ain't Human (1941)
Popeye Meets Rip Van Winkle (1941) w/ Rip Van Winkle & Chico Marx.
Olive's Boithday Presink (1941) w/ Olive Oyl
Child Psykolojiky (1941)w/ Swee'pea & Poopdeck Pappy.
Pest Pilot (1941) w/ Poopdeck Pappy
I'll Never Crow Again (1941) w/ Olive Oyl
The Mighty Navy (1941) - First true wartime themed Popeye.
Nix on Hypnotricks (1941) w/ Olive Oyl & Professor I. Stare.
Kickin' the Conga 'Round (1942) w/ Olive Oyl & Bluto.
Blunder Below (1942) - Wartime themed.
Fleets Of Stren'th (1942) - Wartime themed.
Pip-eye, Pup-eye, Poop-eye and Peep-eye (1942) w/ Nephews
Olive Oyl And Water Don't Mix (1942) w/ Olive Oyl & Bluto.
Disc 2
Many Tanks (Fleischer) (1942) Wartime themed
Baby Wants a Bottleship (Flesicher)(1942) w/ Olive & Swee'pea - wartime themed.
You're a Sap, Mr. Jap (Dan Gordon)(1942) - first Famous Studio cartoon. Wartime themed, BANNED FROM TELEVISION.
Alona on the Sarong Seas (Isadore Sparber)(1942) w/ Olive as Princess Alona & Bluto.
A Hull of a Mess (Sparber)(1942) - Wartime themed
Scrap The Japs (Seymour Kneitel)(1942)- Wartime themed, BANNED FROM TELEVISION.
Me Musical Nephews (Kneitel)(1942) w/ nephews
Spinach Fer Britain (Sparber)(1943) - Wartime themed
Seein' Red, White 'N' Blue (1943) - Wartime themed, BANNED FROM TELEVISION
Too Weak to Work (Sparber)(1943) w/ Bluto
A Jolly Good Furlough (Gordon)(1943) w/Olive, Bluto, Twinkletoes & Nephews. - Wartime Themed.
Ration Fer The Duration (Kneitel)(1943) w/ Nephews. - Wartime themed.
The Hungry Goat (Gordon)(1943) - Wartime themed
Happy Birthdaze (Gordon)(1943) w/ Olive Oyl & Shorty.
Wood-Peckin' (Sparber)(1943)
Cartoons Ain't Human (Kneitel)(1943) w/ Olive Oyl & Nephews. Popeye makes an animated movie using stick figures.

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POPEYE THE SAILOR:1941-1943 VOLUME 3 - DVD Movie

