Drama

John Adams (HBO Miniseries)

John Adams is a sprawling HBO miniseries event that depicts the extraordinary life and times of one of Americas least understood and most underestimated founding fathers: the second President of the United States John Adams. Starring Paul Giamatti (Sideways Cinderella Man HBOs American Spendor) in the title role and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me Kinsey) as Adams devoted wife Abigail John Adams chronicles the extraordinary life journey of one of the primary shapers of our independence and government whose legacy has often been eclipsed by more flamboyant contemporaries like George Washington Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin. Set against the backdrop of a nations stormy birth this sweeping miniseries is a moving love story a gripping narrative and a fascinating study of human nature. Above all at a time when the nation is increasingly polarized politically this story celebrates the shared values of liberty and freedom upon which this country was built.Running Time: 501 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 883929020065 Manufacturer No: 1000038820

Based on David McCullough's best-selling biograpy, the HBO miniseries John Adams is the furthest thing from a starry-eyed look at America's founding fathers and the brutal path to independence. Adams (Paul Giamatti), second president of the United States, is portrayed as a skilled orator and principled attorney whose preference for justice over anti-English passions earns enemies. But he also gains the esteem of the first national government of the United States, i.e., the Continental Congress, which seeks non-firebrands capable of making a reasoned if powerful case for America's break from England's monarchy. The first thing one notices about John Adams' dramatizations of congress' proceedings, and the fervent pro-independence violence in the streets of Boston and elsewhere, is that America's roots don't look pretty or idealized here. Some horrendous things happen in the name of protest, driving Adams to push the cause of independence in a legitimate effort to get on with a revolutionary war under the command of George Washington. But the process isn't easy: not every one of the 13 colonies-turned-states is ready to incur the wrath of England, and behind-the-scenes negotiations prove as much a part of 18th century congressional sessions as they do today.

Besides this peek into a less-romanticized version of the past, John Adams is also a story of the man himself. Adams' frustration at being forgotten or overlooked at critical junctures of America's early development--sent abroad for years instead of helping to draft the U.S. constitution--is detailed. So is his dismay that the truth of what actually transpired leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been slowly forgotten and replaced by a rosier myth. But above all, John Adams is the story of two key ties: Adams' 54-year marriage to Abigail Adams (Laura Linney), every bit her husband's intellectual equal and anchor, and his difficult, almost symbiotic relationship with Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane) over decades. Giamatti, of course, has to carry much of the drama, and if he doesn't always seem quite believable in the series' first half, he becomes increasingly excellent at the point where an aging Adams becomes bitter over his place in history. Linney is marvelous, as is Dillane, Sarah Polley as daughter Nabby, Danny Huston as cousin Samuel Adams, and above all Tom Wilkinson as a complex but indispensable Ben Franklin. --Tom Keogh

Dexter - The Complete Second Season

Friday Night Lights: The Second Season

Friday Night Lights shines brighter than ever as the critically acclaimed series arrives in a 4-disc collection in 5.1 surround sound! From producers Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code) Peter Berg (The Kingdom) and Jason Katims and inspired by the best-selling book and hit film Friday Night Lights provides a heartfelt look at the families friendships and faiths of residents in a closely knit Texan town. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast this intense and compelling show has critics saying "there is no finer or truer drama on network TV" (Matt Roush TV Guide).Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 025195017077 Manufacturer No: 61102109

Friday Night Lights shines brighter than ever as the critically acclaimed series arrives in a 4-disc collection in 5.1 surround sound! From producers Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code), Peter Berg (The Kingdom) and Jason Katims and inspired by the best-selling book and hit film, Friday Night Lights provides a heartfelt look at the families, friendships, and faiths of residents in a closely knit Texan town. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, this intense and compelling show has critics saying "there is no finer or truer drama on network TV" (Matt Roush, TV Guide).

