Loreens Blog

Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76092 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-10-24
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Russian
• Number of discs: 50
• Running time: 5347 minutes

Customer Reviews:

remarkable
This is certainly the most remarkable collection of films to come out in one DVD package. And I would really like to thank Criterion for overpricing their DVDs so much that I had very little overlap with my existing library, having passed on most of their editions of these films. Here are a few observations that might be of use to potential buyers:
1) the widescreen movies are anamorphic
2) Haxen is 104 min, substantially longer than the 77 min version that has shown on premium cable.
3) I compared the Janus versions of two films, Wages of Fear and Seven Samurai, with the Criterion versions I had. I expected them to be identical (figuring that Criterion probably did the work for Janus) but they were considerably different. In both cases, the Janus copies were amazingly superior: much better (and louder)sound, crisper images with fewer defects, much better definition in shadowy areas, and a much more stable image. I never realized how poor the Criterion prints were until I saw the comparison. It’s amazing the psychological effect of all that. In both cases, I was strongly tempted to continue watching the whole film with Janus, and found the Criterion copy ‘tiring’. The translations also differed, with Janus having fewer errors (e.g. Samurai’s “the rice we’re eating now” v.s. “the rice we’re eating, how”). I cannot wait to watch the rest of these films.
3. I could detect no difference between Anchor Bay’s and Janus’s Kind Hearts and Coronets.
4. The print of Lady Vanishes is the clearest I’ve seen. The el cheapo Brentwood print, in their Hitchcock collection, is unwatchable.
5. The one really bad aspect of the collection is that the DVDs are wedged tightly into paper slots. Every single disc was covered with tiny flecks of paper, and every disc was scratched, sometimes quite badly (but not enough to affect playback, I think). Whether this occurred putting the disc in, or taking it out, I can’t say. However, repeating this process would rapidly damage the surface. I put all the discs into individual cases, and I STRONGLY recommend doing so. Some of the discs felt like they were glued to the page, the packaging was so tight. If you are a real fanatic about surface defects, and don’t plan on reselling the set, you might even want to use a razor to cut the paper and LIFT the disc out. Whatever you do, don’t rotate the disc as you try to unstick it or you may get a spiralling defect.
Despite that caveat, this is an incredible bargain - less than $12 per film instead of $30 for Criterion’s. That makes those commentaries pretty bloody expensive.
One can only hope Janus will put out another 50 movies (hopefully in individual cases, though).

This is put out by Criterion
Re: The previous reviewer’s points: The product info is somewhat vague on this, but this set is put out by Criterion. As the comment on that review says, any differences vs. earlier Criterion releases are attributable to upgrades made in later editions. Seven Samurai and M have been upgraded since their original Criterion release, and there may be other cases among the films collected here. On another point, it’s true that individual Criterion releases are expensive, but they usually include many extras of interest to cinephiles. If price is your main consideration, this package is a great way to get Criterion quality at a lower price per disc (although without the extras). I will be ordering one at some point, even though I already have about a dozen of the films, just because it looks to be a gorgeous package. FYI, there is a review in the NY Times today (11/7/2006) that provides some historical background on Janus and Criterion.

Special Features and Scratches
I would like to notify everyone who got scared about this set when they heard the dvds came in outrageoulsy tight slots that either this has been changed, it never was true, or i have an exeptionally awsome set because mine is not that way at all. In my set every page of the DVD book has 4 dvds that are in slots that are not too tight or loose. You do not have to induvidually unwrap the dvds or anything, just open up the book, and pull a dvd out. I have been pulling these discs out and putting back in and have seen absolutely no damage done. Not one of the movies has skipped yet. I have seen no “flecks of paper” and none of my DVDs “felt like they were glued to the page” like -a movie fan’s-. I strongly suggest everyone with a film appretiation to buy this set, even if you already have a few from the set. It is definatally worth it. And about the special features, I would like to inform anyone turned off by the fact that there are none that there is a 200 page book that comes with the set. That book has rare posters, photographs, the history of revolutionary JANUS and a page description of every film - the context of time and place the film came out, a little about the director and actors, the impact the film had, the meaning behind the film, etc. If that is not enough for you, then…sorry. I personally dont mind, considering the internet exists for any other information about the film I want to know.

Amazon.com
50 Years, 50 Films

One Spectacular DVD Box Set Janus Films opened American viewers’ eyes to the pleasures of Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and François Truffaut at the height of their artistic powers. Celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this world-renowned distribution company with Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films, an expansive collectors’ box set featuring fifty classic films on DVD and a lavishly illustrated hardcover book that tells the story of Janus Films through an essay by film historian Peter Cowie, a tribute from Martin Scorsese, and notes on each of the fifty films.

• Eight Academy Awards

• Twenty-eight Academy Award nominations

• Two Palme d’or awards

Amazon.com
Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films is a 50-disc celebration of international films collected under the auspices of the groundbreaking theatrical distributor. Packaged in a heavy slipcase set (remember, lift with your legs, not your back), one volume contains the DVDs in sturdy cardboard pages; the other volume is a hardback book with introductory essays and essays about each of the films. Janus Films is the precursor to the Criterion Collection, and this set is far and away the most beautiful art object the company has ever created. The substantial and subdued packaging is meant to stand the test of time, as are the films immortalized within. From The Seventh Seal to Jules and Jim to M and Pygmalion and The 39 Steps, this exquisite set is the art house DVD release of 2006, if not the decade.

The 200-page book provides context for the films and is worth reading in its own right. Martin Scorcese offers a brief and celebratory introduction, reminiscing about the thrill of seeing the antiquated Janus Films logo when attending a movie in one of New York City’s art house theaters. Film historian Peter Cowie’s essay about the history of art house cinema in America casts light on how films by directors like Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman first found American audiences. These days it’s easy to take for granted our access to films from around the globe, but in the early 20th century it was only due to the efforts of a passionate few that these great films found theatrical life in the United States. Many of these films, particularly those from Europe, boasted more liberal attitudes about such things as sex and war, facing the threat of censorship and hostility from Hollywood-fed audiences who weren’t accustomed to considering films as works of art. Janus Films evolved as a way to bridge these cultural gaps, introducing Americans to foreign sensibilities and big-screen stories that transcended language.

