5 comments about Black Adder V - Back and Forth.

1. I am the biggest fan of the blackadder there is (including three email addresses entitled blackadder), but this video is for the fan who waxes nostalgic. If you have every thing else by all means purchase this if you (like myself) always crave more of Lord Blackadder. On the other hand, this is not the place to start, in fact it is rather disappointing, better to get the complete collection and the Christmas special first.



2. While a total stranger to the Black Adder corpus can appreciate it, a lot of this lovely little poison valentine's fun comes from being familiar with the setup and the characters so that one can ALMOST predict the next line or situation... and then being delighted when the writers and cast give it some twist you hadn't predicted.

   I must agree with another reviewer that the return to the court of Elizabeth I really doesn't work; it does indeed seem forced as if the actors no longer inhabit the characters, but rather are pretending to be their younger selves inhabiting the characters. (Does that make sense?)

   On the other hand, one of the funniest sequences in the production is in the Elizabethean time frame but without any of the series regulars save Blackadder himself, meeting up with Shakespeare, getting his autograph and then... Well, it's Very Funny. Even funnier if you thought Branagh's uncut "Hamlet" was a touch long.

   The Waterloo sequence is lovely, with a neat little "Wizard of Oz" reference.

   And, of course, the ending(s) -- particularly the end ending,a it were -- an absolute delight for the Black Adder fan, with, of course, an appropriate version of the theme song vocal for the end credits.

   The "extras" on the disc, though a bit sparse, are appreciated, including a short "making of" documentary piece, with the writer director and actors all expressing themselves with wonderful clarity, and also including a couple of bits that were (mostly for the better, i think, funny as they are) edited out of the episode.

   ALso under the "Special Features" menu are cast biographies, recited, in character, by "Baldrick". Unfortunately (and i don't know if it's a defect in the disc, itself, or in my APEX DVD player with the hacked firmware, or a combination), after the first few bios have played, the last few syllables or words of each bio were cut off as it skipped to the next.




3. Being a longtime fan of Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder, I snapped up this DVD as soon as it was released. Considering the vast amounts of extras most DVD's have, I generally avoid buying ones that aren't loaded with hours of viewing material. However, seeing that the box said the program was 55 minutes long, and knowing it would NEVER show up on TV, I figured what the hell.....

   The actual content itself is about 31 minutes long, with an 18 minute long "Baldrick's Diary" (Which is really a making-of featurette), some witty "Who's who in Blackadder" Bios narrated by Actor Tony Robinson, and 5 minutes of Historical tidbits touching on spots visited by Blackadder & Baldrick during the "Film", also narrated by Robinson. There's also some trailers for other BBC DVD's.

   The Film itself is more like an episode of the series writ somewhat larger; A modern-day Blackadder and his manservent Baldrick use a home-made time machine to visit various spots in history. The usual suspects return, including Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, and Miranda Richardson. There were a few chuckles, but no real laughs until the end-credits song. Hardly worth the price, especially since the description on the box seems to imply that the actual movie is an hour long, not that EVERTHING on the disc equals an hour. Blackadder completists will certainly buy it, and enjoy it, but it should have had either more content or a lower price point....




4. It couldn't be worse. I mean that literally. That's not to say there isn't humor to be found here. In fact, my point is that this is, in fact, an occasionally amusing title. With this cast (Atkinson, Richardson, Laurie, Fry, McInnerny & Robinson) it can't help but have SOME laughs. But it could have been so much more. It's obvious that by the time they came to slap together this little 'help save the Millenium Dome' project, writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton had simply lost touch with the Blackadder of old. The characters don't quite ring true (even ones they had played before) and the situations seem very un-Blackadderish (to invent a word). We never have time to really get to know these incarnations of the Blackadder crew. If this were a stand alone film, I don't see how anyone could have found these jokes even remotely funny without a knowledge of Blackadder beforehand? One of the great things about the old Blackadders is that, even if you'd never seen one before, every episode was funny in its own right. You didn't need to know that Baldrick's pants were a constant source of humor to find the jokes amusing. But here everything is referring to running gags of the old shows, without a solid base to the jokes themselves. Nothing stands on its own. I don't think you could ring six good episodes out of these characters if you tried. There's nothing to them, they are just shadows of their predecessors. Just like this show.