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Thriller: The Complete Series (1962) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am THRILLED that THRILLER is being released on August 31, 2010 this summer! Image Entertainment has put the entire series, which is two seasons, on 14 discs in this dvd set. All 67 one hour long chilling and some really frightening episodes will be seen in the original fantastic black and white film in all it's scary shadows and creepiness.
Thriller was originally shown on Tuesday nights in it's first 1960-1961 season on NBC from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m.. Because of parents complaints that the show was too scary for school age children, making them unable to sleep on a school night, NBC moved the show in it's second 1961 to 1962 season to Monday nights at a later time from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m.. The show began with it's host, the great Boris Karloff preparing it's audience for the great horrors and terrors that you were about to see and hear. Boris Karloff not only hosted the one hour long show, but starred in several episodes as well, adding his wonderfully brilliant performances to these extremely well written horror stories. The black and white film is perfect for the super eerie atmosphere of the scary stories and it really does add to the visual terror.
Stephen King calls Thriller the best horror series ever put on television. I call Thriller the only television series that gave me horrendous and terrifying, unable to sleep, nightmares as a child and I don't mean a few of the shows, but most of them! Most of the episodes feature the most disturbing stories of the macabre, twisted murders, terror and a few crime based episodes. The crime based episodes, though very excellent, full of twists and suspense, are not my favorites, as they are not as scary as the supernatural and macabre ones.
Image Entertainment said they have digitally restored the original black and white film and used Dolby digital sound on the recording. I remember getting goose bumps hearing the creepiest sounds and screams in some of the episodes, as if the film wasn't creepy enough with things hiding in every shadow and close ups of glaring dead eyes! In it's first season, Thriller was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement In The Field Of Music For Television. It wasn't just the sounds and screams that were terrifying, but also the music! The next season, American Cinema Editors nominated Thriller for Best Edited Television Program, for the episode, A Third For Pinochle.
Thriller featured many well known actors and actresses in their episodes, some being: Boris Karloff, Leslie Nielson, silent film star Mary Astor, Rip Torn, Richard Chamberlain, Cloris Leachman, Ellen Corby, Victor Buono, Mary Tyler Moore, Jack Carson, Warren Oates, Werner Klemperer, Mort Saul, William Shatner, Donna Douglas, Susan Oliver, Ronald Howard, Robert Vaughn, Marlo Thomas, Jeanette Nolan, Tommy Nolan, Edward Andrews, Marion Ross, Brandon DeWilde, Natalie Schafer, Alejandro Rey, John Carradine, Tom Posten, Elizabeth Montgomery, Estelle Winwood, JoAnn Fleet, Bruce Dern, Richard Long, Ursula Andress, Denver Pyle, Sue Ann Langdon, Dick York, Reta Shaw, William Windom and George Kennedy.
I have to give a HUGE THANK YOU TO IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT for putting the time and effort into digitally restoring and releasing the greatest horror television series of all time! They are also including bonus materials of Audio Commentaries, Episodes Promos, Series Promos and Still Galleries. I am so looking forward to getting goose bumps and being terrified all over again with those dreaded nightmares that kept me and all my school friends awake all night and hiding deep under our covers, so afraid of the dark! This being my second time around to see these terrifying Thrillers, I have learned to never watch the supernatural or macabre episodes alone. If I have no choice and have to watch them alone, I will make sure to keep a light on, and most importantly, I'll make sure that there are no reflecting windows, glass or mirrors visible when watching THE HUNGRY GLASS! Even after 50 years, I can still remember the terrified photographer and his wife when they decided to ignore everyone telling them not to move into the haunted seaside house, but moved in anyway to live with the terrors reflected within!