What DVDs Are Included?
The DVDs presented represent the cream of the crop of the Janus Films catalog, and the best of the Criterion Collection’s bar-setting technical sophistication. Six of the films are being debuted on DVD on the occasion of the set’s release, though they may be released separately later. These include Fires on the Plain, The Fallen Idol, Pandora’s Box, Le Jour Se Leve, Miss Julie, and Three Documentaries by Saul J. Turell. Fans of copious extra features should take note–the discs contain only the films themselves. Those wishing to dig into the two bonus discs of material offered with Criterion’s latest release of Seven Samurai, say, won’t find that opportunity here. As for the selection of films, cinephiles may get into arguments about what’s included and what’s not, but any film school student would be far ahead of the game by devouring these fifty films. The treasures are listed below. –Ryan Boudinot

ALEXANDER NEVSKY (1938)
ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958)
L’AVVENTURA (1960)
BALLAD OF A SOLDIER (1959)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1946)
BLACK ORPHEUS (1959)
BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945)
THE FALLEN IDOL (1948)
FIRES ON THE PLAIN (1959)
FISTS IN THE POCKET (1965)
FLOATING WEEDS (1959)
FORBIDDEN GAMES (1952)
THE 400 BLOWS (1959)
GRAND ILLUSION (1937)
HÄXAN (1922)
IKIRU (1952)
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (1952)
IVAN THE TERRIBLE, PART II (1958)
LE JOUR SE LÈVE (1939)
JULES AND JIM (1962)
KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (1949)
KNIFE IN THE WATER (1962)
THE LADY VANISHES (1938)
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (1943)
LOVES OF A BLONDE (1965)
M (1931)
M. HULOT’S HOLIDAY (1953)
MISS JULIE (1951)
PANDORA’S BOX (1929)
PÉPÉ LE MOKO (1937)
IL POSTO (1961)
PYGMALION (1938)
RASHOMON (1950) RICHARD III (1955)
THE RULES OF THE GAME (1939)
SEVEN SAMURAI (1954)
THE SEVENTH SEAL (1957)
THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE (1973)
LA STRADA (1954)
SUMMERTIME (1955)
THE THIRD MAN (1949)
THE 39 STEPS (1935)
UGETSU (1953)
UMBERTO D. (1952)
THE VIRGIN SPRING (1960)
VIRIDIANA (1961)
THE WAGES OF FEAR (1953)
THE WHITE SHEIK (1952)
WILD STRAWBERRIES (1957)
THREE DOCUMENTARIES BY SAUL J. TURELL

NCIS: Seasons 1-6 Description:

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it’s a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, formerly led this troupe of colorful personalities. Gibbs, a man of few words, only needs a look to explain it all. The team includes NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), an ex-homicide detective who may come off as the world’s oldest frat boy, but whose instincts in the field are unparalleled; forensic specialist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), a talented scientist whose dark wit matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes, NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), a former Moussad agent who shares a bond with Gibbs over the death of his arch nemesis, Ari, the terrorist who killed former NCIS Special Agent Kate Todd. Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum), who knows it all because he’s seen it all, and he’s not afraid to let you know. Rounding out the team is NCIS director Jennifer Shepard (Lauren Holly) who has a romantic history with Gibbs. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #373 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2009-08-25
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 35
• Running time: 6048 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Simply Amazing
This show is simply amazing. All seasons of it are wonderfully done. I started watching this show only recently and became so addicted that I bought all of the seasons on dvd. My husband, in-laws and brother-in-law are all now addicted to it as well. I can’t wait for this season to be released on dvd and for the next season to start! I usually don’t watch tv shows during the season, I typically wait until the season is over and the dvd’s are released, but I just haven’t been able to wait for season 6, I’ve actually been watching it on tv (and then on my laptop while at work!!)

The cast works so well together. The dynamics of the the characters - the best I’ve seen since Firefly. The way they love each other as a family, look out for each other, rip on each other, joke around, work so flawlessly. This is by far the BEST crime show procedural I’ve ever seen. It’s actually very believable. I mean, besides having to solve a crime in such a short time frame.

The music is great, the camera angles, the editing, the everything. This show is amazing! I hope it stays on for as LONG as it can. It’s gained 5 new viewers this season alone.

My thanks goes out to the cast and crew for the superb job done on this television show.

NCIS ADDICTION
I first started watching NCIS somewhere in Season 2. I liked that much that I now have the complete 5 seasons and cannot wait until season 6 is released. Even my wife who does not watch TV that much keeps on reminding me when NCIS is showing on TV. It has to be one of the best shows around. Come on guys push for Season 6 to be transferred to Disc

Noel from Sydney Australia

NCIS

NCIS has been one of the leading network TV shows for the last few seasons. With its colorful cast and fascinating story lines, NCIS proves to be “more addicting than pistachios.” NCIS is based out of Washington, DC but the crimes that they investigate take them all over the country and even the world.

The characters that make up the NCIS team are truly what make the show. The team is made up primarily of 6 main characters. The team leader, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is an ex-marine gunnery sergeant who proves to be a brilliant investigator whose gut is famous. Under him are his three agents Special Agents DiNozzo, McGee, and Todd (seasons 1+2) or David (seasons 3-7). Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo is the senior field agent and never lets anyone forget it. His personality is best compared to that of an overgrown frat boy. Despite his immaturity, Tony brings his experience working with the Baltimore Police Department adding great experience to the team. The third member of the team is Special Agent Timothy McGee, aka Probie. McGee joined the team half way through the first season bringing with him a MIT education in computer sciences that he uses to track criminals and access pretty much any information that was ever digitalized, if it’s out there McGee will find it. He takes flack from Tony for being a geek, often to the point of calling him McGeek, but McGee doesn’t let it get him down. The team of special agents can be rounded out by the only female on the team. In seasons one and two this position is filled by Kate Todd, an ex-secret service agent who joins the team in season one after being fired from the Secret Service for helping agents Gibbs and DiNozzo get the body of a dead marine off Air Force One. She is a feisty agent who is always trying to to prove to Tony that she can do anything just as well as any man. Kate takes her job very seriously and this ends up saving Agent Gibbs life, but costing her her own at the end of season two. After Kate’s death this position is filled by Mossad Liaison Officer Ziva David. Ziva is a trained assassin from Israel who has issues avoiding using force to get the answers she wants. While this rounds out the team of agents their support staff is just as important and even more colorful.

