Soap - The Complete First Season (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)As soon as this set came out, I posted below, enthusiastic about receiving complete, unedited episodes, even to the point of excusing the absence of extras.
I was wrong. As discussed by others below and on the Yahoo Soap Group, a comparison of the DVD episodes with the complete, unedited episodes on the Columbia House videotapes shows that 4 DVD episodes are edited:
Episode 2 - Edits out Jody singing "There's Nothing Like a Dame" and the tune the Godfather hums after Danny leaves the sauna.
Episodes 16 and 17 are the syndicated versions, each missing 2 and 1/2 minutes from the complete episodes.
Episode 19 deletes the "On the last episode on Soap" intro.
It should be noted that the company issuing Soap on DVD, Columbia TriStar, also puts out Sanford and Son on DVD, and that a second season DVD episode of Sanford and Son, "Blood is thicker than Junk" incredibly edits out 2 and 1/2 minutes which appear on the syndicated version.
All of this, of course, is not important in light of what's happening in the world, but it does show extrememe sloppiness and lack of care by Columbia TriStar.

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SOAP, A PARODY OF SOAP OPERAS, IS A SHOW ABOUT TWO SISTERS &THEIR FAMILIES. THE ENTIRE 1ST SEASON, ALL 26 EPISODES

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The Richard Pryor Show, Vols. 1 & 2 plus Bonus Disc (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this when it first came on in 1977 when I was 13. Surprising how much I remember these skits. Overall, while it's unique, it's certainly a mixed bag. Like the Smothers brothers, it's quite daring and not surprising that it had trouble with the censors.
"The Richard Pryor Special?" is clearly the best of the lot. Basically, it's Pryor trying to get to his show and meeting strange characters with varied skit ideas along the way. Some really good stuff like the young children's choir (with future soap star Kristoff St. John) and the drunk lover performance with Maya Angelou.
A lot of the ideas that Pryor brings to the fore are unique, but some are just plain strange, such as the "Pet head" with Charles Fleischer (later Roger Rabbit) and "Black Death", a bizzare goth-rocker who kills all of his fans during a concert (this freaked me out and puzzled me in 1977 and still does today). Much of this humor is based on race relations and the subject gets sort of beaten in the ground after a while.
The edited skits makes one wonder why Pryor filmed such profanity-filled routines knowing that they had no chance of airing (there is a particularly foul moment when Pryor curses heavily during the Audience Q&A when there are clearly children visible in the audience). As he has admitted, Pryor had a bad cocaine habit in those days and it shows in some of these monologues.
However, it's also interesting to see the cast of soon-to-be's such as a very young and glamourous pre-"Night Court" Masrha Warfield, Robin Williams, Sandra Bernhard, John Witherspoon, Paul Mooney, and Tim Reid. So overall, you can see in this the direction Black comedy was to take from the 1980s into recent times.
It would be nice if "A Time For Laughter," the 1967 special that featured a young Pryor with Redd Foxx, Moms Mabley, Pigmeat Markham, and Godfrey Cambridge, would also make it to DVD as that was equally as ground-breaking.

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One of the most talked-about comedy shows ever, this hilarious collection of classic laughs became a legend during its showings on NBC and now returns on DVD for a new generation! Guests include John Belushi and Maya Angelou, Cast Members include Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society), Sandra Bernhard (Without You I'm Nothing), Shirley Hemphill (What's Happening!!), Paul Mooney (Hollywood Shuffle), LaWanda Page (Sanford and Son), Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati), Edie McClurg (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and Marsha Warfield (Night Court) and Peter Cullen (The Tigger Movie).

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The Mighty Boosh Special Edition DVD (Seasons 1-3) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Mighty Boosh is one of the most creative and fun shows ever made. The writing is hilarious and imaginative, the sets and costumes are delightful, and the songs are funny and catchy. It's truly original, and there just isn't anything else like it.
This is a nifty box set and a must have for fans of TMB. It contains all of the episodes from seasons 1-3 and hours of special features with a lot of good behind the scenes/making of stuff, deleted scenes, outtakes, and Sweet-- a short film written by James Pilkington that stars Julian and Noel. This set also includes art work and stickers. STICKERS! Enough said. Love them.


