Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (1993) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Back in the mid-1990's, I was connected with an organization called "Viewers for Quality Television," or "VQT." It was a group of people championing television programs, especially dramas, that didn't get much attention from the Emmy's, but should have.
"Homicide Life: Life on the Streets" was one of our shows we fought for. While NBC stuck with it, often halfheartedly, for several years while erratically scheduling it alternately in good time slots (following the Superbowl one week, then not showing it for several weeks), then moving it to a different night every couple of months, e.g. January 1993 (Sunday), Feb-March 1993 (Wednesday), then keeping it off the air until January 1994 (Thursday), and then moving it after a few months in October 1994 (Friday), it was doomed to fail, but we watched it anyway...hoping that we'd get to see another episode.
The characters were an odd collection of people who cared about what they did, and we as viewers cared about them: Ned Beatty as Stanley (the Big Man), Richard Belzer as Munch, Daniel Baldwin as Beau Felton, Andre Braugher as Frank, and Yaphet Kotto as Lieutenant Giardello (Gee).
SPOILER ALERT! I could write ten pages about wonderful moments from this show: The "small talk" of Stanley and Munch. The pain Frank felt after the death of Crosetti in December 1994. the shooting of Felton, Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) and Stan in January 1995. The warmth of the snowball fight at the end of one show in December with Christy Hyde singing "Have yourself a very Merry Christmas" in the background.
This was great Television that through the advent of DVD we'll be able to watch again and again. Which only goes to show you that in a world that often, from time-to-time, looks like it is going to hell in a handbasket, something wonderful, like these first two years of Homicide, come along.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (1993)

One of the most critically acclaimed shows in TV history, Homicide: Life on the Street reinvigorated a tired genre by focusing on the grueling work of solving murders instead of an endless succession of bloody crimes and car chases.Inspired by David Simon's Edgar Award-winning account of Baltimore homicide detectives and brought to television by writer Paul Attanasio (Gideon's Crossing) and director Barry Levinson (Analyze This, The Perfect Storm, Oz), Homicide boasted a powerhouse ensemble cast featuring Ned Beatty (Network, Deliverance), Yaphet Kotto (Alien, Midnight Run), Richard Belzer (Law & Order: SVU), and breakout star Andre Braugher (Frequency, Gideon's Crossing).Now this Emmy and Peabody Award winner debuts on DVD with this collector's set featuring all 13 episodes from the first two seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street.

Get 23% OFF

Click here for more information about Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (1993)

Read More...

Hunter - The Complete First Season (1984) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nominated for three Emmys, Hunter stands out as one of the premiere action police dramas of the 1980s. Just as Tom Selleck's on-camera charisma carried Magnum, P.I. through nine highly-rated seasons, Fred Dryer's knack for drawing an audience to his unique persona carried an otherwise lackluster series through much of the decade. The brainchild of Frank Lupo, creator of The A-Team (1982) and writer for such hit series as Battlestar Galactica (1978), Magnum, P.I. (1980), and Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), Hunter is built on the clichéd concept of a rogue cop who breaks the rules and takes justice into his own hands. Dryer does well in his role as the Clint Eastwood of the small screen, yet the show's writers give him little to work with in terms of a highly developed character and, as the seasons pass, the plot becomes quite formulaic. Nevertheless, Hunter is pure mind-numbing police chase entertainment with the added element of nostalgia for those who long for the 1980s when Hunter ruled along with The A-Team, Magnum, Miami Vice, and Knight Rider, and I for one loved those shows...!
Hunter follows the life of Los Angeles Police Department detective Sgt. Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer), a renegade cop whose family has ties to organized crime. This family tree, coupled with a penchant for getting his partners injured and a propensity to bend the rules, make Hunter an unpopular guy within the department. Only two officers will even agree to partner with him - Bernie Terwilliger (James Whitmore Jr.), who's a total incompetent, and Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer), a stunning brunette with a rebellious streak of her own (and also disliked by her colleagues). Together, Hunter and McCall are a perfect fit as partners, breaking up crime rings, solving murders, and dealing with internal problems such as irate captains. In seasons one and two, Hunter's bosses are a thorn in his side. But both are soon replaced by Capt. Charles Devane (Charles Hallahan) who plays the role of Hunter's by-the-book, yet generally amiable authority figure for the remainder of the series. Meanwhile, original Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris plays a brilliant recurrent role as police informant Arnold "Sporty" James... Overall, Hunter is a solid and highly entertaining action/adventure police drama series, one indispensable to 1980s TV aficionados...The Hunter (Season 1) DVD features a number of action-packed episodes including the two-hour series premiere in which the audience first meets Sgt. Rick Hunter, a mobster's son turned cop who is generally disliked within the LAPD. In this first episode, Hunter tries to investigate a murder, but the case is given to Bernie Terwilliger (the first cop to arrive on the scene), and Hunter is told to back off. With a by-the-book Captain hot on his heels, Hunter partners with feisty Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, and the duo work together to set a trap for the perpetrator... Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Pen Pals" in which Hunter takes the rap for a murder he did not commit, and Dee Dee and her new partner must track down the true culprit, and "Guilty" in which Hunter and Dee Dee disobey a direct order and go it alone to investigate the connection between two murders...
Below is a list of episodes included on the Hunter (Season 1) DVD:
Episode 1 (Pilot: Part 1)
Episode 2 (Pilot: Part 2)
Episode 3 (Hard Contract)
Episode 4 (The Hot Grounder)
Episode 5 (A Long Way from L.A.)
Episode 6 (Legacy)
Episode 7 (Flight on a Dead Pigeon)
Episode 8 (Pen Pals)
Episode 9 (Dead or Alive)
Episode 10 (High Bleacher Man)
Episode 11 (The Shooter)
Episode 12 (The Garbage Man)
Episode 13 (The Avenging Angel)
Episode 14 (The Snow Queen: Part 1)
Episode 15 (The Snow Queen: Part 2)
Episode 16 (The Beach Boy)
Episode 17 (Guilty)
Episode 18 (The Last Kill)
Episode 19 (Fire Man)
Episode 20 (Sniper)
The DVD Report