They are supported by Medical Examiner Dr. Donald Mallard, Ducky and Forensic Scientist Abby Scuito. Ducky is an older gentleman from Scotland who has seen everything and is not afraid to let anyone know. Every case reminds him of something that he has seen before and the story of that situation precedes every briefing Gibbs receives, whether he wants to hear it or not. Ducky is known for his expertise in allowing the dead to tell their stories. He is a proper gentleman and is always sporting a bow tie, except the one time that he was seeing a younger woman and traded the bow tie for a younger looking neck tie for a few weeks. Upstairs from Ducky’s autopsy is Abby. Abby is an amazing forensic scientist who never allows anything to go unprocessed and will do it all double time as soon as Gibbs asks. Abby’s blood must be type caffeine as she lives off a highly caffeinated drink called caf-pow, which Gibbs brings her every time he needs answers. Abby is one of the happiest people you will ever find yet she has a very extreme sense of style and living. Abby dresses very gothic and even sleeps in a coffin. She is fascinated by death yet so warm and caring. Tony describes Abby as “a paradox wrapped in an oxymoron smothered in contradictions in terms.” She shares wonderful relationships with all the members of the team, particularly Gibbs who is very protective of Abby and seems to see her as a daughter figure. Between these two any evidence that exists will be found and linked to anything and everything it can be to catch the criminals.

These six team members always seem to be able to figure out what happened and who is responsible. The rimes that are depicted can often be very troubling and even gruesome at times and watchers of NCIS should be cautions but that should not stop a mature viewer from at least giving NCIS a chance. While NCIS may seem like just another crime show, the characters truly set it far above any other show out there.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Series Seasons 1-7 Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69699 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-04-12
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 39

Customer Reviews:

In my opinion, the finest series in the history of TV
Most serious fans of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE already own all of the individual sets that make up this DVD collection, so I thought I would address this review to those who own none of them and will make up the primary target for this set and focus on two questions. First, how does this set differ from the individual season collections? The answer is that they are identical. This set does not represent a new product in any way, but merely collects all of the seasons in a new, low price. If you don’t own any of the individual seasons, this is an absolutely ideal way to discover the Buffyverse. Second (and for me this is the fun part), what’s this Buffy chick all about?

What sets BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER apart from most other shows, apart from the individual brilliant scripts that graced most of the episodes, is that the show over the course of seven seasons tells a story. What the casual viewer of the show could easily miss is the semi-tragic themes underlying the series: young, happy cheerleader and inevitable prom queen is pulled away by destiny from the life she loves to unwillingly undertake the burden of being her generation’s Chosen One: a super-empowered heroine to fight against the powers of darkness. This is a responsibility she has neither sought nor desired, and one of the persistent themes of the show is that destiny basically dealt Buffy a nasty set of cards. Sure, she has super strength and agility and recuperative powers, but she also knows how she became The Slayer: someone else died. For one becomes the Slayer only by the death of another Slayer, which calls attention to the fact that she, too, is destined to die to make way for another Slayer. As she puts it in one episode, “Every slayer comes with an expiration date.” She goes from a carefree, happy young girl to someone who wonders if she will make it to the age of 25.

Ultimately, however, the show isn’t about a girl with super powers, but about taking responsibility for one’s life, for accepting the cards that life has dealt one and making the most of that. Over the course of seven seasons all of the major characters struggle with this precise issue. All of them continually have to face up to the demands of the moral, and what is unusual for a genre show, they all have to work hard to be better people. More than about fighting vampires, the show is ultimately about the fighting of one’s inner demons, with the external monsters being mere metaphors for that which lies within. As a result, all of the major characters changed dramatically over the course of seven seasons.

A second great theme of the show is that of community. The show actually contains a bit of a lie in the famous opening words that introduced the show in the first season: it says that unto each generation a Slayer is born and that SHE ALONE possesses the strength to fight the vampires and demons. Only, that isn’t at all the case on the show. In fact, Buffy becomes less, not more, effective when she becomes a loner. As Spike, an evil vampire who has killed two Slayers in the past, said at the beginning of Season Two: “A Slayer with family and friends. That sure as hell wasn’t in the brochure.” And it isn’t! Says so right at the beginning of the show. The Intro should read “She and her extensive support network” will fight the demons. And showing that no one understands this better than Spike, in Season Four he attempts to help a demon destroy the Slayer by sowing discord among the Scoobies, as the demon fighting buddies referred to themselves (this was before Sarah Michelle Gellar’s unfortunate forays into the SCOOBY DOO movies). He fails when the four key members respond by forging a stronger bond than ever.

Over the seven seasons, Buffy struggles constantly against her destiny, initially fighting and resisting it, gradually accepting it, frequently resenting it, and eventually embracing it before the magnificent resolution in the final episode. While there is always only one Slayer (though on Buffy, there are two, but that is a different though very interesting story), there are always many potential Slayers. In the final episode of the series, Buffy realizes how they can make all the potential Slayers into actual Slayers, and after they do so they are able to defeat the baddies and save the world from evil, again. In literally the last five seconds of the series, Faith, the other Slayer, asks Buffy what she’s going to do now that she’s no longer the only Slayer. In a beautiful resolution of the central tragedy in the series, a blissful, contented, expectant smile breaks out over Buffy’s face. Her life has been given back to her. The expiration date has been repealed.

Those who have only occasionally dipped into the show will not be able to appreciate how brilliantly written the show is. It is as if every individual writer knew every other line ever written in the show, and the result is a self-consciousness in the series that is highly unusual for TV. At the very end of Season Six, for instance, Buffy’s best friend Willow utters the words, “Bored now,” which is not merely a reference to something she said in Season Three, but brilliantly explains where her character is at that point in the show. The scripts are, in my opinion, simply the best TV has ever seen. They are dramatic, they are believable (astonishing in a show about vampires), they are profoundly emotional, and they are funny. In fact, the show really did manage to be several things at once. I think this ability to stride several fences is one of the reasons why BUFFY, though easily the finest show on television for most of its run, never won or even received an Emmy nomination for Best Show. Should it have been nominated as Best Drama or Best Comedy? (The complete neglect by the extraordinarily conservative Emmys of BUFFY has inspired Salon to create a new TV award, the Buffy, for the most unjustly neglected show on TV, with THE WIRE as the first recipient.)

