Get Smart - Season 1 (The Original TV Series)
by Norman Abbott (II)
from HBO Home Video
Porky's the Ultimate Collection
by Bob Clark (III)
from 20th Century Fox
No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: UN
Release Date: 22-MAY-2007
Media Type: DVD
Porky's
Reviled by critics and embraced by the public during its initial run (1981), Porky's is interesting to watch after all these years. What holds up about this horny coming-of-age tale is remarkable. Writer/director Bob Clark has little more than sex and practical joking on his mind, and his high school seniors from Angel Beach, Florida, rapidly move from one to the other. Clark displays a sense of timing and, perhaps rarer still, a sense of male friendship--its brutalities and its bonds--that feels right, not artificial. Surprisingly, the showcase practical jokes are still funny: the Everglades encounter with Cherry Forever, the hole in the girls' shower, and Beulah Balbricker, the humongous gym teacher. The comedic set-ups and payoffs surprisingly still work. Clark's insistence on a subplot about anti-Semitism, however, still sticks out as A MESSAGE. Kim Cattrall really got her start here (although almost no one else did) as Ms. Honeywell, a.k.a. "Lassie." Clark later distanced himself from the irritating Porky's sequels and went on to make the wonderful Christmas Story, the tale of a little boy who wants a BB gun for Christmas. --Keith Simanton
Porky's II: The Next Day
The inevitable sequel to the surprise hit movie marks a noticeable change in tone, as the horny kids from the first film fight religious fanatics in order to put on a stage show. Though the gang is still as mischievous as they were the night before, most of the raunchy humor from the first film has been dropped. In its place are some surprisingly effective passages dealing bluntly with sex, love, anti-Semitism, and religious tolerance in the repressed South of the 1950s. It's this turn that makes the sequel a surprise and something distinctive from its predecessor. --Robert Lane
Porky's Revenge
Bare breasts, practical jokes, greaser hairdos, and cars with big fins--it must be another Porky's movie! Porky's Revenge continues to fuse sexploitation and 1950s nostalgia, though by this point the adolescent hijinks feel a bit rote. On the verge of graduation, Pee Wee, Meat, and the other three interchangeable guys (winnowed down from the larger gang of the first two movies) try to help their basketball coach out of a jam by revealing to the authorities that fat, foul-tempered Porky has rebuilt his illegal casino/whorehouse--but when they get caught, they promise Porky they'll throw the state championship to save their lives. This flimsy plot is intertwined with other disconnected bits about Pee Wee having the hots for a foreign exchange student (Playboy Playmate Kim Evenson), Meat being forced to marry Porky's daughter, a contraband stag film, a biology teacher with a sideline as a dominatrix, and of course the eternal presence of women's coach Beulah Balbricker (Nancy Parsons), that towering mixture of prudery and repressed lust. Writer/director Bob Clark had nothing to do with this sequel, so it's unsurprising that the genuine fondness he brought to the characters is long gone; now they're just generic horndog teenagers. Still, most fans of the series rate this one higher than Porky's II: The Next Day. --Bret Fetzer
The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
by Carl Reiner
from Image Entertainment
Trip into the living room of comedy writer Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) along with his lovely wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) wisecracking co-workers and nutty neighbors. Consistently ranked among the top TV comedies of all time and renowned for its top-notch cast and stellar writing this groundbreaking series is now available in one special collectible box set presented fully restored and uncut!. All Episodes Digitally Remastered for Unsurpassed Video and Audio Quality!System Requirements: Running Time 1700 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 014381278620 Manufacturer No: ID2786PBDVD
Before The Dick Van Dyke Show, suburbia was never portrayed on television as a haven of sophistication. We never followed Ozzie Nelson to work. And we never, ever fantasized what Ward and June Cleaver did behind closed doors. But Your Show of Shows veteran Carl Reiner's groundbreaking series broke the staid, sitcom mold. Just consider Mary Tyler Moore's Laura Petrie, the ravishing wife of Dick Van Dyke's comedy writer, Rob Petrie. "I'm just a housewife," she proclaims in the episode "To Tell or Not to Tell," just before breaking into an incendiary bossa nova in the Petrie living room. In "The Return of Happy Spangler," she is jokingly identified as Jackie Kennedy. But the comparison is apt. She's got style (those capri pants scandalized the show's sponsors!), she's got grace, and when Moore came into her own as a gifted comedienne, she took her stock character to dizzy new heights. The Dick Van Dyke Show boasted a peerless ensemble, gold-standard writing, and characters who became icons: Son Ritchie (played by Larry Matthews), man-hungry Sally Rogers (Rose Marie), old school "human joke machine" Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam), and tyrannical boss Alan Brady (Reiner).