Here Are All 67 Macabre, Horrifying And Terror Filled Episodes:
SEASON 1:
(09-13-1960) THE TWISTED IMAGE- Psycopath mail clerk.(Leslie Nielson)
(09-20-1960) CHILD'S PLAY- Deadly imagination.
(09-27-1960) WORSE THAN MURDER- Strange diary.
(10-04-1960) THE MARK OF THE HAND- Child with a gun.
(10-11-1960) ROSE'S LAST SUMMER- Old movie actress.(Mary Astor)
(10-18-1960) THE GUILTY MEN- Crime boss wants out.
(10-25-1960) THE PURPLE ROOM- Haunted mansion.(Rip Torn)
(11-01-1960) THE WATCHER- Psychotic killer.(Richard Chamberlain)
(11-15-1960) GIRL WITH A SECRET- Spys.(Cloris Leachman, Ellen Corby and Victor Buono)
(11-22-1960) THE PREDICTION- Magician's predictions.(Boris Karloff)
(11-29-1960) THE FATAL IMPULSE- Bomb planted in purse.(Mary Tyler Moore)
(12-06-1960) THE BIG BLACKOUT- Lost memory of murder.(Jack Carson)
(12-13-1960) KNOCK THREE-ONE-TWO- Arranged murder.(Warren Oates)
(12-20-1960) MAN IN THE MIDDLE- Overhearing murder plan.(Werner Klemperer and Mort Sahl)
(12-27-1960) THE CHEATERS- Strange Eyeglasses.
(01-03-1961) THE HUNGRY GLASS- Haunted seaside home.(William Shatner and Donna Douglas)
(01-10-1961) THE POISONER- Easy money by killing.
(01-17-1961) MAN IN THE CAGE- Intrigue in Morocco.
(01-24-1961) CHOOSE A VICTIM- Beach bum fall guy.(Susan Oliver)
(02-07-1961) HAY-FORK AND BILL-HOOK- Witchcraft.
(02-14-1961) THE MERRIWEATHER FILE- Murder mystery.
(02-21-1961) THE FINGERS OF FEAR- Child murderer.
(02-28-1961) WELL OF DOOM- Sorcerer.(Ronald Howard)
(03-07-1961) THE ORDEAL OF DR. CORDELL- Murderous rage.(Robert Vaughn and Marlo Thomas)
(03-14-1961) TRIO FOR TERROR- Occult; Odd bed; Museum hideout.
(03-21-1961) PAPA BENJAMIN- Voodoo melody.
(04-04-1961) LATE DATE- Murder confession.
(04-11-1961) YOURS TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER- Jack is back.
(04-18-1961) THE DEVIL'S TICKET- Artist and pawn shop ticket.
(04-25-1961) PARASITE MANSION- Dark mansion secrets.(Jeanette Nolan and Tommy Nolan)
(05-02-1961) A GOOD IMAGINATION- Cheating wife.(Edward Andrews)
(05-09-1961) MR. GEORGE- Invisible child protector.
(05-16-1961) TERROR IN TEAKWOOD- Severed hands play piano.
(05-23-1961) THE PRISONER IN THE MIRROR- Evil sorcerer.(Marion Ross)
(05-30-1961) DARK LEGACY- Book of spells.
(06-06-1961) PIGEONS FROM HELL- Terrifying manor house.(Brandon DeWilde)
(06-13-1961) THE GRIM REAPER- Cursed painting.(William Shatner and Natalie Schafer)
SEASON 2:
(09-18-1961) WHAT BECKONING GHOST?- Funeral dreams.
(09-26-1961) GUILLOTINE- Executioner.(Alejandro Rey)
(10-02-1961) THE PREMATURE BURIAL- Buried alive.(Boris Karloff)
(10-16-1961) THE WEIRD TAYLOR- Special suit for the dead.
(10-23-1961) GOD GRANTE THAT SHE LYE STILLE- Witch haunting.(Ronald Howard and Victor Buono)
(10-30-1961) MASQUERADE- Vampires.(John Carradine, Tom Posten and Elizabeth Montgomery)
(11-06-1961) THE LAST OF THE SOMMERVILLES- Scheming couple.(Boris Karloff)
(11-13-1961) LETTER TO A LOVER- Intrigue.
(11-20-1961) A THIRD FOR PINOCHLE- Nosy spinsters.(Edward Andrews)
(11-27-1961) THE CLOSED CABINET- Ancient curse.
(12-04-1961) DIALOGUES WITH DEATH- Conversing with the dead; Colonel's revenge.(Boris Karloff and Estelle Winwood)
(12-11-1961) THE RETURN OF ANDREW BENTLEY- Fear of evil sorcerer.
(12-18-1961) THE REMARKABLE MRS. HAWKS- Prize pigs.(John Carradine, JoAnn Fleet and Bruce Dern)
(12-25-1961) PORTRAIT WITHOUT A FACE- Dead artist's painting.
(01-01-1962) AN ATTRACTIVE FAMILY- Murder plans.(Richard Long)
(01-08-1962) WAXWORKS- Frightening figures.
(01-15-1962) LA STREGA- Witchcraft.(Ursula Andress, Jeanette Nolan and Alejandro Rey)
(01-22-1962) THE STORM- Alone with a murderer.
(01-29-1962) A WIG FOR MISS DeVORE- Mysterious wig.
(02-12-1962) THE HOLLOW WATCHER- Town scarecrow.(Warren Oates and Denver Pyle)
(02-19-1962) COUSIN TUNDIFIER- Murdering in the past.(Edward Andrews and Sue Ann Langdon)
(02-26-1962) THE INCREDIBLE DR. MARKESAN- Uncle's scary mansion.(Boris Karloff and Dick York)
(03-05-1962) FLOWERS OF EVIL- Screaming skeleton.
(03-12-1962) TIL DEATH DO US PART- Burying your wife.(Reta Shaw)
(03-19-1962) THE BRIDE WHO DIED TWICE- Desire and death.
(03-26-1962) KILL MY LOVE- Mistress murder.
(04-02-1962) MAN OF MYSTERY- Intrigue.(Mary Tyler Moore and William Windom)
(04-09-1962) THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS- Body snatchers.(George Kennedy)
(04-16-1962) THE LETHAL LADIES- Couple fights to death; Clever librarian.
(04-30-1962) THE SPECIALISTS- Jewel thieves.(Ronald Howard)