The writing really was the key. I don’t want to imply that other things weren’t done as well. Though not one of the great casts in TV history, all of the actors did a great job and there were some truly memorable characters, from Buffy to Willow, Xander, Spike, Giles, Cordy, Anya, and Angel (who went on to star in his own spin off). The sets were always first rate and it was one of the few shows on TV to have its own utterly unique look, merely from the lighting and camerawork. Speaking of camerawork, few TV shows have ever taken so much care with the way scenes were shot. There was even their own unique blend of camp. For instance, fighting vampires is tough work, but Buffy inevitably went on patrol wearing some incredibly stylish outfits. My favorite is when she goes to the graveyard in Season Six wearing an ankle length white cashmere duster. I’m sure anyone about to engage in physical combat would decide to wear such an expensive and delicate item. But as good as all of these elements were, it all came in the end back to the writing. The show was brilliantly written on multiple levels. Many of the episodes were astonishingly good, but within them the individual lines were simply astonishing. I have many shows that I love, but in the history of television there are only two that contains dozens of lines that I can recall with ease: MONTY PYTHON and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. But apart from the individual episodes and the huge panoply of memorable lines, the seasons were almost always well conceived and executed. And even when individual seasons contained flaws in their, such as Seasons 4 and 7, these were more than made up for by the way they all fit into a larger story.

In the end, no series that I know of had a better story to tell than BUFFY. As much as I loved THE X-FILES, the series was always better on the individual episode level than it was as a whole. Lone episodes of THE X-FILES are as good as any in the history of TV, but the deep back story by the end of the series ended up being more than a little muddled and incomplete. When BUFFY ended, there was a single brilliant and marvelously develop tale of a young girl who was forced to give up her life for the greater good, but who in the end managed to get her life back again. I honestly believe that BUFFY will be the gold standard for television shows in the future. It has raised the bar for what can be done and should be done on television, so in the end Buffy might not have saved the world from the powers of evil; she just might have saved television as well.

Looking forward to a great collection
A friend got me hooked on Buffy earlier this year by loaning me her season-by-season sets (seasons 1-6, still waiting for 7). I was skeptical, and season 1 didn’t do much to move me–clever dialogue, yeah, but the monster-of-the-week format didn’t seem like anything special. But by the third episode of Season 2, I was hooked. I was watching two and three episodes of Buffy a night, watching the characters grow and change in fast-forward.

There are websites that dissect the occasional flaws and inconsistencies of fact, but what I was amazed at was how consistent it was at heart. The characters change and grow, they have good weeks and bad, but they all grow in ways consistent with their characters as we first meet them.

And we come to care about them, deeply–to feel for their pains and losses, to grow frustrated with their weaknesses and blind spots. Yes, the series is full of humor and adventure and scary demons, but ultimately, it is full of these rich and complex characters, their trials, their fears, the dilemmas–big and small–that they must wrestle, and the internal demons they must face.

The first person to review this box says that “this set does not represent a new product in any way, but merely collects all of the seasons in a new, low price.” I’m hoping that that’s not precisely the case. Yes, the discs will hold precisely the content of the seven individual season collections. however, while there is no picture for this collection as I write this, on Amazon’s site in the UK, there are pictures of a nice single vertical box with an embossed seal on the outside and each season in its own CD-sized package. The spines of the season packages stack up to assemble an image of Buffy. While the UK package is a limited edition (10,000 copies), I’m hoping that the US packaging for this complete collection will be equally unique and attractive (and compact). [UPDATE: Unfortunately, this was not the case. I bought this set, and I’m not at all disappointed by the quality of the discs or the series, but I really would have preferred a more compact and unified package for the entire series, and I think Fox Video is being quite stupid by offering that delicious looking package to just 10,000 Brits and not to American fans.]

Great Series - WAIT FOR LIMITED EDITION!
Great series.

BUT DON’T BUY THIS RELEASE! The entire series is being released November 15 for only 199! You’ll get the previously released 7 seasons of Buffy (39 discs), plus a special bonus disc containing a brand new documentary featuring Joss Whedon. Each box will be individually numbered, and will contain a signed letter from Joss Whedon, and a comprehensive book filled with episode listings and memorable Buffy quotes.

Do yourself a favor. Don’t buy this. Just wait. You’ll be glad you did.

Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Seasons 1-5 Product: Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Seasons 1-5 Discount. List Price: $209.95 Amazon Price: $188.99 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

Compare Prices on Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Seasons 1-5

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8420 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-09-15
• Format: NTSC

extraordinary
I have worked through 5 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, and sometimes it was work. I don’t like the sight of blood, and it is a soap. But here’s the thing: just when I think it’s all too sophomoric for words, seriously, and who else can these people sleep with, it is suddenly profound. It’s as though the noise stops, not just on screen but everywhere, and into the profound silence is a truth that makes me laugh out loud, or I find myself with tears streaming. Great writing which fools you into thinking that you are in junior high, then suddenly you are on the edge of the great truths of the universe, is well worth the effort.

McDreamy!
Grey’s Anatomy has stolen my heart. Friends told me I would love it, but I resisted for quite some time. Once I started watching, I couldn’t stop! I have been through the first four seasons twice, and have now watched season 5.

This show is the perfect blend of drama, humor, heart, toughness, passion…. And don’t forget the doctors who are absolutely gorgeous!!

McWonderful!! Love it!
I pre-ordered this set and received it on the same day Season 5 hit the shelves!! It’s awesome, great price and most are extended with some never aired scenes. I saw this collection in the stores for $229.00 and this is a SERIOUSLY great deal! I’ve been a loyal Grey’s fan since the end of season 2 and am delighted that I finally got to see all the episodes I missed. I have had 3 weekend marathons and it just doesn’t get any better than McDreamy and the Seattle Grace staff. If you’re thinking about ordering this just do it it’s well worth it.

Good Will Hunting Miramax Collector’s Series Description:

A true motion picture phenomenon, this triumphant story was nominated for 9 Academy Awards(R) — winning Oscars for Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor) and hot newcomers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (Best Original Screenplay). The most brilliant mind at America’s top university isn’t a student … he’s the kid who cleans the floors! Will Hunting (Damon) is a headstrong, working-class genius who’s failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will’s last chance is a psychology professor (Williams), who might be the only man who can reach him! With acclaimed performances from Academy Award(R)-nominee Minnie Driver (GROSSE POINTE BLANK) and Ben Affleck (ARMAGEDDON) — you’ll find GOOD WILL HUNTING a powerful and unforgettable movie experience!

