Lathan, Stan

Hill Street Blues - Season 1

Drama that explores the lives and careers of a group of people who work at an inner city police precinct.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: HILL STREET BLUES
Title: SEASON 1
Street Release Date: 02/06/2007
Domestic
Genre: TELEVISION

Created by Steven Bochco and one of television's most influential series, Hill Street Blues was not your father's cop show. The Emmy-winning pilot episode, "Hill Street Station," immediately established the series as less a police procedural than an up-close and personal "interface with the police experience." To establish gritty, documentary-like realism, the show featured sequences, such as the pre-credit roll call, that were filmed with a hand-held camera. There was chaotic, overlapping dialogue. There were sudden, shocking bursts of violence that claimed popular characters. Story lines were not wrapped up at the end of the hour, but instead, unfolded serially throughout the season. It's no wonder that Hill Street, while championed by most critics, was initially not embraced by viewers. It was, in the beginning, one of television's lowest rated shows, its case not helped by NBC's criminal practice of juggling it in its primetime schedule). But there is justice in Hollywood. Hill Street Blues won the Emmy for best drama in its first season. Also honored were several members of the ensemble, including Daniel J. Travanti as the compassionate and incorruptible Precinct Capt. Frank Furillo, Michael Conrad as the avuncular Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (whose cautionary, "Let's be careful out there," became the show's pop culture signature), and Barbara Babcock as the wildly sexual Grace Gardner, who rocks Esterhaus's world (particularly in the episode that earned her her statuette, "Fecund Hand Rose").

There were no big stars on Hill Street Blues (or, for that matter, no little stars, as one of the cast members jokes during a near-hour-long reunion featurette included as a bonus feature on this three double-sided disc set). Each was an indelible character, among them Charles Haid as cowboy cop Andy Renko, Veronica Hammel as sexy public defender Joyce Davenport, Bruce Weitz as the untamed, animalistic Belker, Keil Martin as LaRue, whose descent into alcoholism is one of the season's most compelling dramatic arcs, and James Sikking as the gung-ho Howard Hunter. Once daring, Hill Street Blues seems almost quaint today, with none of the graphic sex or language that scandalized NYPD Blue (in one episode, a captured cat burglar, portrayed by a pre-L.A. Law Michael Tucker, makes a reference to "wolf pee-pee"). The ethnic portrayals, too, are not exactly nuanced. But the human dramas at the heart of Hill Street still make for arresting television. --Donald Liebenson

Barney Miller: The Complete Second Season

Changes are in store for the men of the 12th Precinct in the second season of Barney Miller, which is presented in its entirety in this three-disc, no-frills collection. Chief among the wrinkles to the show's proven formula are the departure of Gregory Sierra's Chano Amenguale, who would leave for his own series after this season; also, Barbara Barrie, who made a strong impression as Barney's wife Liz in the first season, would be relegated to the sidelines for much of this episode run before leaving the series, though she does earn her own storyline for the first and only time in "Social Worker." Otherwise, the second season is focused largely on Barney and the rest of the detectives (as most fans preferred) as they wrangle with crazed gunmen ("The Sniper"), a marauding rodent ("You Dirty Rat"), job insecurity ("The Layoff") and a punishing New York city summer ("Heat Wave"). Hal Linden's smart performance as Barney remains the glue that holds the series together, though there is excellent work from Abe Vigoda as Fish and Max Gail as Wojciehowicz, especially in "The Kid" (Fish becomes enamored of a pickpocket's mother) and "Discovery" (Wojo investigates police harassment of a gay couple). Series followers will also note the presence of future cast members Steve Landesburg and Ron Carey among the guest cast; both would join the show (as Detective Arthur Dietrich and Office Carl Levitt) in the third season. Video quality is a little worse for wear in certain episodes; the set also features two superfluous "mini-episodes" of Charlie's Angels and The Facts of Life as its supplemental features. --Paul Gaita