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The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers) (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)In case you're new to the world of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (MST3K for short, that what us fans - "Misties" - call it), this is the famous TV show where a silhouette of a man and two robots sitting in theater seats provide running commentary for some of the worst movies ever made. The ninety-minute episodes are also scattered with sketches and songs and amount to some of the smartest, most pop-culture savvy, side-splitting comedy ever made.
This is the first of the four-episode collections of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" offered from Rhino (previously they had only offered them in single DVD editions). It contains an interesting mix of movies: a science-fiction horror flick, a drama about skydivers, a 60s beach comedy, and a thriller on a tropical island. Three of the episodes come from the excellent sixth season, when Mike Nelson was the human host and the wisecracks and comments had become razor sharp and fast and furious. One episode comes from the second season, when the show had a more laid-back, friendly humor when Joel Hodgson was the host. Although this collection skews toward the later seasons, it is still a good general introduction to the show for newcomers, since most of the episodes are terrific. Fans who favor Joel Hodgson's style won't enjoy this as much as the second and third box set, but for most fans the inclusion of "The Skydivers" and "The Creeping Terror" make it a must-own.
Here's what you get:
BLOODLUST! Episode #607. A rip-off of "The Most Dangerous Game," only with young college kids (one of whom is Robert Reed, future Brady Bunch dad!). The four dummies land on a jungle island to go exploring and become trapped by the rich but extremely wishy-washy maniac millionaire who owns the island. Apparently, he enjoys hunting down people to turn them into stuffed trophies. The film isn't really awful, just completely unoriginal and acted with total flatness. Robert Reed never seems more than mildly "cheesed" and "fed up" (to quote Mike and `Bots) with the life-threatening situation. But it's season six, and the show's writers couldn't do any wrong at this point, and the result is the usual hilarious romp.
CATALINA CAPER. Episode #204. This is the only Joel Hodgson episode in the collection, and it's an oddball entry in MST3K history: it's the only time the show took on an overt comedy. True, "Catalina Caper," a teen 60s bikini beach comedy, isn't funny at all, but since it doesn't take itself seriously it becomes a tough target to make fun off. Joel and the `Bots have a good time with the lousy `prat-fall' comic, the awful musical numbers (one featuring Little Richard, waaaay out of his element), skinny Tommy Kirk, and the famous `creepy girl,' but this is a spotty episode and the weakest in this pack. Don't form your opinions of Joel's episodes based on this one.
THE CREEPING TERROR. Episode #606. This is a classic, and one of the worst films the MST3K team ever took on. A big shag carpet (oh, excuse me, I meant `alien') starts eating the citizens of a quiet California town; or at least it gets close enough to them so they can hoist themselves into its mouth. And why is the town so quiet? Because while making the film, someone accidentally kicked the sound equipment into a lake, so the whole movie has almost NO DIRECT SOUND. Yep, we instead have a narrator telling us what the characters are saying, doing, discussing, and so on. You have to see it (or hear it) to believe it! Mike and the `Bots unload on this one, and it's a scream. One of the funniest episodes ever.
THE SKYDIVERS. Episode #609. One of the most beloved of all MST3K episodes. Writer Paul Chaplin said of it: "I don't want to criticize this movie. I'm too fond of the final result for our show...there's never been a better movie for our treatment." I'll drink to that. This drama about the loves and losses of people working at a parachuting school is so weird, so bizarrely scripted, so awfully acted, filled with so many inexplicably wack-o characters, and shot with such stunning ineptitude that it positively amazes. The riffing from the hosts is some of the best, sharpest commentary they ever did. This is the first of three movies MST3K did from director Coleman Francis (who makes Ed Wood look like Orson Welles!). The second one, "Red Zone Cuba" is available on its own DVD. The third, "The Beast of Yucca Flats" isn't out yet, and Rhino should really get this one on a future collection.
All four films are offered in "non-MST3K" versions on the flip side of their discs, which is a nice feature if you really want to see how much the show added to these awful films. "Bloodlust" and "Catalina Caper" are all right - although dull - on their own, but see how long you can sit through the other two without Mike and Robots before you tear your eyes out!
So there you have it, three of the most phenomenally funny episodes of MST3K, plus one of the most unusual. A great package for fans and newcomers alike! (Just watch out for acid in your parachute!)