• Amazon Sales Rank: #659 in DVD
• Brand: DAMON,MATT
• Released on: 1998-12-08
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 126 minutes

Features

• ISBN13: 9786305216087
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Reviews:

Good film crafting
There were few films in 1997 that enjoyed more publicity than Good Will Hunting. Most of the hype centered on the two tyro actors who penned the screenplay. It seems that they had been friends for years and in between college obligations, drinking and socialising, they had been toying with a script on the side. What started out as a rather average comedy, soon evolved into a sophisticated drama. In fact, it could hardly avoid getting better as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck must have received a ton of brutal criticism from every Hollywood executive that they approached.

The true miracle is not that two actors, unknown for writing, could get a script accepted in Hollywood but that the script was so good that it put every other effort for the year in the shade. In my opinion, the motion picture academy was correct in awarding the Oscar for best screenplay to Good Will Hunting. Everything about the script suggested writers with a profound understanding of the human condition; even now I half suspect there was an element of that old saying about an infinite number of monkeys on typewriters.

For those interested in this Cinderella story within a movie, you should listen to the director’s track on the DVD. It offers a unique insight into the background of the writing and filming of Good Will Hunting. It becomes clear from Ben and Matt’s reminiscences that they had a ball during every part of the process. Not only that, they took advantage of their opportunity, to offer support roles to friends and family; a situation that rarely occurs outside of independent film. Surprisingly, one of the best support performances was produced by Casey Affleck, who is Ben’s cousin, (I think).

The script took a bit of a risk by making the main character a super-genius. Not only is it difficult to portray a person with such talents but it is nearly impossible to do so while making him likeable. After all, the tall poppy syndrome is strongest when it comes to intellect. We can all aspire to wealth and with plastic surgery, even beauty is not unattainable but the brains you are born with is the most you’re ever going to have. However, Matt Damon proved me wrong on both counts.

Will Hunting was undeniably bright. The scene in the Harvard bar were he takes on an educational supremacist is worth watching again and again just for the superb timing that was employed. Will also manages to win our sympathy despite his I.Q. Not so much because he acts like “one of the boys” but because we discover early on that for every blessing he received in the brain department, he was given a matching curse in his life. An orphan who was raised by a series of abusing foster parents is unlikely to have much room left for pride.

The catalyst which helps Will break out of his life is Gerald Lambeau, (Stellan Skarsgård). He is an award winning mathematician and professor at MIT where Will works as a janitor. Their paths cross when Will off-handedly solves a difficult maths problem which Lambeau had set for his post graduate class. But whilst there relationship is important, it is little more than a subplot; a segue toward Will’s eventual meeting with Sean Maguire, a psychiatrist played by Robin Williams.

Sean is invited by Lambeau to work with Will. The two are old friends but even so, Sean was only approached after four other therapists had been run off by Will’s destructive insights and bitter insults. Sean is a bird of a different feather however. He shares a common background with Will, and if anything, he has had more pain in his life than Will may ever see. In a strange way, Sean becomes Will’s mother to Lambeau’s role as ambitious father.

The film is rich with detail and is a wonderful medium for the support actors. Ben Affleck’s role as Will’s best friend is not as visible as Matt Damon’s but he carries it off with just the right amount of fatalism and aggression. Will’s Lady friend Skylar, is also worth special mention. Minnie Driver takes a seemingly token “love interest” role and breaths real depth into it. Without her efforts, Will’s final choice would not have rung true and might have marred the whole film.

Good Will Hunting is a tribute to the dreams of American youth. Both because two young men managed to reach the pinnacle of their craft on their first outing but more importantly, because it deals with one young man’s struggle to overcome his troublesome past while reaching out to grasp life, love and happiness. It’s touching, entertaining and at the same time inspirational.

Canadian release of Good Will Hunting is great!
I love this movie and got it today on Blu Ray. This is not made in the states but I was lucky enough to see it listed on Ebay and got it for only $15. It was made in Canada and has cover act that has some info in both English and French. Even though its not a high action movie that would really benefit from the Blu Ray upgrade, I think the upgrade is very noticable and I am glad I decided to upgrade. GWH is one of my favorite films of all time and having it in Blu Ray is awesome!

One Of The Best Contemporary Dramas Available!
This movie goes off the charts in all the most important ways, in terms of storyline, ensemble acting presented, contemporary humor, revealing truths about life and the problems associated with a young, brilliant, but emotionally troubled young man trying desperately to make sense out of a crazy world. What is so amazing and so remarkable about the film is that it was the handywork and dreamchild of two relatively unknown (at least up until then) actors and screenwriters in the persons of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, boyhood friends and denizens of the greater Boston area.

Add to this superb screenplay the support of wonderful actors like Robin Williams, who won a best supporting actor oscar for his role as the psychiatrist who unlocks the secrets to the protagonist (Will Hunting)and allows him to grow and mature. Minnie Driver is also excellent as the love interest drawing Will Hunting toward his beckoning adulthood. She is also the occasion for the single best line in the film; “You like apples? I got her phone number! How do you like them apples?” This film works so well on so many levels that it is really a shame that it lost the Oscar for best picture to “Shakespeare In Love”, for this is a far more powerful, enduring, and worthwhile film experience. if you haven’t seen it, I recommend you RUN to the nearest video store and rent it. And after you swoon before its magic, you’ll want to come back to Amazon.com and order a copy for your personal video library. Enjoy!

Amazon.com essential video
Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck nabbed one for Best Original Screenplay, but the feel-good hit Good Will Hunting triumphs because of its gifted director, Gus Van Sant. The unconventional director (My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy) saves a script marred by vanity and clunky character development by yanking soulful, touching performances out of his entire cast (amazingly, even one by Williams that’s relatively schtick-free). Van Sant pulls off the equivalent of what George Cukor accomplished for women’s melodrama in the ’30s and ’40s: He’s crafted an intelligent, unabashedly emotional male weepie about men trying to find inner-wisdom.