This classic television comedy which ran on ABC-TV from 1975-1982 details the exploits of Greenwich Village police captain Barney Miller (Hal Linden) and his diverse group of coworkers as they deal with an endless stream of strange characters--criminal and otherwise--on the job. Notable for a its stellar cast and smart character-driven story lines BARNEY MILLER was a success with critics and audiences alike. The strong cast includes Abe Vigoda (whose character Detective Fish got his own spinoff series in 1978) Max Gail Ron Glass Jack Soo Barbara Barrie and Gregory Sierra. This set includes the entire second season.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 043396229679 Manufacturer No: 22967

Sesame Street - Kids' Favorite Songs

Kids' Favorite Songs kicks off with a cackle-worthy parody of Bob Dylan doing "Old McDonald," and from there the groovy gags keep comin' 'round the mountain. Everywhere Elmo turns on Sesame Street monsters spontaneously burst into song, and all because they want him to feature their favorite tunes on his forthcoming radio countdown. For Telly, winnowing the hits to one is akin to Cookie Monster choosing between a macaroon and a figgie bar: at first he's sure that "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" lights his fire, but then he says bye-bye to a black sheep. The street heaves a collective sigh pavementward when word comes down that the countdown is strictly a numbers gig, no music involved. Only Sesame Street could weave well-loved musical numbers around a simple numbers lesson with such wacky pizzazz, making this a countdown that's no letdown for high-spirited parent-preschooler combos. --Tammy La Gorce

Sesame Street - Learning About Letters

Big Bird and Telly Monster lead young viewers through the alphabet, letter by letter, in a magical and imaginative half-hour discovery of letters and their sounds. The perfect tape for young Sesame Street fans who are just beginning to get the hang of what letters are all about, it includes short skits, songs, and other bits of business--some original, some culled from the Sesame Street show--featuring a variety of Muppet characters as well as the human residents of that famously educational thoroughfare. --Marshall Fine

Martin - The Complete Fourth Season

Martin Payne (Martin Lawrence) is a loudmouth whose job as a radio and television personality fits him like a glove. MARTIN focuses on Payne's relationship with his long-suffering girlfriend Gina (Tisha Campbell) his friendships with pals Tommy (Thomas Mikal Ford) and Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II) and the wide variety of crazy characters he surrounds himself with--most of them played by Lawrence. This complete collection of episodes from the show's fourth season picks up after Martin and Gina's wedding in last season's finale. As Payne gets into plenty further mishaps it's clear that married life hasn't reformed him!System Requirements:Running Time: 594 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 883929014026 Manufacturer No: 1000037646

Barney Miller - The First Season

The brainchild of veteran writer-directors Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker, the comedy/drama Barney Miller (1975-1982) offered a very human look at the inner workings of a New York City police precinct; its wry and observant scripts, aided by a stellar cast, helped earn the series three Emmy Awards and a devoted fan base, which should be pleased by this two-disc set that compiles its entire first season. Viewers familiar with the series' later seasons will notice substantial differences in the cast and storyline; episodes divide Barney's (Hal Linden) time evenly between the 12th Precinct and his apartment, which he shares with wife Barbara Barrie and two children (all of whom would be phased out of the series). The first season squad was composed of Abe Vigoda's dyspeptic Fish, the overeager Wojciehowicz (Max Gail), dry-witted Yemana (Jack Soo, who passed away during the fifth season), and street-smart Chano (Gregory Sierra, who departed the series after the second season); Ron Glass's dapper Harris would not be listed in the opening credits until subsequent seasons.

Arnold, along with Chris Hayward (Get Smart) and other scribes, would pen the majority of the first season, which set the tone for the series by pitting the squad against a host of offbeat criminals, other cops, and regular citizens, several of whom would become semi-regulars; James Gregory's crusty Inspector Luger makes his debut in "Vigilante" (episode 9), while unscrupulous lawyer Arnold Ripner (Alex Henteloff) and Detective Wentworth (a pre-Alice Linda Lavin) have their first appearances in "The Experience" (episode 2) and "Ms. Cop" (episode 8), respectively.