5. Having seen the entire TV series, I rented from netflicks out of curiousity. This was nothing more than a masturbatory reveling in BA, Atkinson and Co.'s past glories. The clever character sarcasm and artistic melding of slapstic and intelligent humour is simply absent here. I was disappointed with this, and glad that Laurie moved on to win Emmy's in Dr. House, and Atkinson went on to Bean and Johnny English (both were great). But this, this is just plain crud. Don't buy.

2 comments about Globe Trekker: Ultimate China (Double DVD contains 3 episodes!).

1. I rented this movie from Netflix, and only half of it worked. The southwest China half was fine, but the central China half froze my computer. I'm sure you will get a fully working dvd from Amazon, one that was not already viewed by dozens of people.
   
   This is the second dvd I've seen starring Justine Shapiro. The first one was a visit to England, and I found that one ordinary and not particularly interesting. This is a different story. This is really an excellent show. Southwest China is much more interesting to learn about than England.
   
   If you think Tennessee is country, you need to see southwest China. It makes Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas look like Las Vegas or Manhattan by comparison.
   
   Justine mixes with the regular people. She rides on their sleeper trains and buses, and on horses and bikes. She eats their food, which includes dogs, snakes and frogs. She takes us to their markets.
   
   After seeing this video, there's one thing I didn't get from the England video. I really like Justine Shapiro. She has guts, she's independent, she's sweet, she's pretty.
   
   She also takes us to big cities in China, and they are very interesting to see.
   
   I found one part of the film disturbing. She has some health problems and goes to a medical center. She gets acupuncture. We see the doctor shove needles into her skin. We hear her say that she doesn't know why she's doing this. We do not hear her say that it did a bit of good, and I think she would have said that if it was worth anything.
   
   I tried acupuncture myself, and it made me sweat a stream, and nearly pass out. It is powerful, and I suspect that the doctor put way too many needles into me, and that I'm ultra sensitive to it. When he saw me passing out, he whisked almost all the needles out of me with one sweep of his hand, and I had to lay down on my back for a half hour before I could drive home. Then he asked me to make an appointment for a second visit. That was one of the funniest suggestions I ever heard.



2. I am planning a trip to China and have been trying to learn more about the people and the culture of China and found this to be an excellent source!! The discs contain 3 different episodes dealing with different regions of China. The first 2 were excellent and they interact with the locals and try local foods. They go beyond the big cities and into the heart of China and parts of the country most people will never see. I was a little disappointed with the third episode but all in all found it well worth watching if you are interested in China and Chinese culture today.

5 comments about Sarah Brightman - Harem Desert Fantasy.

1. I have loved Sarah Brightman's music and bought this without research or hearing it. So bad I donated it to the library.



2. Sarah has outdone herself in the DVD. I recommend it to all my friends. Get it. You will not be sorry



3. Fun and very interesting where and how and the hard work it takes for a final production we can sit in our easy chairs and enjoy.



4. The DVD would be breathtaking if:
   for God's sake, why the video picture is not sharp? Why most of the video picture is kind of blurry? It's a pitty! It spoils all beauty of this DVD.
   With todays technology even average quality of picture should be much better.
   Next time I am buying CD.



5. I recommend this to all fans of Sarah's fans. The DVD is beautiful. Gorgeous videos. Sarah is amazing. She has an incredible voice. She is beautiful. And she has a real class about her that makes her look SEXY, not sleezy, even though some of her outfits are a bit skimpy. She is an amazing women and such a refreshing change from the naked teenage bimbos that populate music today.As far as the songs go, "Free" is a melodic lovely song that she sings with such emotion. If you are looking for something more upbeat, "It's a beautiful day" is like a modern pop/rock vocal. "Mysterious days" has a Middle Eastern rhythym to it. So there is a little something for everyone. If you want to give your favorite Sarah Brightman fan a nice gift, combine this DVD with the Harem CD.