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hunter - The Complete First Season (1984)

HUNTER:SEASON ONE - DVD Movie

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Hunter - The Complete First Season (1984)

Read More...

C.S.I. Miami - The Complete First Season (2002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Being a CSI las Vegas fan, I wasn't happy when they made CSI Miami. I picked this up due to the summer break of CSI, I needed something.. and this was my choice! I can honestly say that it was a worthwhile purchase after having watched all of the episodes. True David Caruso is no Gil Grissom, but would you want him to be? The feel of the series is very different with the set being in Miami. The cast is on par with the Las vegas cast. Las Vegas has a more personal feel to it, as many times the originals bring their personal lives into the story (i.e. Catherine being a stripper, Warrick being a Gambler), and you don't find that as much in Miami. The focus seems to stay more to the storyline.
Kim Delaney was a welcome cast-off in my opinion. She dragged the series down with her poor attitude, and had no chemistry with David Caruso. She came across as an uptight investigator who had no interest in getting along with her fellow CSIs, or have any passion in getting the truth. I was very glad when she finally left.
Another difference between Las Vegas and Miami that is striking is how each CSI is an expert in their certain field. Callegh is the "Bullet Girl", Speedle is the AV expert, Delco is the Diving tech who speaks russian, and spanish, acts as the go between the Cuban community and the MDPD. Alexx talks to her patients as they were still alive, and in general is friendlier then Al Robbins of Las Vegas.
In conclusion, try it, the two CSIs are comparable, like the many Law and Order spinoffs, you can choose your favorite, but in my opinion each one is strong, and holds its own. You can enjoy either, but take a vacation from Las Vegas to Miami.

Click Here to see more reviews about: C.S.I. Miami - The Complete First Season (2002)

CSI:MIAMI - COMPLETE FIRST SEASON - DVD Movie

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about C.S.I. Miami - The Complete First Season (2002)

Read More...