Columbia/TriStar's two-disc set offers all 13 episodes of the first season, as well as short credit lists for some of the major players; the little-seen 1974 pilot, "The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller," might have made an interesting supplemental feature, but fans should be pleased to have this set regardless. --Paul Gaita

Barney Miller is the kind of cop we'd all like to meet. He somehow manages to maintain order over a group of inner-city detectives who gamble for a hobby get hit on by anything in skirts go to renaissance philosophy conventions for fun and would really prefer to be writing. Stars Hal Linden Abe Vigoda and more! Two-disc set includes all 13 episodes from the first season.System Requirements:Starring: Hal Linden Abe Vigoda Gregory Sierra Maxwell Gail Jack Soo Ron Glass Running Time: 314 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396016132 Manufacturer No: 01613

Dave Chappelle - For What It's Worth

Dave Chappelle-For What It's Worth finds the Comedy Central superstar in performance at San Francisco's legendary Winterland, where he's welcomed with a huge ovation. Easing into his set, Chappelle shares a few observations about the city itself, noting there's nothing tender about the Tenderloin District: "You've got people smoking crack while sitting in front of Starbucks." Chappelle's inspiration dips a bit after that, as the subject of sex with monkeys and smoking weed with Indians doesn't quite reach his usual standards. Then, suddenly, he's on top of his game again, his material like an echo of vintage Lenny Bruce as he discusses why whites drink grape juice and blacks drink "grape drink," why police harassment has led him to believe in impromptu alibis, and why the culture of celebrity should stay away from real-world issues: "Maybe Jah Rule doesn't have the answers we want in a disaster." --Tom Keogh

Comedian Dave Chappelle does what he does best in this outrageous and hilarious standup performance which allows him to really push the envelope and go even farther than he does on his TV show. Taped in San Francisco at the famed Fillmore Chappelle lets loose on such topics as black celebrities what it's like to have raunchy fans of his TV show approach him while he's trying to enjoy Disneyland with his kids Michael Jackson Kobe Bryant and crackheads of course.System Requirements:Running Time: 58 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 043396109773 Manufacturer No: 10977

Martin - The Complete First Season

It's a pleasure to be reminded, after years of increasingly lazy movie performances, that Martin Lawrence was once a hungry, crackling young comic. His 1990s sitcom Martin, in which Lawrence played a radio shock jock juggling the demands of his friends and his girlfriend, was nothing new--it's your basic "gee, men and women sure are different" setup with an African-American flavor. But Lawrence threw himself into the show with gusto. In addition to the central character of Martin Payne, Lawrence played Payne's mother, his trashy neighbor Sheneneh, pompous player Jerome, and numerous others, some of whom were integrated into the main stories, some of whom just appeared in stand-alone segments at the opening of the show. (Ironically, many of the show's fans are more enthusiastic about these side characters than about Martin Payne.) No one will ever accuse Lawrence of subtlety, but his reckless energy is undeniable. That, combined with a good supporting cast (including Trisha Campbell as Gina, his long-suffering girlfriend; Saturday Night Live's Garrett Morris as Stan, his penny-pinching boss; and Carl Anthony Payne II, Tomas Mikal Ford, and Tichina Arnold as Martin and Gina's friends), gave the show a solid dynamic that raised it above the often formulaic scripts. Martin: The Complete First Season includes all 27 episodes; the extras, unfortunately, are only a highlights feature and a standard blooper reel. --Bret Fetzer

Follows the life of a brash radio personality, his forgiving girlfriend, and the characters he hangs out with.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2-JAN-2007
Media Type: DVD

Martin: The Complete Third Season

No Description Available.
Genre: Television: HBO
Rating: NR
Release Date: 6-NOV-2007
Media Type: DVD

Martin - The Complete Second Season

Wazzup? Superstar Martin Lawrence (Open Season Big Momma's House) is back in 27 uproarious episodes from the hilarious second season of his classic show! Whether he's stepping into the boxing ring delivering a baby or running amok in Hollywood Martin never ceases to amaze and amuse. With his long-suffering girlfriend Gina and core crew of Tommy Cole and Pam by his side as well as an outrageous group of oddballs: back-sassing Sheneneh clueless Jerome and wise-cracking Mama Payne Martin proves that a second helping is even better than the first!Running Time: 810 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 026359365324 Manufacturer No: 93653