Matt Damon stars as Will Hunting, a closet math genius who ignores his gift in favor of nightly boozing and fighting with South Boston buddies (co-writer Ben Affleck among them). While working as a university janitor, he solves an impossible calculus problem scribbled on a hallway blackboard and reluctantly becomes the prodigy of an arrogant MIT professor (Stellan Skarsgård). Damon only avoids prison by agreeing to see psychiatrists, all of whom he mocks or psychologically destroys until he meets his match in the professor’s former childhood friend, played by Williams. Both doctor and patient are haunted by the past, and as mutual respect develops, the healing process begins. The film’s beauty lies not with grand climaxes, but with small, quiet moments. Scenes such as Affleck’s clumsy pep talk to Damon while they drink beer after work, or any number of therapy session between Williams and Damon offer poignant looks at the awkward ways men show affection and feeling for one another. –Dave McCoy

Sabrina Description:

Remake of the 1954 film about a modern-day Cinderella who is the daughter of a wealthy family’s chauffeur. When she is transformed into a graceful woman, she captures the attention of the sons of the family.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 29-DEC-2004
Media Type: DVD

• Amazon Sales Rank: #938 in DVD
• Brand: FORD,HARRISON
• Released on: 2002-01-15
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 127 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Cinderella has nothing on her
I was surprised at how good this movie is. A remake of a movie starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden, directed by one of the greats of American cinema, Billy Wilder, is not exactly the kind of task for the faint of heart. The fact that Sydney Pollack (They Shoot Horses Don’t They? (1969), Tootsie (1982), Out of Africa (1985), etc.) decided to do it must have raised a few eyebrows in Hollywood land.

And let’s just say I had preconceptions as I sat down to watch this. No way could this be anything near as good as the original. And for the first twenty minutes or so I was not dissuaded. Julia Ormond, who was given Miss Hepburn’s title role, seemed nothing far removed from ordinary; and Greg Kinnear, who played the playboy David Larrabee, seemed a poor imitation of William Holden. Of course Harrison Ford, I told myself, is another story, since he is the embodiment of the fulfillment of the desire of many woman, and a fine, accomplished leading man. He would be, I suspected, the lone bright spot. In the original, Humphrey Bogart, a little past his prime, and in not exactly the best of moods, and not entirely pleased with the relatively inexperienced Audrey Hepburn, played the cool tycoon Linus Larrabee with some distracted forbearance in what many consider one of his lesser performances. Surely Harrison Ford could improve on that.

He did, but what really surprised me was just how diabolically clever the oh, so romantic script by Barbara Benedek and David Rayfiel turned out to be. I mean, Cinderella move over. Sabrina could not have achieved a more glorious existence had she died and gone to heaven. It is hard to imagine a more fulfilling fantasy for a chauffeur’s daughter than what transpires here.

Quickly here’s the premise of this celluloid fairy tale/romance: Pretty but ordinary Sabrina, born of working class parents, her father the chauffeur of the ultra rich Larrabees, grows up living above the garage in the palatial Larrabee estate. She watches the lavish parties thrown by the Larrabees from a spot in a tree and falls madly in the kind of puppy love that never goes away with the younger of the Larrabee brothers, David, who is the kind of guy who gives playboys a bad name. When she comes of age, she goes away to Paris (apparently to work for a fashion magazine: in the original Sabrina, she goes to a cooking school in Paris), picks up confidence and a new kind of eye-popping sophistication, comes back and…well, gets noticed.

The basic skeleton of this, the story from the first Sabrina (1954), which is dreamily romantic enough and then some, is greatly augmented here with some very fine psychological touches including developing Sabrina’s character beyond the pretty and stylish to something bordering on the wise and heroic. Suffice it to say that we come away feeling she deserves every rainbow’s end she gets. I can see Benedek and Rayfiel exclaiming with riotous joy as they are writing the script (trading e-mails perhaps): “They want romance, they want woman’s fantasy? They want Sabrina to have a pot of gold and true love everlasting? How about riches beyond counting and the doting attention of the two handsome, very rich brothers? She can take her pick. We’ve give ‘em romance, we’ll give ‘em dreams come true!” And they do. Not only that, but they keep us guessing about who gets the girl until the last possible moment, and they do that very cleverly.

Of course it helps to have professional direction by Sydney Pollack and a fine cast including Harrison Ford–at his best, by the way–and Julia Ormond, a hard-working and talented actress (I recall her from Smilla’s Sense of Snow, 1997), who knows how to be cute without fawning, supported by Greg Kinnear, Nancy Marchand, John Wood and Angie Dickinson. I mention Miss Dickinson because, as the mother of a perspective bride about to throw an incredibly lavish wedding, she gets to deliver this “let them eat cake” line: “We thought we’d use recycled paper” (for the wedding invitations).

The script is full of similar witticisms, some verbal, some like eye candy. For example, when Sabrina removes her glasses (the usual Hollywood signal for the adolescent ugly duckling to become a beautiful swan) after gaining sophistication in Paris, she quotes aptly but surprisingly from Gertrude Stein: “America is my country and Paris is my home.” (Of course Gertrude Stein never heard of Paris, Texas–but that is another film, and besides, I digress…)

I also liked it when Sabrina is in the arms of her Paris would-be lover who kisses her, and–noticing that she is not as engaged as she might me-observes with perfect decorum, “I’m embarrassed that you’re somewhere else.”

Memorable was the shot of Harrison Ford momentarily looking jealous and hurt. By the way, he has a number of good lines, and he delivers them well. I especially liked it when he sadly confessed: “I was sent to deal with you. I sent myself.”

It is probably better if you haven’t seen the original and can experience this on its own merits without the odiousness that sometimes comes with comparisons. Comparing Audrey Hepburn with Julia Ormond is like comparing Grace Kelly with Jennifer Lopez. They really are very different people. And comparing Billy Wilder’s 1954 film (from the play by Samuel Taylor) is a little like comparing Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s.

Bottom line: see this for both Harrison Ford who wears the business-first character of the “only surviving heart donor” very well, and for Julia Ormond whose intense and beguiling performance makes us forgive her for not being Audrey Hepburn.