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Now available for the first time ever in any format, experience the complete series hailed as the most frightening ever created for television. Horror legend Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) guides you through 67 unforgettable episodes of suspense, murder and relentless terror, featuring a stellar cast of stars from the golden age of TV. These tales from the minds of such masterful writers as Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Bloch (Psycho), and Cornell Woolrich (Rear Window) include a murderous cursed painting, a supernatural mirror, a demonic tailor's suit, and much more. Now remastered and packed with hours of exclusive, fascinating extras, Thriller is the ultimate must-have collection for any horror or classic television fan.Featured stars include: William Shatner, Leslie Nielsen, Mary Tyler Moore, Elizabeth Montgomery, Rip Torn, Richard Chamberlain, Cloris Leachman, Alan Napier (Batman), Robert Vaughn (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), Werner Klemperer Hogan's Heroes), Russell Johnson (Gilligan's Island), Donna Douglas (The Beverly Hillbillies), Richard Kiel (Moonraker), Marlo Thomas (That Girl), Edward Platt (Get Smart), Marion Ross (Happy Days), Tom Poston (Newhart), Natalie Schafer (Gilligan's Island), Richard Long (The Big Valley), Ursula Andress (Dr. No), and many more.

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Cats Don't Dance (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)When this film released in 1997, nobody paid attention to it, because Disney's Hercules was the animated feature film everyone assumed to be better. Many animators would prefer Cats Don't Dance over Hercules, why? It is a tap dancing musical that really plays with the art of animation. The movie is directed by Mark Dindal (Emperor's New Groove) and the choreography is by the famous broadway dancing veteran Gene Kelley! It is also the last film involves Gene Kelley. Overall, the animation is wonderful, loveable characters, and unforgettable songs. This is a movie for all ages of animation or musical fan.

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The rags-to-riches story of Danny, a talented cat whose lifelong goal of movie stardom is sidetracked when he discovers only humans get the good roles in Hollywood. On the big screen, animals can bark, meow or moo, but cats don't dance. Danny vows to break through the "species barrier" and prove that dreams really can come true.