Gilmore Girls - The Complete Seventh Season

All good things must end, but not all good things end well. Gilmore Girls is one of the most original and entertaining television programs ever to grace the CW. Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel) star as the quick-witted and heavily caffeinated mother-daughter duo at the heart of this quirky drama. Normally smarter than the average show, the seventh season represents a slump in an otherwise brilliant run. The seventh season is the first without series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, and her absence is evident. Smart characters make dumb decisions and dumb characters spend too much time on screen. The normally fluid plot slumbers along as Rory's father Christopher returns as Lorelai's love interest, Rory gets even more serious with Logan, while Luke and Lorelai try to repair their damaged relationship. But it's not all bleak. Highpoints of the season include the birth of Lane's twins, plus the long-awaited cameo by Christiane Amanpour, which sends Rory into a tizzy: "I can't meet Christiane Amanpour in my pajamas!" The counterbalance of the quirky Stars Hollowians, which is half the fun of Gilmore Girls in previous seasons, is gone or, worse, awkwardly shoehorned in. Still, for fans of the series the final season is a must-own, if only to find out what happens to the characters they loved and laughed with for so many years. --Megan Chaffee

After 20-plus years of single motherhood, after a series of Mr. Not- Quite-Rights, after buying that perfect wedding dress and watching it hang in the closet, Lorelai finally gets married. Yes, but to whom? The answer is just one of the deliciously intriguing what's-gonna-happens in these 22 episodes about a mother, a daughter, a town and a world that devoted Gilmore groupies have taken as their own. Sharpen your wits for the famed, fast-paced Gilmore dialogue -- but let your heart do its thing. From Stars Hollow to New York City to Paris... from Lorelai's wedding to Lane's baby shower to Rory's graduation... from beginning to middle to end... here's Season 7.

Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season

UPC:786936754193
DESCRIPTION: Grey s Anatomy is a drama about the intensity of medial training mixed with the funny, sexy and sometimes painful lives of people who are about to discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey. END

The Tudors - The Complete First Season

No Description Available.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 1-JAN-2008
Media Type: DVD

The Tudors: The Complete First Season may cover the same subject matter as the 1970 BBC series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, but in every other respect it is a different idea of historical drama. Sexy and violent, The Tudors envisions Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) as a young man of both passion and ambition, driven by boundless sexual energy and the desire to establish a legacy early in his monarchy. When he isn't sleeping with any available beauty--heedless of whose daughter or wife a lover might be--he's getting fired up about going to war with France. He is amenable, however, to alternative ideas, including the counsel of his Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill), who wants his king to sign a treaty of universal peace with all of Europe. Henry's fiery temperament endangers such a move, but Wolsey persists in hopes of gaining France's support for his own, possible ascendance to the papacy. His ambitions are not to be, however, and his fortunes go downhill as Henry's desire to wed Ann Boleyn (Natalie Dormer) puts Wolsey in the position of petitioning Rome for a hearing on the legitimacy of Henry's marriage to Queen Katherine.

Henry's shrewd alliance with the king of Spain is also testament to his desire to have more influence over European affairs. But his even greater desire for another woman proves an obstacle there, too. Over the course of the ten episodes on The Complete First Season, Henry's confidence grows as a monarch while his self-interest undercuts his better judgement about making a difference to Europe's progress. While the series makes the historical events rich and captivating, it also makes Henry's love life a voyeuristic delight, full of candlelit flesh and romps in the royal bed. Some of the most fascinating characters in the show are those who figure out the link between Henry's libido and his exercise of power--including Boleyn's own father (Nick Dunning), who encourages Ann to keep up the good work. Sheesh. --Tom Keogh

Dexter - The First Season

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No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: DEXTER
Title: SEASON 1
Street Release Date: 08/21/2007
Domestic
Genre: TELEVISION

An interesting and original idea that's very skillfully executed, Showtime's Dexter is never less than watchable, often quite compelling, and sometimes thoroughly riveting. As the 12 episodes from the show's first season (packaged here in a four disc set) reveal, it's also the epitome of "high concept," a kind of Silence of the Lambs for the C.S.I. generation. Creator-executive producer James Manos Jr.'s title character, one Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall of Six Feet Under renown), works for the Miami Police Department as an blood spatter analyst, visiting crime scenes and helping figure out what happened. He has an avocation, too: during his off hours, he tracks down some very, very bad people who for various reasons have eluded the proper authorities. Seems his adoptive father, a cop himself, taught the kid how to channel his dark side in a "positive" direction; and so, having captured these evildoers (including a child molester-murderer and a recidivist drunk driver with a trail of bodies in his wake), Dex dispatches them with clinical precision, thus making him a serial killer who snuffs serial killers. But there's more--much more, as it turns out. By his own description, Dexter is "a monster," an empty shell who fakes all human interactions and admits to no real feelings for anything or anyone, including his foster sister (Jennifer Carter) and his nominal girlfriend (Julie Benz), a former crack addict and battered spouse who's as uninterested in sex as he is. There's an explanation for Dexter's weirdness, of course, one so deep and traumatic that even he isn't aware of it. It's gradually revealed over the course of the season as he and the cops (who include Erik King, Lauren Velez, and David Zayas, all first-rate) track down the so-called "Ice Truck Killer," a fellow monster whose grisly m.o. both fascinates and taunts our hero, leading to a genuinely shocking and squirm-inducing finale. Dexter can be a bit arch, with an ironic, too-hip-for-the-room tone that get a little old. Still, it's a safe bet that anyone who views this first season will be salivating for the second. Extras include audio commentary on two episodes, a featurette about real-life blood spatter analysis, and a variety of DVD-ROM items. --Sam Graham