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VeggieTales - Where's God When I'm S-scared (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)VeggieTales launched 10 years ago with this video, which includes two shorter segments. The first, "Tales from the Crisper," teaches Jr. Asparagus that he has nothing to fear because "God is Bigger then the Boogie Man." The second retells the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den with songs feature Larry as the hero and Archibald Asparagus as King Darius. (Mr. Nezzer hadn't been created yet.) In between is the very first silly song, "The Water Buffalo Song."
Watching it again this weekend, I was struck by two things. First, how much fun this video is. With Jr. they perfectly captured a little kid and his logic and created some truly funny moments with talk about the slime monster. Although the funniest moment belongs to Daniels chatter as he's being carried to the lion's den. The second is how far they and the technology have come. By today's standards, the animation is bad. Their recent projects with bigger budgets are much better looking. However, that doesn't affect the fun at all. I almost guarantee that you'll have one song or another stuck in your head after watching this.
If there's a better way to teach kids Bible truths then this series, I sure don't know what it is. They're truly entertaining for the entire family. Heck, I buy them and I don't even have kids.

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Ugly Betty - The Complete First Season (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)In retrospect, the 2006-2007 television season debuted an unusually large number of first rate new series: HEROES, MEN IN TREES, 30 ROCK, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, DEXTER, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, and UGLY BETTY. That is a remarkably strong group of new shows. UGLY BETTY occupied a unique niche among them. The new show it most resembled was MEN IN TREES. Both were light fare, intended to entertain and charm rather than challenge and rattle. It was unorthodox, but in comforting ways. It was, basically, a very nice show. One never came away from any episode shocked or dismayed as with the best episodes of DEXTER or FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, but to tell the truth, after a week of watching my favorite shows on TV--BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, LOST, DEXTER, and others that were sometimes exceedingly emotional affairs to watch, I found it a refreshing change of pace, never shocking, never emotionally taxing, never intellectually demanding. It managed always to be smart while also very easy to absorb. Most of all, it was great fun.
The plot was simple. Betty Suarez desires a job in publishing. After she applies at MODE magazine, where she has a disastrous interview, she finds herself mysterious hired as assistant to editor Daniel Meade, playboy son of Meade Publishing owner Bradford Meade. It turns out that Bradford had seen her leaving the building and ordered her hired for his son simply because she is as far from a fashion model in appearance as can be imagined. She has terrible hair, dresses horridly, has garish braces, thick glasses (and eyebrows), and carries more weight than your standard attractive woman. Father makes her employment mandatory for his rare-do-well son. Very quickly, however, she proves herself not merely necessary for Daniel's professional life, but a good friend as well. One of the most attractive aspects of the show is, in fact, their genuinely caring, completely platonic, friendship. Working at MODE pulls Betty into a world of interoffice intrigue and political infighting. To be honest, I could have lived without any of the stories. The appeal was just about 100% based on a large number of likable and adorable characters popping up each week.