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Five Summer Stories (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've heard so much about Jim Freeman and Greg MacGillivray's (the founder of IMAX) film "Five Summer Stories" (and "Sunshine Sea ") many times from fellow surfers and before it was released in DVD, I'll admit seeing the VHS at various surf shop for years but I always found myself using the money towards surf wax or new boardshorts because what people were selling were these expensive limited edition signed sets and so I passed.
Flash forward many years later and it's been gnawing in the back of my mind that I still haven't seen the film yet and so, I drove to my local surf shop and picked up "Five Summer Stories" on DVD.
I've heard about how this film was one of the first major budget films as it was the first film on stereo, it was the first film that paid a surfer (Gerry Lopez) for appearing in the film and how this film literally packed theaters who just loved the surfing, seeing popular surfers from the '70s and also from the past just showing off their passion and also music by the Beach Boys and Honk.
Having watched the DVD again for I don't know how many times since I bought it, I figured that I might as well type up a review on my thoughts of the film.
The film is titled "Five Summer Stories" and features various stories somewhat broken down in five categories. The first story titled " A Hawaiian Odyssey" featuring Hawaii in 1972 and various surfers in Hawaii at various locations such as the North Shore, Sunset, Waikiki. From shots of the various activities in the 1970's, from people in Hawaii at events, to ladies in bikinis and even a young Laird Hamilton at the age of 10.
Chapter 1 3/8 would feature the surfing scene in the 1950's and 1960's with the popularity of surf films, surf shops, knee boarding, Duke and the big surfers at that time. Micky Dora, Nat Young, Midget Farrelly, Corky Carroll, David Nuuhiwa and more.
Chapter 2 titled "Different Drummers" features major surfers commenting on up and coming surfers of the early 70s. Also, an interesting segment with Corky Carrol with a mic taped to his body while surfing.
Chapter 2 1/2 is titled "Magic Rolling Board" and this featured the popularity of skateboarding during the '70s. This was pretty fun to see the various stunts that people would pull off and the crazy fandom at that time.
Chapter 2 3/4 is titled "Contest Weight". This would focus on various surfing competitions in the '70s.
Chapter 3 titled "Women in Motion" features popular women surfing from 1958 through the early 1970s. It was great to see women such as Lynne Boyer, Linda Benson, Joyce Hoffman and others who revolutionized surfing.
Chapter 3 1/4 features Shaun Tomson and 3 1/2 is titled "Bright Stars" and features two surfers.
Chapter 4 features a combination of surfing and old school animation. Chapter 4 3/4 titled "Is Surfing Closed Out" and this one features popular surf breaks and its changes from the 60's to 1995 (new footage).
Chapter 5 is titled "Heaven's Gift to Man: Tunnel of Love" which features a combination of surfing and animation. Focusing on surfers riding the tube.
VIDEO:
Considering the film was released in 1972, many scenes looked pretty well done and the video looks like it held up quite well through the years. The problem is that I don't know how much was added in newer footage versus what was shown in the 1970's. But all in all, the older footage looks pretty good on DVD.
AUDIO:
A lot of music and narration. A lot of people who grew up in the 70's have always talked about the awesome soundtrack and people who have seen the original film have said the film version of the DVD has its music replaced (half of the Beach Boys music replaced). So, again...not having seen the original '70s film, I don't know how much music was changed from the original to this present DVD version.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There are no special features but there is a 1:29 minute prologue asking people "What were you doing in 1972?". Prologue was misspelled as prologe but very minor quirp.
JUDGMENT CALL:
Personally, I can see why this movie is a classic and I definitely agree it is a time capsule for surfing past. There are so many cutscenes, surfing and a bit of humor and fun included in this film and for a film created in 1972, I can tell you that the footage looks much better than a lot of surfing DVD's and VHS I own from the 80s and 90s.
For me, I enjoy watching legends like Gerry Lopez and even seeing Corky Carroll just ripping and just having fun on the waves. There are so many legendary surfers on this film and of course, many of them were in their teens or twenties at the time, so it was cool to see them surf.
I actually enjoy humorous cut scenes and footage that may not seem as much to others but yeah, sing Bill Hamilton and little Laird surfing at the age of 10 and 11 was pretty cool because that little kid has grown up to become one of the best big wave surfers of all time.
I've read some reviews about how the DVD version of the film does not have the original music as the original film and it truly was a bummer to them. I have not seen the original film with the original Beach Boys soundtrack, so I am not affected. But I supposed I can understand in someways when I watch a DVD for a television show and the music was changed because they don't have the music rights for the DVD releases and yeah, if you don't like the music which replaced the original, yeah, I can see that really dampening the experience for some.
Also, I noticed that the original film clocks in at 94 minutes, while this DVD version clocks in at 89:38. So, five minutes maybe were cut? Not sure. I do know that near the end, we see 1995 footage, so not sure if the film was re-edited to celebrate its 25th Anniversary or what.
But all in all, this film is one of the few surfing DVD's that I can say is worth owning.
I enjoyed watching the classic 70s footage and the fact that the film tried to introduced so many parts to it, all in all, it was fun. Was it better than "Endless Summer", I'm more biased towards "Endless Summer" but overall, "Five Summer Stories" was just fun to watch and having it in my collection definitely has me stoked!

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Desk Set (1957) Review

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(More customer reviews)I hesitate to write this review, since "Desk Set" is not merely my favorite Hepburn-Tracy movie, but also my favorite movie. Moreover, it includes my favorite scene in the movies, the "scene on the roof." Hence, I ain't objective. The roof scene, in which Tracy gives Hepburn what is essentially an I.Q. test, and Hepburn aces it, is not merely brilliant Tracy/Hepburn (told you I was biased), but a classic example of the jousting that occurs when a very smart guy meets a very smart woman. Inevitably -- because this is Tracy and Hepburn -- Richard Sumner admires and, eventually, falls madly in love with Bunny Watson, who dumps her long-time, self-centered, unappreciative boyfriend in order to marry him.
Everything about this film is delightful, from Tracy's cautioning Hepburn, "Never assume!" before relating the famous "detective" problem (see title of this review), to the office jokes between the legal department and the librarians, the floating-island dessert, Tracy's bongo drums, and the rousing climax in which, as the new library computer spews out all 87 verses of the poem, "Curfew," instead of data about the island of Corfu (having been mis-programed by a female in god-forbid -- a suit), Hepburn theatrically recites the poem, rounding off each verse with a resounding, "Curfew will not ring tonight!"
"Should Bunny Watson marry Richard Sumner?" Tracy types into his computer. "I thought that you said that it couldn't evaluate?" asks Hepburn. "I programmed in the answer," Tracy responds.
So have I. This is a great movie: it has humor, romance, intelligence and wit. Love it. Buy it. Most importantly -- make the studio put it out in DVD.