More than just a romantic comedy…
This remake of the 1954 Sabrina starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart adds its own wonderful twist on a classic. Harrison Ford is Linus Larrabee, the eldest son of the Larrabee family who took over the reigns for his father and turned the multi-million dollar family business into some “serious cash.” Greg Kinnear makes his onscreen debut and makes the younger brother, David, into a lovable hopeless lover. Sabrina, played by the incandescent Julia Ormond, admires David from afar, and is the daughter of the family’s chaffeur. After a trip to Paris turns Sabrina into a stunning beauty, David finds it hard to keep his attentions on his lovely fíance, Elizabeth Tyson (Lauren Holly). Linus proceeds to court Sabrina for what seems to be “business purposes”, but is he really hinding his feelings for the beautiful Sabrina? Nancy Marchand plays as Maude Larrabee, David’s and Linus’s mother, and has some real gems for lines, adding to the devilishly clever sarcasm that makes this movie absolutely hilarious. Definitely one of the best movies I know of.

What’s wrong with you people?
I don’t care what anyone says; there’s no need to compare 1995’s SABRINA to the Audrey Hepburn classic. This one, in my opinion, is far superior than the original. By default, film as an artform has evolved and matured far beyond where it was almost half a century ago. Unless the original was of undebatable achievement in every aspect, from technical to artistic(which the original SABRINA wasn’t), the remake will usually be more refined due to the natural evolution of film making technique and sensibility. Side by side, the 1995 SABRINA is more clever in dialogue, plot, and filming. Let’s not even get into how the Hepburn version is better simply because it’s OLD, or a legendary actress was in it; who’s to say 1995’s SABRINA won’t become a classic and Julia Ormond won’t become a legendary actress? (Well, I think all Julia fans would agree that she’s ALREADY legendary, from her debut, and throughout every single effort she’s made.)On top of that, Harrison and Greg made much more charming and convincing Linus and David than the original cast. Another touch that made it better was changing Sabrina’s Paris trip to becoming a photgrapher instead of a cook. It gave her so much more confidence and validated her as an individual who’s accomplished in artistic achievement and sensitivity(which matched her sentimental personality far better). It was also a great move to have Linus truely be the head of the family by taking out the father. That way, Linus became even more of a figure to be intimidated by, and the weight on his shoulders seemed that much heavier. The original SABRINA didn’t do a very good job at convincing us why Linus should fall in love with Sabrina. The 1995 version did a great job showing us how Sabrina managed to melt Linus’s icy exterior by being sensitive, understanding, encouraging, and challenging to him. What can I say? I love 1995’s version. If you havn’t seen it, please give it a try. You will be delighted.

Amazon.com
Julia Ormond faced one of the great challenges of her career when she tried to re-create Audrey Hepburn’s title role in the 1995 remake of 1954’s Sabrina. Happily, Ormond performed admirably, and while she may not have the same gamine charm of Hepburn, she makes the role her own. In fact, her transformation from mousy girl to sophisticated young woman is actually more dramatic in this updated version. The basic plot is the same–chauffeur’s daughter falls in love with the son of the rich household, only to be wooed away by the older brother for business purposes–but it has been entertainingly modernized: The head of the Larrabee household is the strong matriarch (Nancy Marchand); Sabrina goes to Paris to work with a photographer instead of going to cooking school (although that means the wonderful “new egg” scene of the original had to be ditched); David’s (Greg Kinnear) character has been toned down and made more sympathetic; and Humphrey Bogart’s revolutionary plastic has become the flattest TV screen ever made. Lauren Holly does a fine job playing Elizabeth Tyson, David’s fiancée. If you watch this for its own worth–instead of comparing it to the original–this will prove to be a terrific lighthearted romantic comedy. –Jenny Brown

From The New Yorker
Sydney Pollack’s rehash of the Billy Wilder comedy, scripted this time by Barbara Benedek and David Rayfiel, both updates and downgrades the original, running dangerously low on style and completely short of fun. The role that Audrey Hepburn made famous goes to Julia Ormond, who looks fabulous enough but doesn’t strike sparks off anyone; the two Larrabee brothers, who vie alternately for Sabrina’s affection, are played by Harrison Ford (as Linus the lump) and Greg Kinnear (as David the swell). What laughs there are blow in from the supporting roles: Sabrina’s father (John Wood), the elder Mrs. Larrabee (Nancy Marchand), and Linus’s secretary (Dana Ivey). If you arrive half an hour late, you’ll manage to miss the early Parisian scenes, which are unspeakable. The Sydney Pollack who made “Tootsie” is strangely absent from this picture; the Sydney Pollack who ground us down with “The Firm” is much in evidence. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

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Lost: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #316 in DVD
• Released on: 2010-08-24
• Formats: AC-3, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 36
• Running time: 5074 minutes

Customer Reviews:

Clarification: ALL seasons included.
Contrary to some confused reviewers, all six seasons will be included in this collection. Since the newest season is not yet complete, they can not list a synopsis in the product description. That being said, Lost is the most original and creative television series of all time, and I’m sure this collection will be bursting with easter eggs and plenty of behind the scenes info for die hard fans. I love Lost!!

Great deal
In my opinion LOST is one of the greatest shows ever made. On the surface it is great cinematography, dialogue, and action providing great entertainment. Beyond that deep character development and a mysterious, intricate plot adds so many more levels of enjoyment. It is the only show I’ve ever watched that has really made me think about such topics as philosophy and mythology and inspired me to crack open academic books I probably never would have otherwise. LOST is a show I think anyone can enjoy. Additionally, at a little less than $25 per season of hour long episodes (for the dvds, about $32 for the blu-rays) this box set is quite a steal.

the best show, ever?
i know this is a pre-review, but, barring some glaring technical glitch, this will be a truly great set. LOST is a show unlike any other in the history of the medium. not only is it a great show, with inspired acting, inspiring music, gorgeous photography, and trippy storylines… not only does it have deep characterizations and an even deeper mythology… not only is it cinematic in scope yet intimate in the smallest character moments… not only is it, like, totally addicting. it’s also the first time (at least here in the u.s.) that a t.v. series has a complete beginning, middle and end, just as the creators intended it.

so many shows start out brilliantly, chug along for a while on that inspiration, then start to peter out somewhere along the way and then… stop (twin peaks). or, are episodic in nature and don’t have the burden of having to *end* properly. but LOST started off with a bang, settled in with the characters and their predicament, started to repeat itself *just* a bit, then decided that it needed to end at a certain point and started it’s long steady march toward it’s denouement. and it’s been nothing but greatness ever since.

it’s often said that movies are like short stories, and t.v. is more like a novel.

well, we have our first truly great novel.