America Ferrera, who had previously been amazingly effective in the cult-hit film REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES and the teen chick flick THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS (a sequel to the latter is due in 2008), simply steals this show as Betty. Though not a slender actress, America in fact has a beautiful face. They do a great make up job on her, however, putting a terrible wig on her each week (with very stressed looking hair), gluing thick, fake eyebrows on her, giving her thick-framed, brightly colored glasses, fake braces, make up to give her an unpleasant complexion, and an incredibly unflattering set of clothes. Despite this dramatic transformation each week, Betty manages to be utterly charming and adorable. A couple of people I've talked to feel it is a bit of a cheat to have an attractive woman play someone who is supposed to be "ugly," but I think it would be a bit cruel to take an unattractive person and have them play such a role. I would be surprised if she does not get an Emmy nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy. Lauren Graham deserves to win in this category (as she does every year) for her genius work in THE GILMORE GIRLS, but since the Emmys year after year have ignored Graham (her show is on the wrong network), I will probably be pulling for America to win.
Ferrera is supported by an amazingly strong cast. Eric Mabius is wonderful as Daniel, consistently showing himself to be a decent guy despite his efforts to transform himself into a waste of humanity. I think there is a secret contract someone dictating that Alan Dale appear in every other show on TV in some capacity or other. He is his usual stern self as Bradford Meade (he also has a very occasional but ongoing role in LOST, the only show I've seen him on where he gets to use something like is native Kiwi accent). Vanessa Williams is a lot of fun as the scheming and unscrupulous Wilhelmina Slater, the fashion editor at MODE who would love to be the editor in chief. Ashley Jensen, who really is Scottish, plays the head of wardrobe at MODE and one of Betty's few friends at the magazine. But the people at MODE who make the show worth watching are Michael Urie and Becki Newton, who play Marc and Amanda, Wilhelmina's gay assistant and the mildly sluttish receptionist, both of them for most of the season Betty's mortal enemies (though by end of season she was making headway with both of them as friends, in particular Marc, inspiring him to come out to his mother). There is also Henry, winningly played by Christopher Gorham. He had previously played the title role in JAKE 2.0, on which UGLY BETTY executive producer Silvio Horta also worked. I suspect his appearing on UGLY BETTY has something to do with that connection. Gorham is a very good-looking guy who is somehow able to pull off completely nerdy guys, in this show an accountant.
But there is more than just the office. There is Betty's home life. Veteran character actor Tony Plana plays Betty's illegal immigrant father (one of the subplots deals with his attempt to get a green card). He is one of these actors who has appeared in literally hundreds of TV shows and movies, but has rarely had an especially prominent role. You love to see fine actors who have paid their dues get a great role like this one. Ana Ortiz is hysterical as Betty's garish sister Hilda, but the person who steals nearly every scene in the Suarez household is twelve-year old Mark Indelicato, who plays Betty's nephew Justin. We don't know that Justin is gay, but his effeminate swagger, his deep love of stage musicals, and his encyclopedic knowledge of fashion marks him with all of the stereotypes.
This show is too smart to be a guilty pleasure, but it is just as much fun as one. It doesn't go on my list of my absolute favorite shows. It isn't as sophisticated or as intelligent as FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, as engrossing as LOST, a fist-in-the-gut like DEXTER or THE WIRE, or as original or jaw-droppingly brilliant as BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, but sometimes you just aren't in the mood for something as heavy as these shows. Sometimes you just want to have a good time and relax. I promise there are few shows on television more perfect for that than this.