Incredibly, the show was nearly canceled after its first season. Executive producer Sheldon Leonard championed the series, and CBS moved the Petries to follow the top-rated Beverly Hillbillies. The rest is television history. Unlike the high-concept Hillbillies, the more sophisticated Dick Van Dyke Show's appeal was in its more grounded situations and three-dimensional characters, each of whom were given ample opportunities to shine. Rob's deft and daft juggling of his glamorous career and harried home life inspired some of the best episodes, but at the heart of this series' timeless appeal was the palpable chemistry between Rob and Laura, as witness their sudden embrace at the moving conclusion of "The Square Triangle." A pop culture benchmark, The Dick Van Dyke Show is must-own television. --Donald Liebenson
The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Three
by Carl Reiner
from Image Entertainment
Pratfall-prone Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and his plucky wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), along with wisecracking co-workers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), captured America's hearts in this TV favorite that irresistibly combined wit and slapstick. Earning the series' highest ratings, the third season opened with the landmark "That's My Boy?" about Rob's fear that he's brought the wrong baby home from hospital, getting the longest studio audience laughs in the show's history. Thirty-One Original Full Length Episodes including the hilarious "October Eve" (Laura is mortified when a nude portrait of her surfaces in a New York gallery) and "Big Max Calvada"(a gangster muscles Rob, Buddy and Sally into writing a comedy routine for his nephew).
The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Four
by Carl Reiner
from Image Entertainment
Pratfall-prone Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and his plucky wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) along with wisecracking co-workers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) captured America's hearts in this TV favorite that irresistibly combined wit and slapstick. EPISODES: My Two Showoffs and Me / My Mother Can Beat Up My Father / Ghost of A. Chantz / The Lady and the Babysitter / The Vigilante Ripped My Sports Coat / The Man from Emperor / Romance Roses and Rye Bread / 4 / The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail / Three Letters from One Wife / It Wouldn't Hurt Them to Give Us a Raise / Pink Pills for Purple Patients / The Death of the Party / Stretch Petrie vs. Kid Schenk / The Impractical Joke / Brother Can You Spare $2500? / Stacey Petrie # Part I / Stacey Petrie # Part II / The Redcoats Are Coming / Boy #1 Versus Boy #2 / The Case of the Pillow / Young Man with a Shoehorn / Girls Will Be Boys / Bupkiss / Your Home Sweet Home Is My Home / Not Now Anthony Stone / Never Bathe on Saturday / 100 Terrible Hours / A Show of Hands / Baby fat / Br-room Br-room / There's No Sale Like WholesaleSystem Requirements: Length: 810 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 014381156027 Manufacturer No: ID1560PBDVD
The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Five
by Carl Reiner
from Image Entertainment
Pratfall-prone Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and his plucky wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), along with wisecracking co-workers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), captured America's hearts in this TV favorite that irresistibly combined wit and slapstick. Each Episode Fully Restored for Unsurpassed Quality! Episodes include: Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth, Uhny Uftz, The Ugliest Dog in the World, No Rice at My Wedding, Draw Me a Pear, The Great Petrie Fortune, Odd But True, Viva Petrie, Go Tell the Birds and the Bees, Body and Sol, See Rob Write -- Write, Rob, Write, You're Under Arrest, Fifty-Two Forty-Five or Work, Who Stole My Watch, Bad Reception in Albany, I Do Not Choose to Run, The Making of a Councilman, The Curse of the Petrie People, The Bottom of Mel Cooley's Heart, Remember the Alimony, Dear Sally Rogers, Buddy Sorrell: Man and Boy, Long Night's Journey into Day, Talk to the Snail, A Day in the Life of Alan Brady, Obnoxious, Offensive, Egomaniac, Etc., The Man from My Uncle, You Ought to Be in Pictures, Love Thy Other Neighbor, The Last Chapter, The Gunslinger.
My Favorite Martian: The Complete Third Season
by Mel Ferber
from Umbrella Entertainment
The Monkees - Our Favorite Episodes
by Micky Dolenz
from Rhino Theatrical
Whether you're indulging nostalgia or experiencing the Monkees for the first time, Our Favorite Episodes--chosen by Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith--is a curious time capsule. Even for veteran Monkeephiles, it's obvious that the TV series, totaling 58 episodes from 1966 to 1968, hasn't aged very gracefully. It's fun as a pop-cultural artifact, and original fans will fondly recall the eagerness with which each week's episode was anticipated. Looking back, however, the shows are marginally amusing, and their improvisational, low-budget strategy tends to limit their lasting appeal. For die-hard fans it won't matter a bit; any chance to own and archive the Monkee phenomenon (with brief latter-day interviews included) is going to be welcomed and thoroughly enjoyed.