Beyond Dexter

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The Book that Started It All

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Bones - The Complete Second Season

Detectives Bones and Booth create undeniable chemistry and humor while solving crimes using frequently clashing investigative styles.System Requirements:Running Time: 946 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 024543460459 Manufacturer No: 2246045

Beginning with the death of a senator and ending with a marriage, the second season of Bones builds on the momentum created during the Fox drama's debut year. Bones' sophomore season (which includes all 21 episodes that originally aired during 2006-2007) centers on the collaborations between FBI special agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), whom Booth has nicknamed "Bones." While Booth doesn't completely believe in Bones' method, he can't argue with her success rate at solving crimes. As for Bones, she is meticulous at what she does and is a borderline genius, but she has issues. Seemingly oblivious to her own good looks, she is all but socially inept. Booth may be blunt, but he's comfortable dealing with the public. Bones, on the other hand, would rather be sequestered away with the dead, trying to figure out what happened before their uncertain deaths. Of course, while viewers can see that Bones and Booth would be a perfect couple, the characters aren't quite there yet. Their friendship becomes a little more complicated this season when it turns out that Bones' new demanding boss, Dr. Camille Saroyan (Tamara Taylor), is a former girlfriend of Booth's. And the two women aren't getting along.

Still, everyone is able to work together to solve a series of crimes, such as identifying the remains of an all but unidentifiable teenage boy and dealing with a serial killer who is emulating the crimes depicted in Bones' latest mystery novel. (Yes, she's not only a brilliant scientist but also an ace author.) Like many television dramas where forensic evidence is a driving force in the plots, Bones offers up the gross-out autopsies. But it also serves up a lot of humanity in the way the characters interact with one another. It is giving nothing away to reveal that Bones and Booth are not the couple getting married in the season finale. But the episode does reveal that beneath their tough exteriors, marriage and all that it implies is something they wouldn't mind... perhaps even with each other. --Jae-Ha Kim

Smallville - The Complete Sixth Season

They tried to be friends. But their chosen paths set them on a collision course. The Clark Kent-Lex Luthor rivalry explodes into the fierce good- versus-evil battle fans have long expected in Season 6 of the spectacular series that reinterprets the characters and events of Superman mythology from its roots. Adding to the rivalry: Lana Lang becomes Mrs. Luthor. Clark/Superman would be stunned to find out why she says yes. But that?s not all that?s stunning. Green Arrow forms a Super Hero league. Will Clark join? Phantom Zone escapees menace Earth. Can Clark stop them? LuthorCorp expands its dark experiments. Will an awesome kryptonite-powered army be the result? The answers ? and thrills ? are here!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 085391125860 Manufacturer No: 112586

Picking up where its fifth season left off, Smallville's sixth season begins with Metropolis in ruins, Clark (Tom Welling) trapped in the Phantom Zone, and General Zod inhabiting the body of Lex (Michael Rosenbaum). Even when that situation, dubbed "Black Thursday," is over, Clark still has to capture the criminals who escaped from the Phantom Zone. Meanwhile, having driven away Lana (Kristin Kreuk), she finds comfort in the home and arms of Lex, driving further anxiety into that romantic triangle that has expanded to include Chloe (Allison Mack, still with a smile that lights up the orb on top of the Daily Planet) and her new beau, photographer Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore). And Lois (Erica Durance)? We see hints of her inevitable future in her becoming a reporter for the tabloid rag The Inquisitor ("The thrill of discovery, the clack of the keys, the scent of fresh ink… I think I've finally found my calling!") and flashing some sparks with Clark especially in a Valentine's Day episode called "Crimson."