4 comments about Reader's Digest - Australia the Beautiful.

1. AUSTRALIA THE BEAUTIFUL
   DISCOVERING AUSTRALIA
   AUSTRALIA - THE LAND BEYOND TIME
   
   These movies are all informative, and Australia itself is of course gorgeous. Some people seem to think the only things in Australia are kangaroos, koalas, Aborigines, Crocodile Dundee, and Steve Irwin feeding his baby to the crocodiles. Students in China will ask you "What is the weather like in Australia?" as if a country roughly the size of China or the USA has the same weather from east to west and north to south. These films will show you otherwise, but it is annoying that I can't find a single DVD about Australia made by Australians. These are distinctly American, even though the third has a British narrator.



2. Hi, I have just ordered this DVD series which seem to be good. I learned about Australia during my school days and awed by its unique wildlife - the one of its kind in the world. The animal life in Australia is strange and belongs to the species called marsupials, meaning young carried in pouch. Also the land is vast and in deep contrast between forested lands and the desert. The Great Barrier is fascinating with rich sea life. The kangaroos are intriquing animals which deserved to be studied indepth. I am banking on this 171 minutes DVD to offer me a full range of the wildlife and land of Australia. Though I haven't watch the DVD yet, I am pretty sure it will be very interesting and I do look forward to its coming. Cheers!



3. I have viewed this DVD three times (got it from the library). It is excellent for anyone interested in travel to Australia, nature and natural history. It covers many national parks and out-of-the-way places that the average traveler to Australia could easily miss. I learned a great deal about unusual animals, plants and destinations from this DVD; the footage is truly fantastic. Only problem is that now I am VERY eager to start planning a trip to Australia! Enjoy! This copy is to be a gift for a friend.



4. A nice documentary with the best landscapes of this amazing country, it also has one of the most estrange biodiversity in the world.

5 comments about The Butterfly Effect 2.

1. I think that's the worst thing I've ever heard. Why would anyone say that. What human being would say that.
   
   I liked part 1, so when I saw there was a sequel, even knowing it had a very low rating, I wanted to give it chance. I love time travel movies, so if this was ANYTHING like the first one, at a minimum I figured I would get a moderate amount of enjoyment out of it.
   
   All I got was a moderate amount of homicidal thoughts after this. I can't believe that professionals can actually create something so bad. Put aside the bland acting and the boring writing for a second, and look at the way the script was structured. The movie was a little less than 90 minutes long, yet nothing even happens for the first 52 minutes, when the movie's more than half over. There was no development of story or characters whatsoever. A complete waste of 52 minutes of screen time.
   
   Whoever wrote this did the equivalent of building a roller coaster that travels from one side of the park to the other without EVER GOING UP, and instead travels across in a completely straight line, and so as you exit off the coaster, you're wondering "wtf was that??" The writer of this story forgot to add the one key element that makes all stories work on some level: some conflict for a protagonist to overcome, obviously. Nothing resembling drama or suspense took place until either the 52 minute mark, or the 61 minute mark. It all depends on whether you would consider his confrontation with his friend in the garage at the 52 minute mark as something significant that builds the story and moves it forward. If not, then there's definitely NOTHING that happens until the 61 minute mark, which is when he realizes that he's no longer in a relationship with his girlfriend. Now that's actually pretty interesting. But why are we JUST NOW getting into the realm of "he has to fix this disastrous timeline he's now in, one without his girlfriend," with only less than a HALF HOUR of the movie left? What were we watching for the past hour? Everything that happened before was completely inconsequential, you might as well start watching this movie from the 52 or 61 minute mark, you won't miss a thing.



2. [Includes Mild Spoilers] So they made a sequel again. Not that I am blaming them for that, but at least they could have done that much better than "The Butterfly Effect 2" where the hero with a special ability to go back in time finds once again that fixing things are not easy as it seems. Or does he? The difference is that "BE2" has neither Ashton Kutcher nor the tightly-knit script of the original that made the film an instant hit.
   