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Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn) heads up the research department at the Federal Broadcasting Company, a major TV network.And she does her job very well, thank you very much. Assigned by the network president to introduce computers into some of the department?s functions, Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) arrives at Bunny?s well-run division to observe daily activities. Unfortunately, however, Sumner is ordered to keep his mission secret.As a result, the whole staff believes they are being replaced.To make matters worse, there appears to be more than a little electricity between Bunny and Sumner, which upsets Bunny?s boyfriend Mike (Gig Young). As the tension mounts in the office, so do the laughs in this classic romantic comedy.

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Xiaolin Showdown - Season One (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)It took me several days to write this review, seeing as how I'd have to admit to zillions of online strangers how much I love a kid's cartoon. I swear I don't usually watch this stuff! It's not my fault! I just can't stand any more reality shows!
All right, down to business. Other reviews have covered the basics so I'll gloss over them quickly. Four kids--Clay, Kimiko, Raimundo and Omi--are brought to a temple in China, to train as warriors and locate magical artifacts. These artifacts were de-powered and hidden all over the world thousands of years ago, but are regaining their magical potency one by one. The young warriors must find them before they fall into the wrong hands. Those hands belong to an evil boy genius, his nagging ghost mentor, and a host of other interesting villains.
The artifacts give powers to whoever is holding them at the time, and I have to applaud the creators coming up with such an assortment of pleasing things. They can let you talk to animals, stretch yourself like chewing gum, summon a whirlwind, blast fire, or fool with the workings of space and time. Most artifacts require skill and discipline to use correctly. Some give you a new ability, but take away one that you already had. Others backfire. A few are too dangerous to be used at all. The characters have to think about using them; they can't just flail them around.
But the show isn't just about finding and mastering weapons--it's also about finding and mastering yourself. And while cartoons that moralize really rub me the wrong way, I approve this time. The characters learn to find the rational way to approach a problem, and even better, consider how their own strengths and weaknesses factor into a situation. A presence of forethought, more than skill or luck, is responsible for the good guys' victories. That's what sets Xiaolin Showdown head-and-shoulders above most other kid's shows.
Speaking of forethought, it has a glorious absence in the monks' adversary Jack Spicer, who is now my new favorite 'villain'. If this show was done live-action, I'd accuse Jack Spicer's actor of stealing the show. A cape-swirling, self-styled "Evil Boy Genius", Spicer builds armies of robots, grins and rants, chickens out, gloats and whines about the pitfalls he encounters on his lonely path to greatness. Brilliant yet foolish, egotistical, star-struck, greedy and impulsive, he is Daffy Duck trying his best to be Ming The Merciless. He's not much of a villain, but a perfect troublemaker and hilarious to watch. He's too haphazard--and a bit too nice--to be the evil genius he wants to be, but when he gets his act together, watch out. He has a little knowledge, and it's dangerous.
But Jack Spicer never stops to think about anything, and this begins and ends with him being chewed out by his ghostly sidekick, Wuya. Wuya is the squidlike, floating spirit of an ancient witch, who has teamed up with Jack Spicer for lack of a better partner. She's the brains of the outfit, but very much hampered by the fact that she's not solid and can't do things for herself. She can't force Spicer to do anything, just yell and egg him on, and she would clearly love to smack some sense into him.
None of the villains can get along with each other when they team up, and they double-cross, back-bite and dump each other constantly. The importance of compassion and teamwork is drawn clearly here--if you can't find a way to work with others, you're not going to get anywhere. And the good guys also do less-than-admirable things to each other, out of jealousy or anger, with similar results. Just *saying* they're 'good' is not good enough; the heroes have to learn to walk their talk.
The series explores the idea that humans are neither totally good nor totally bad, and yes, I know, it's just a simplistic cartoon...but the results are pretty interesting. Certain characters cross the good/evil line in either direction, and query each other or themselves on their true natures, especially after Volume One. This is the main reason WB needs to come out with Volume 2 on DVD. Ahem.
You can probably tell that I think this show goes beyond battles, but the fights are great too. When two people want to claim the same artifact, a Xiaolin Showdown is declared and the combatants fight using whatever artifacts they already have. But that, to me, isn't the interesting part; the battlegrounds are. Declaring a Showdown suspends the laws of reality while it's fought, and everything changes to a surrealistic landscape that never fails to amaze me with it's sense and creativity. These showdowns take place in space, in giant pinball machines, in a forest of impossibly tall trees--even a common haystack gets a fever-dream makeover. I love these sequences and, frankly, always wish that the animation was higher-quality so I could enjoy it even more.
Well, that's enough. It's a really good show with heart, brains, humor, a believable theme, magic shiny things and robots and stuff. Hang on for a good wild ride.