She also finds a new boyfriend in Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley), a tycoon who moves from Star City to Metropolis and revives a boarding-school rivalry with Lex. But Queen is also a superhero, the Green Arrow, and he's out to thwart Lex's project called 33.1, which runs tests on meteor-powered humans. And in an awesome episode called "Justice," the Green Arrow gathers his team--Bart Allen (Kyle Gallner), a.k.a. Impulse (a change after he was first called the Flash); Arthur "AC" Curry (Alan Ritchson), a.k.a. Aquaman; and Victor Stone (Lee Thompson Young), a.k.a. Cyborg (who had all appeared in the series before)--with Clark to shut down Lex. Yet another hero from the comic books--an interplanetary detective (Phil Morris)--helps Clark fight rogue Kryptonians. It all ends in a slam-bang finale with a number of surprises. Even though the Lana drama went on too long, Green Arrow and some choice episodes stuff made this one of Smallville's best seasons. Guest stars include Tori Spelling as a nosy gossip reporter and Lynda "Wonder Woman" Carter as Chloe's mom. --David Horiuchi

The Waltons - The Complete Seventh Season

Viewers will be captivated by the seventh season of The Waltons which is comprised of 24 episodes that will make consumers laugh cry and cheer. As the season unfolds the United States entry into World War II brings big changes to Waltons Mountain. The family mourns the loss of Grandpa. Mary Ellen and Erin get an apartment in Charlottesville. Jim-Bob falls in love with a young girl who is preparing to be a nun. Elizabeth creates a poltergeist when she refuses to grow up. Olivia is diagnosed with Tuberculosis and must visit a sanitarium. Ben takes a new bride named Cindy with whom he sets up housekeeping in the shed. Godsey Hall is turned into a canteen for soldiers. Mary Ellen prepares to see Curt in Hawaii until news of Pearl Harbor hits and the family learns of his death.System Requirements:Running Time: 1200 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 883929010233 Manufacturer No: 1000037093

World War II has a profound impact on The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season, as does the absence of John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas), central figure in the first six years of the popular television drama. With John-Boy offscreen, stationed in England and writing for the American "Stars and Stripes" military magazine, The Waltons places its entire focus on the rest of the clan. One can feel a gap in the show, but The Complete Seventh Season holds up largely because of the war's influence on storylines. Patriarch John Sr. (Ralph Waite), his wife Olivia (Michael Learned), and their large brood spend 1941 adjusting to ceaseless changes, beginning with increased demand on John's lumber mill to meet defense contract demands. With John spending more and more time off the mountain negotiating with the government like a buttoned-down businessman, operation of the Waltons' mill falls to his son Ben (Eric Scott), who has to learn what it means to be the boss of hired hands. Meanwhile, Jason (Jon Walmsley) gets closer to graduation and still makes his way by playing piano at the Dew Drop Inn. He also finds himself feeling guilty over not enlisting in the war effort, but is uncertain about whether or not he might be a conscientious objector--a position that doesn't sit well with some of the men in town.

Jim-Bob (David W. Harper) dreams (and dreams) of becoming a pilot but is too young to enlist. The laconic teen also falls in love with a girl leaning toward entering a convent--the experience is painful, to say the least. But something in Jim-Bob grows up after that and stays that way. As for the girls, Mary Ellen (Judy Norton Taylor) struggles with a full-time job as a nurse while leaving her baby at home, though none of those complications compares with the loss she endures the day Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, where her doctor husband is stationed. Erin (Mary Beth McDonough) and Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) carry on with work and school, and Grandma (Ellen Corby) gets around pretty well while suffering the long-term results of a stroke. The war affects everything on Walton's Mountain, including race relations, the clientele at the Dew Drop Inn, the employment scene. But if that's not enough change for The Complete Seventh Season, there's a whopper of a development midway through the year affecting the health and presence of Olivia in the show. There's always change on The Waltons, but none has ever been quite as extensive or sad as what happens on The Complete Seventh Season. Despite (or even because of) the withdrawal of Richard Thomas from The Waltons, there is a delicate balance between the other characters heretofore unseen. --Tom Keogh