   Eric Lively plays Nick Larson, who loses his girlfriend Julie (Erica Durance) in a car accident. One year later Nick learns that he can change the course of the events by literally going back to the day when the fatal accident happened. But does he succeed? Of course he does.
   
   According the concept of "Butterfly Effect," a small change can alter the whole world - like Ray Bradbury's famous story - and that is also the point of the first film. In the sequel, however, Eric can do what he thinks he has to do so easily (after a wobbling image surrounding him and a headache) that there is no point of using the fascinating concept of the title. Actually, you have no intricate plot, no mystery, no characters to relate, and no good ending. You only get stereotypical characters including "terrifying" gangsters, and silly love-making. To make matters worse, Eric even uses his special power to do what ordinary people (like me) usually do with hard working: getting rich.
   
   That's where I started to lose interest in the story, which evidently needs more improvement, at least ten more twists and turns in the predictable plot. Ridiculous as it is, "A Sound of Thunder" was more entertaining.



3. seriously what do u guys want?? ..i cant really say this one as good as the first but no way this movie is worth only 2 stars ... i would say the first one is more suited for the young crowd and the second is more suited for older people



4. They were so cheap they made sure the plot didn't require them to go into the past more than a couple of years. Lame. No costumes to design or sets to build, just put the bad actors in front of modern day things and shoot. They even tacked on the threat of another sequel! If it had been intelligently written I could deal with it. But, noooooooo, they have to do everything but shout out the main woman in this picture is pregnant. Every time she tries to tell someone, wouldn't you know it, she is interrupted. A kid could figure out what she is trying to say 10 minutes into this "film". Of course, the baby will be the start of the next sequel. Did I mention this movie stinks?



5. This is one of his movies he was suppose to be in it he was good in the first one...He's not in this one that sucks!!! I think he should make more movies...I love watching his movies...he is the best of the best actors! :)

3 comments about Over America Deluxe Box Set.

1. The producer tried to put stuff together, only the 4th disc (Washington DC) worth watching.



2. I only wanted the "Over America" DVD itself, but ordered this because I did not realize what was included. The set includes:
   
   Over America - 116 minutes
   Washington D.C. - 58 minutes
   Globe Trekker: San Francisco - 60 minutes
   Globe Trekker - New York - 60 minutes



3. Over America - Deluxe Box Set is great for learning some interesting facts about the United States that you may have forgotten, or never knew in the first place!
   
   The first disk simply called Over America has wonderful photography taken from a helicopter flying over various parts of the United States. Sections of New England, New York City, Florida, Texas, California, and the Pacific Northwest take up most of the disk. My state, Virginia, is only shown where the flight cruised down the Potomac River and flew over Great Falls, Virginia, on the way to Washington, D.C. It is great to see some of the monuments of Washington, D. C. from the sky. That was enjoyable, but the South was pretty much ignored in most of the series. In defense of the project, I know that every state could not be covered.
   
   The second disk is San Francisco where the city is introduced as the most liberal town in the United States. This is more like a city tour where you walk around with a guide who does street interviews and gives you local history. The guide covered many parts of the city where various ethnic areas are visited including Chinatown, Haight Ashbury, and North Beach. A trip to the old prison, Alcatraz, is also interesting and lots of wonderful scenery with huge redwood trees are shown in all their glory.
   
   The third disk is Washington, D. C. Having worked in D. C. for a number of years and living within a short distance away, I know this area the best. The Capitol, White House, Jefferson and Lincoln monuments are all showcased, as is the Library of Congress. I think most Americans would find it very interesting.
   
   The fourth and last disk is New York City. Again, very enjoyable, with two different guides giving their personal tours and visits of the city. This was done in a light hearted way and there are some fun and amusing scenes. I especially loved seeing The Statue of Liberty and many of the tall buildings from the air! Also, the viewer is given a visit to all five Boroughs. The horrible destruction to the Twin Towers is discussed and Ground Zero is shown. An interview is conducted with a man who survived the bombing. That was a very mournful and sad part of this otherwise easy going tour. We Americans will never forget that day in our history!
   