Spenser For Hire - the Movie Collection (1994) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Perhaps the signature role in Robert Urich's too short career. Spenser, with an 's' like the poet, was a tough talking Private Eye in Boston. He likes to cook, and he loves Susan Silverman. He garners help on a regular basis from Hawk, a former mob enforcer who respects what Spenser stands for.
The first two of these movies are decent enough. They capture some of the flavor of the TV show. Although the production moved from Boston to Toronto to cut costs. Also in a cost-cutting measure, they replaced the series' Susan (Barbara Stock) with Barbara Williams and later Wendy Crewson. (A move that Urich admitted was a bad one.) ABC produced the first two movies after cancelling the series. The latter two were produced for Lifetime Television.
Robert B. Parker, who penned the novels on which the series was based, co-wrote the first two of these movies with his wife. The quality of the first two scripts notwithstanding, the productions suffered from the move to Toronto. While it is a beautiful city, it doesn't have the same feel as Beantown.
The latter two cable movies are a hollow shell of what made the show great. It's basically a cut-and-paste job.
That having been said, I would guess that Warner Bros. is keeping a close eye on the sales of this set to decide if they'll release the great series on DVD. So, if you want to see the real "Spenser: For Hire" you'll have to go through here to get it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Spenser For Hire - the Movie Collection (1994)

For The First Time Ever The Four Top-Rated SPENSER Movies In One Explosive CollectionFollowing the surprise cancellation of the hit series Spenser: For Hire, ABC produced four full-length movies starring the late Robert Urich as the wisecracking-but-deadly Boston detective. Avery Brooks (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) co-stars as ‘Hawk' in these television events based on the best-selling books by Robert B. Parker that The New York Times calls "one of the great series in the history of the American detective story." SPENSER: CEREMONY Starring Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, Barbara Williams Screenplay by Robert P. Parker & Joan H. ParkerWhen a 16-year-old girl disappears into Boston's sleazy underbelly, Spenser and Hawk pull the trigger on a teen pornography ring that leads to a shocking final twist. SPENSER: PALE KINGS AND PRINCES Starring Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, Barbara Williams, Alex Carter (CSI), Matthew Ferguson (La Femme Nikita) Screenplay by Robert P. Parker & Joan H. ParkerSpenser, his ‘lady shrink' girlfriend Susan Silverman, and Hawk investigate a brutal murder in a quaint New England town where snow falls in kilo packages. SPENSER: THE JUDAS GOAT Starring Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, Wendy Crewson (24, AIR FORCE ONE)Spenser is hired out-of-town and may be out of his league when a terrorist group with a taste for car bombs targets a controversial African leader. SPENSER: A SAVAGE PLACE Starring Robert Urich, Avery Brooks, Cynthia Dale, Wendy Crewson A TV news cameraman is found murdered, and Spencer is hired by an old flame to investigate a movie producer who may be shooting more than film.

Click here for more information about Spenser For Hire - the Movie Collection (1994)

Read More...

Miami Vice - Season Two (1984) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The second season of vice is arguably the best and here are some of the reasons why: The Prodigal Son -- the premiere two hour episode may be the best vice, ironic that it takes place in New York, not Miami. Features Penn Gillette and Jean Simmons. Out Where the Buses Don't Run -- brought up by another reviewer and for good reason. Great music and atmosphere featuring that guy from Animal House and The Insider. Definately Miami-- featuring Ted Nugent as a psychopathic drug dealer and Arielle Dombasle as his psychopathic girlfriend that Crockett almost falls for. Great music again and great ending featuring "Cry" by Cream. Little Miss Dangerous -- great music and a great story about a homicidal hooker who Tubbs takes under his wing. Trust Fund Pirates is also a great one -- rich, trust fund kids who take to being pirates and robbing drug smugglers on the open seas out of boredom features Rick Belzer and Noogie "Nug man" Lamonte. Bushido some fans did not care for it but I loved it. It was directed by Edward James Olmos and gives some background on Castillo's spook days as he goes after an old friend who has become a double agent. Different music and a different feel. A really great opening scene in this one as Crockett and Tubbs use night vision and Zito hides under the sand with a snorkel! Sons and LOvers is an important episode in which Tubbs former lover, Angelica, comes back (remember from Return of Calderone) with some bad news for Tubbs. This was an important episode for the history of vice and the Calderone saga. Unfortunatley, this season featured a couple of the lamer episodes such as: The Fix -- Bill Russell as a judge with a gambling habit forces his son to fix a basketball game (but does have a powerful ending) and French Twist -- where a french cop chases a french bad guy and Crockett falls (sort of) for the cop. I did not care for these two episodes, although they weren't horrible and I'll enjoy watching them again. But other than those two, this is probably the best season of vice by far!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Miami Vice - Season Two (1984)

MIAMI VICE:SEASON TWO - DVD Movie

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about Miami Vice - Season Two (1984)

Read More...