Because Jones's favorite episode was actually the Emmy-winning "Royal Flush," the inclusion of "Hitting the High Seas" is a conspicuous blunder, but it's compensated by Peter's "Monkee vs. Machine." Directed by series producer (and then-budding filmmaker) Bob Rafelson, and featuring comedian Stan Freberg as a stodgy toy-company executive, this early episode was a first-season highlight. Mickey selected (and directed) the series finale, "Mijacogeo (The Frodis Caper)," which is noteworthy for a filmed performance of Tim Buckley singing a rare acoustic version of "Siren Song" (further proof that the Monkees were hipper than their TV personas). Mike's favorite "Fairy Tale" is a wild romp indeed, with Nesmith in drag (as a fairy princess), sounding shockingly like Cher from her later TV variety show. They're semi-inspired at best, but these vintage episodes still capture the lunacy that accompanied the meteoric success of the "Pre-Fab Four." --Jeff Shannon
Combat - Season 1, Campaign 1
by László Benedek
from Image Entertainment
One of the television's most popular series the groundbreaking Combat!! offers a gritty unflinching look at American soldiers battling in Europe during World War II confronting imposing odds and demonstrating remarkable levels of ingenuity and courage. Vic Morrow and Rick Jason head a stellar cast in the longest-running war series in history featuring an incomparable list of guest stars from Hollywood's Golden Age as well as top directorial talent including Richard Donner and Robert Altman. Campaign 1 guest stars: Tom Skerritt Tab Hunter Jeffrey Hunter Walter Koenig Ted Knight Harry Dean Stanton Ned Wynn Albert Salmi Henry Daniell Keenan Wynn Frank Gorshin. Episodes include: Forgotten Front / Rear Echelon Commandos / Lost Sheep Lost Shepherd / Any Second Now / Far from the Brave / Missing in Action / Escape to Nowhere / The Celebrity / Cat and Mouse / I Swear by Apollo / A Day in June / The Prisoner / Reunion / The Medal / Just for the Record / The Volunteer.System Requirements: Running Time 749 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 014381242621 Manufacturer No: ID2426BWDVD
Hailed as one of the best episodic television series about World War II, ABC's Combat! arrives on DVD with its first 16 episodes in a heavily annotated four-disc set that's sure to please its longtime fans. The men of King Company's second platoon (a.k.a. King Two) are the focus of this gritty and realistic series; led by Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason) and Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow in an Emmy-nominated performance), King Two fought its way across France for five seasons, beginning in 1962 with the 16 episodes gathered here. The storyline kicks off shortly after D-Day and carries the platoon up to the liberation of Paris, which concluded the season (the second half of season 1 is featured in a separate four-disc set). Cast members rotated in and out of service (Tom Lowell's Pvt. Billy Nelson is apparently killed in "The Celebrity," yet returns to the platoon shortly thereafter), but viewers could count on each episode to deliver both solid action and dramatic direction from the likes of Robert Altman and Burt Kennedy, as well as excellent turns by guest actors as Tom Skerritt and Harry Dean Stanton.
Image's Combat! Season One: Campaign One establishes a watermark for other studios and distributors to follow with their own vintage television DVD sets. Commentary tracks by Robert Altman, first assistant director Michael Caffey, and actor Tom Lowell are featured on three episodes, while several other key participants, including actor Pierre Jalbert (Caje), directors Richard Donner and Ted Post, and Combat! episode guide author Jo Davidmeyer are featured in interviews for the featurette "Memories of Combat!." Davidmeyer also provides interesting factoids about each episode in the scene selection menus. A gallery of production photos rounds out the uniformly excellent supplemental features. Image's comprehensive boxed set is a must-have for devotees of the series and WWII drama in general. --Paul Gaita
Combat - The Complete Series
by László Benedek
from Image Entertainment
Experience the excitement of TV's most popular star-studded series of all time with all five action-packed seasons! This groundbreaking program offers a gritty unflinching look at American soldiers battling in Europe during World War II confronting imposing odds and demonstrating remarkable levels of ingenuity and courage. Vic Morrow and Rick Jason head a stellar cast in the longest-running war series in history featuring an incomparable list of guest stars from Hollywood's Golden Age as well as top directorial talent. Over 30 Hours of Special Features! Each Season is packed with Special Features including Photo Galleries Commentaries Oddities & Bloopers by Jo Davidsmeyer and more! "Memories of Combat!": An all-new documentary featuring cast members guest stars and directors Audio Commentaries by Tom Lowell Michael Caffey Robert Altman Joseph Campanella Ben Cooperand Sutton Roley Ted Post Richard Donner Esther Mitchell Pierre Jalbert George Fenady Shirl Hendryx Jo Davidsmeyer Warren Stevens Conlan Carter and Steve Mitchell Archival Interviews with Vic Morrow Pierre Jalbert Rick Jason Ben Cooper and Anthony Call "The Big Picture" Feaurette Narrated by Vic Morrow "Combat! Directed by Vic Morrrow" (27-Min Documentary) "This Season in Color" Two-Part Featurette Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 014381246926 Manufacturer No: ID2469BWDV
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