   I found this series to be very rewarding and recommend it to anyone who wants to visit some of the places mentioned. If you have no thoughts of a visit, this series will make you feel like you've been there!
   

5 comments about Michael Palin's Around the World in 80 Days.

1. Michael Palin follows Jules Verne's Fillias Fogg around the world and by the end, you get the feeling you really know Palin. The journey is mesmerizing, funny, interesting and you feel like you're with him every step of the way. The Dhow episode is worth the price. . .At least I think so.
   It's a long series and can be daunting if you try to watch them all the way through. You really have to WATCH to enjoy.



2. I watched this mini-series almost 2 decades ago when it was aired on
   BBC. Today I own the DVD. The world has changed a lot since Palin's
   journey, especially China and India. Some of Palin's comments do not
   reflect modern times. But his adventures will always be relevant
   regardless of time.
   
   I more than agree to all the appreciation this series has received from
   the reviewers here. My only criticism is Palin gives undue importance to
   the traces of british legacy that he observes in the great cultures of
   Egypt, India and Hong Kong. But his down-to-earth attitude and sense of
   humor more than make up for his nostalgia about british empire. And after all he is British.
   
   The challenges faced by Michael Palin are different from those faced by
   Phileas Fogg, but it makes a gripping journey. Overall great concept,
   great presentation and excellent background score.



3. Around the World marks the beginning of Palin's prolific new career as travel host. He is less confident than in some of the later series, but he has an infectious energy that really comes through. Some of the passages overland and on the sea are fascinating looks at anachronistic modes of travel. Palin is maybe the best travel host ever to appear on the tele. He is funny, yet always respectful and always smiling (so important when traveling). His voice over narration is just perfect. Only criticism is that this series is a bit dated - the video quality ain't so great and the places he visits have changed enough since then that it feels slightly irrelevant - but that's only a relative criticism.



4. This such a disappointment compared to Palen's other series. Here he spends a long, long, long time at sea, and the days pass in tedium. For this series, air travel was forbidden, so it followed that the journey had to be via boat. And therein lies the problem. There's only so much one can do on a low budget ocean voyage. Somewhere in mid-ocean everything begins to lose its savor, if ever it had any, and then the story gets even worse. Once back on land, the journey disintegrates into a long, long, long train ride across the U.S. This is where Michael spends a lot of time chatting with people who maybe just want to be on camera. One storyteller, a conductor, gets into the act by recounting a not very funny (and quite apocryphal) tale about a fat lady who got stuck in the toilet. And was it my imagination, or does he have more than a little contempt for most Americans... he could hardly have portrayed them in a less favorable light. Sahara, New Europe, and Pole to Pole are terrific travelogues, but this one is a dead end trip.



5. The DVD was excellent. Previously I purchased a VHS tape version which unfortunately contained only HALF the series episodes. The DVD, however, was complete.

3 comments about Mystery of the Maya.

1. Mystery of the Maya includes very interesting information. The way of communicating the facts is really descriptive and very clear. Very nice landscapes.



2. Better than expected. No movie can capture the beauty there, however. But this one is the closest!



3. The Film has nothing to say about the mysterious disapperiance of the maya's. thats what i want to hear about.

5 comments about Samurai Jack - The Premiere Movie.

1. Cartoon Network shows tend to be very, very cool -- at the very least, fascinatingly weird. But their most "righteous" show has to be "Samurai Jack," a dryly hilarious show with a righteous hero, his magic sword, and a truly loathsome villain.
   
   "Samurai Jack: the Movie" is nothing new, merely the first few episodes of the series. Nevertheless, it's a good introduction to anyone who is just checking out this clever little series.
   
   The evil Aku (Japanese for... "evil") has risen again, and lays waste to Japan. But the empress manages to smuggle away the young prince, and over the years he becomes a brave warrior. He returns, frees the enslaved people, and goes off to kill Aku with a magic sword forged by the gods.
   