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Audiences are cheering for a vibrant overachiever with the spirit and the smarts to live her dream. America Ferrera stars as go-getter Betty Suarez, a true beauty in the skin-deep world of high fashion. Two very different cultures collide in this sexy and stylish series about believing in yourself regardless of the odds. Earning Golden Globe Awards® for Best Television Series* and Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series* in its very first season, Ugly Betty is a runaway hit with fans and critics. "Ugly Betty is a thing of beauty," raves the Boston Herald. Experience every episode of Season One in this six-disc DVD box set. Plus, join executive producer Salma Hayek and actor Eric Mabius for exclusive show insights, and see what it takes for America Ferrera to get Bettyfied – available only on DVD. You'll find yourself falling in love with every minute of Ugly Betty.

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Two and a Half Men: The Complete First Season (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)For once, Australia actually has something first. We have this first season on DVD and I love it. It is such a funny funny show and I was so surprised that Charlie Sheen is as funny in this as he is. Charlie's brother Alan comes to stay with him (and brings along his son) when he gets a divorce.
You all know how funny this is and you don't need another reminder, so I'll just give you the run down of what's on these four discs.
1. PILOT - Deal Him In. Charlie's poker night with the boys includes a genuine boy - 10 year old Jake.
2. BIG FLAPPY BASTARDS. Talk about gull-ible. Seagulls invade the house when Jake won't stop feeding the feathered freeloaders.
3. GO EAST ON SUNSET UNTIL YOU REACH THE GATES OF HELL. Tequila shots and a philosophical cabbie lead Charlie and Alan to a confrontation with their mother.
4. IF I CAN'T WRITE MY CHOCOLATE SONG I'M GOING TO TAKE A NAP. The most important woman in Charlie's life - his cleaning lady - walks out.
5. LAST THING YOU WANT IS TO WIND UP WITH A HUMP. Charlie and Alan discover a great place to score: Jake's soccer games, home of single soccer moms.
6. DID YOU CHECK WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE FLYING MONKEYS? A new dad for Charlie and Alan? Evelyn flips for a beau ... until he drops her like a bag of cement.
7. IF THEY DO GO EITHER WAY, THEY'RE USUALLY FAKE. Jake spies a tattoo on a pretty girl's half-bare bottom, then draws the naked truth for a school assignment.
8. TWENTY-FIVE LITTLE PRE-PUDERS WITHOUT A SNOOT-FUL. Fourth grade - the musical. Charlie 'volunteers' to writea salute to the Industrial Revolution for Jake's class.
9. PHASE ONE, COMPLETE. What's wrong with Miss Right? Everyone thinks Charlie's girlfriend is The One - everyone except Charlie.
10. MERRY THANKSGIVING. Charlie tries to showcase his domestic talents when he hosts a lavish Thanksgiving dinner.
11. ALAN HARPER. FRONTIER CHIROPRACTOR. Makeover magic. Charlie's the man with the plan when Alan decides to jump-start his life with a new look.
12. CAMEL FILTERS + PHEROMONES. A minor problem. Berta's Lolita-like teenage granddaughter creates chaos in the Harper household.
13. SARA LIKE PUNY ALAN. On their last double date, Charlie got the incredible cheerleader and Alan got the incredible Hulk. Does Alan dare try again?
14. I CAN'T AFFORD HYENAS. When Charlie hits a financial pothole, he has to (gasp! shudder!) cut back on expenses.
15. ROUND ONE TO THE HOT CRAZY CHICK. Batter up! The guys bring home Frankie, a gorgeous woman with a baseball bat ... and anger insues.
16. THAT WAS SALIVA, ALAN. Two and a half men - plus one and a half women. Frankie brings her eight-year-old daughter to stay.
17. ATE THE HAMBURGES, WEARING THE HATS. In his will, Alan names a guardian for Jake ... and it isn't Charlie.
18. AN OLD FLAME WITH A NEW WICK. (My personal favourite) My, how you've changed. Charlie's old girlfriend wants to be friends. And now she's a he.
19. I REMEMBER THE COATROOM, I JUST DON'T REMEMBER YOU. Twisted sister. Judith's seductive sister once had a fling with Charlie but now she's cuddling up to Alan.
20. HEY, I CAN PEE OUTSIDE IN THE DARK. Jake gets a guitar and an attitude. He just can't seem to lose the blues.
21. NO SNIFFING, NO WOWING. Alan's divorce attorney is a major hottie but Charlie discovers she's too hot to handle.
22. MY DOCTOR HAS A COW PUPPET. Well at least it's exercise. Alan resumes his childhood sleepwalking habit.
23. JUST LIKE BUFFALO. Shhhhhhhhhhhh! Jake repeats Charlie's sexist comment in front of Judith's man-averse support group.
24. CAN YOU FEEL MY FINGER? After a girlfriend has a pregnancy scare, Charlie decides a little snip-snip will prevent any future worries.
This is such a funny show and I know you're gonna love it. I highly recommend this one.

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Charlie Harper is a bachelor in paradise, complete with Malibu beach house, overpaid job and a very active dating life. Then his uptight brother Alan, in the throes of a divorce, moves in - and brings his 10-year-old son Jake with him. Sorry, Charlie. It looks like paradise lost. This 4-disc set includes all 24 Season-One Episodes of the breezy comedy - the People's Choice Award winner as Favorite New Series - starring Charlie Sheen as Charlie and Jon Cryer as Alan. As the brothers reestablish a sense of family, Charlie also bonds with Jake (Angus T. Jones). Holland Taylor is the guys' domineering mother, Marin Hinkle is Alan's icy ex and Melanie Lynskey is Rose, who thinks one date with Charlie means life-long commitment. Meet the Harper men - two adults, one kid and no grown-ups.DVD Features:FeaturetteGag Reel

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