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Xiaolin Showdown: The Complete First Season follows the adventures of warriors-in-training Omi, Kimiko, Raimundo and Clay as they search the globe for Shen-Gong-Wu, ancient artifacts that hold both good and evil supernatural powers.Tune in as Dojo, the 40-foot dragon, leads the warriors in a fight against evil boy genius Jack and his robot army who are on the hunt to gain Shen-Gong-Wu and harness their powers for world domination.The race heats up as each artifact is found and a Xiaolin Showdown – an intense winner-take-all double-dare – shapes up.Blending cool martial arts, magical powers and stunning action, these high-stakes matches will take you beyond the edge of animated excitement and fun!Includes all 13 action packed episodes from the entire first season on 2 discs.

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The Flintstones - The Complete First Season (1960) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Before Matt Groening and pals introduced us to "The Simpsons," Joseph Barbera and William Hannah produced a little show called "The Flintstones." Season "1" was first aired on ABC during 1960 and has been syndicated in perpetuity throughout the known universe ever since.
Episode Guide:
(Screen Test) The Flagstones: Admittedly, I've never seen the screen test (discovered in 1993) and cannot even vouch for it's inclusion in the DVD set-one can only hope.
(1) The Flintstone Flyer: Barney invents a flying machine (the Barney Copter) which he later loses to his over-bearing best friend. The duo uses the machine to ditch their wives and go bowling, thus setting the stage for years of adventures.
(2) Hot Lips Hannigan: Fred relives his glory days as a singer in his high school band as he jams with an old pal.
(3) The Swimming Pool: Fred and Barney construct a pool spanning across their backyards...a hilarious power struggle ensues.
(4) No Help Wanted: Having cost his friend his job, Fred finds Barney a new job as a repo man. Enter Dino.
(5) The Split Personality: Following a blow to the noggin' Fred becomes his more refined alter, Frederick.
(6) The Monster from the Tar Pits: Gary Granite is filming in Bedrock and lucky Fred finds a part in the film..., as his stunt double.
(7) The Babysitters: Fred and Barney shirk their responsibilities and bring a baby to a friends house to watch the big fight. BYOB?
(8) At the Races: Fred and Barney rely on gambling for a quick-fix solution. Do you think they win?
(9) The Engagement Ring: Barney purchases a ring for Betty but Wilma discovers the ring and assumes it was for her... Instead of spending five minutes explaining the situation, Barney decides to enter a boxing contest with The Champ.
(10) Hollyrock, Here I Come: The girls come up with a winning slogan and a trip to Hollyrock. Lost without their better halves, Fred and Barney aren't far behind.
(11) The Golf Champion: Fred demonstrates his prowess at golf, earning a trophy. Barney, however, pesters his buddy as Fred neglected to pay his membership dues.
(12) The Sweepstakes Ticket: Both the guys and gals purchase lottery tickets unbeknown to their spouses. As they forever remain strapped for cash, I think you know how this one ends.
(13) The Drive-In: Fred and Barney secretly quit their jobs to fulfill a short-lived dream of business ownership. The gig is up when one of their attractive employees pays a visit to the Flintstone residence.
(14) The Prowler: Terrorized by a neighborhood prowler, Betty and Wilma decide to take Judo lessons, despite Fred's objections.

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The Flintstones was pitched to the network as an animated version of Jackie Gleason's The Honeymooners. Now the honeymoon never has to end with this 4-disc set ofthe 28 episodes of the entire (pre)historic first season, full of terrific extras and trivia that will make fans shout "Yabba dabba doo!"

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