   But during the battle with Aku, the young samurai is flung thousands of years into the future (think a grimier "Jetsons"). Aku rules the future with an iron fist, and the world is full of volatile aliens, speeding aircars, and talking dogs. Now the samurai -- known as "Jack" -- must free the enslaved dogs from Aku's rule, and find a way back to his own time so this future will never happen.
   
   Of course, he won't find it right away, because otherwise there wouldn't be a story. There's a bonus episode in the extras menu: Jack walks over a miles-long bridge, and encounters a psychotic Scotsman who ends up getting handcuffed to him. Will they escape backwater bounty hunters together, or strangle each other first?
   
   Certainly "Samurai Jack" isn't like anything you've seen before, with its simplistic drawing style and clever scripting. The animation style is reminiscent of classical Japanese artwork, and their movies get a nod in the quiet, relatively slow pacing of the episodes.
   
   And as it entertains you with evil robots and shapeshifting demons, it also throws in a subtle message about honor, kindness, and "righteousness." For a series with no character development, its hero is a pretty lovable guy. He's morally upright, righteous and kind, but somehow it isn't annoying.
   
   And it's fairly cool to see him training with Vikings, Olympic wrestlers, Cossacks, Zen monks, and even with Robin Hood. And when he gets to the future, we get to see him deal with all sorts of bizarro things. (Robot alligators with machine guns?) And surprisingly, Jack adjusts very quickly to his surreal new surroundings.
   
   Though it has nothing that people with the other "Samurai Jack" DVDs won't have, "Samurai Jack: the Premiere Movie" is a good intro for people who are just getting introduced to this clever series.



2. My son and I both love Samuarai Jack. I bought him the complete first three seasons for Christmas, but I also bought the premier movie. Now, I realize I should have caught on with the title, "Premier" Movie, but I thought it was just the first full length movie of Jack, not what it actually is - the premier episode that was an hour long. There could be worse things than having two copies of the same episode, right?



3. I recently had the urge to watch this again. It was in heavy rotation for me a few years ago, and now I think it's high time it returned! Seeing how the series progressed, and remembering the first few episodes struck me, it's no mystery why SJ impressed me!
   
   The art style is unlike anything else I've ever seen in animation from any country. Amazing backgrounds, fun dialogue, and action-action-action!
   
   The DVD's inclusion of a bonus episode from the show is odd, in light of having the complete sets of seasons, but welcome. The sketches and interviews are good.
   
   My favorite part of the movie would be the rush through his youth, a tour of the world, and kind of a preview of his entire life, as he tours the world again during the seasons to fight Aku. Watch it again!



4. An entertaining and different style of animation. If you have a few dollars to spare, go nuts.



5. Was not properly advertised, therefore I bought Season 1 twice. The movie is also Season 1.

5 comments about The Final Countdown (2-Disc Limited Special Edition).

1. The Final Countdown was a really good movie. I would recommend it to people that love Scifi and Time Travel movies. I gave it 3 stars because the story line really to me didn't make any sense. They go back to 1941 and they are there for a long time just sending planes up and scouting and there is a few deaths and one American plane shoots down a jap plane and explodes but that is basically it. Torwards the end when they are going to get ready to intercept the japanese they get called back to the carrier and the attack on Pearl Harbor still happens. So what was the point of the movie, they didn't even really do anything. I liked it because I am huge into Time-Travel. I also liked the ending when Katharine Ross/Laurel Scott and James Farentino/Wing Commander Richard T. Owens/Mr Richard Tideman ended up being alive and made a surprise visit with Martin Sheen/Warren Lasky.



2. The movie arrived right as scheduled and in perfect shape. We enjoyed it tremendously; thanks.



3. We'd looked for this for a while and enjoyed it. It's mid-career Kirk Douglas and we enjoyed the plot. :)



4. I received this verrrrry fast...the movie is exactly as I remembered..Although I was not aware it was a LucasFilm/Spielberg Production. I guess that's why it is very good!



5. I liked this movie when I first viewed it in the theater. This is a good copy. Some reviews of earlier versions document a bad version.
   
   For a time travel fiction story this is one of my favorites. Decent story line and it keeps up your interest.