Amazon.com
Lost: Season One
Along with Desperate Housewives, Lost was one of the two breakout shows in the fall of 2004. Mixing suspense and action with a sci-fi twist, it began with a thrilling pilot episode in which a jetliner traveling from Australia to Los Angeles crashes, leaving 48 survivors on an unidentified island with no sign of civilization or hope of imminent rescue. That may sound like Gilligan’s Island meets Survivor, but Lost kept viewers tuning in every Wednesday night–and spending the rest of the week speculating on Web sites–with some irresistible hooks (not to mention the beautiful women). First, there’s a huge ensemble cast of no fewer than 14 regular characters, and each episode fills in some of the back story on one of them. There’s a doctor; an Iraqi soldier; a has-been rock star; a fugitive from justice; a self-absorbed young woman and her brother; a lottery winner; a father and son; a Korean couple; a pregnant woman; and others. Second, there’s a host of unanswered questions: What is the mysterious beast that lurks in the jungle? Why do polar bears and wild boars live there? Why has a woman been transmitting an SOS message in French from somewhere on the island for the last 16 years? Why do impossible wishes seem to come true? Are they really on a physical island, or somewhere else? What is the significance of the recurring set of numbers? And will Kate ever give up her bad-boy fixation and hook up with Jack? Lost did have some hiccups during the first season. Some plot threads were left dangling for weeks, and the “oh, it didn’t really happen” card was played too often. But the strong writing and topnotch cast kept the show a cut above most network TV. The best-known actor at the time of the show’s debut was Dominic Monaghan, fresh off his stint as Merry the Hobbit in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. The rest of the cast is either unknowns or “where I have I seen that face before” supporting players, including Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly, who are the closest thing to leads. Other standouts include Naveen Andrews, Terry O’Quinn (who’s made a nice career out of conspiracy-themed TV shows), Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Yunjin Kim, Maggie Grace, and Emilie de Ravin, but there’s really not a weak link in the cast. Co-created by J.J. Abrams (Alias), Lost left enough unanswered questions after its first season to keep viewers riveted for a second season. –David Horiuchi

Lost: Season Two
What was in the Hatch? The cliffhanger from season one of Lost was answered in its opening sequences, only to launch into more questions as the season progressed. That’s right: Just when you say “Ohhhhh,” there comes another “What?” Thankfully, the show’s producers sprinkle answers like tasty morsels throughout the season, ending with a whopper: What caused Oceanic Air Flight 815 to crash in the first place? As the show digs into more revelations about its inhabitant’s pasts, it also devotes a good chunk to new characters (Hey, it’s an island; you never know who you’re going to run into.) First, there are the “Tailies,” passengers from the back end of the plane who crashed on the other side of the island. Among them are the wise, God-fearing ex-drug lord Mr. Eko (standout Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje); devoted husband Bernard (Sam Anderson); psychiatrist Libby (Cynthia Watros, whose character has more than one hidden link to the other islanders); and ex-cop Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), by far the most infuriating character on the show, despite how much the writers tried to incur sympathy with her flashback. Then there are the Others, first introduced when they kidnapped Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) at the end of season one. Brutal and calculating, their agenda only became more complex when one of them (played creepily by Michael Emerson) was held hostage in the hatch and, quite handily, plays mind games on everyone’s already frayed nerves. The original cast continues to battle their own skeletons, most notably Locke (Terry O’Quinn), Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Michael (Harold Perrineau), whose obsession with finding Walt takes a dangerous turn. The love triangle between Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), which had stalled with Sawyer’s departure, heats up again in the second half. Despite the bloating cast size (knocked down by a few by season’s end) Lost still does what it does best: explores the psyche of people, about whom “my life is an open book” never applies, and cracks into the social dynamics of strangers thrust into Lord of the Flies-esque situations. Is it all a science experiment? A dream? A supernatural pocket in the universe? Likely, any theory will wind up on shaky ground by the season’s conclusion. But hey, that’s the fun of it. This show was made for DVD, and you can pause and slow-frame to your heart’s content. Just try and keep that.—Ellen Kim

Lost: Season Three
When it aired in 2006-07, Lost’s third season was split into two, with a hefty break in between. This did nothing to help the already weirdly disparate direction the show was taking (Kate and Sawyer in zoo cages! Locke eating goop in a mud hut!), but when it finally righted its course halfway through–in particular that whopper of a finale–the drama series had left its irked fan base thrilled once again. This doesn’t mean, however, that you should skip through the first half of the season to get there, because quite a few questions find answers: what the Others are up to, the impact of turning that fail-safe key, the identity of the eye-patched man from the hatch’s video monitor. One of the series’ biggest curiosities from the past–how Locke ended up in that wheelchair in the first place–also gets its satisfying due. (The episode, “The Man from Tallahassee,” likely was a big contributor to Terry O’Quinn’s surprising–but long-deserved–Emmy win that year.) Unfortunately, you do have to sit through a lot of aforementioned nuisances to get there. Season 3 kicks off with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) held captive by the Others; Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) on a mission to rescue them; and Locke, Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) in the aftermath of the electromagnetic pulse that blew up the hatch. Spinning the storylines away from base camp alone wouldn’t have felt so disjointed were it not for the new characters simultaneously being introduced. First there’s Juliet, a mysterious member of the Others whose loyalty constantly comes into question as the season goes on. Played delicately by Elizabeth Mitchell (Gia, ER, Frequency), Juliet is in one turn a cold-blooded killer, by another turn a sympathetic friend; possibly both at once, possibly neither at all. (She’s also a terrific, albeit unwitting, threat to the Kate-Sawyer-Jack love triangle, which plays out more definitively this season.) On the other hand, there’s the now-infamous Nikki and Paulo (Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro), a tagalong couple who were cleverly woven into the previous seasons’ key moments but came to bear the brunt of fans’ ire toward the show (Sawyer humorously echoed the sentiments by remarking, “Who the hell are you?”). By the end of the season, at least two major characters die, another is told he/she will die within months, major new threats are unveiled, and–as mentioned before–the two-part season finale restores your faith in the series. The extras are as well-stocked as a Dharma Initiative food pantry on this seven-disc set. Commentaries by producer Damon Lindelof, show writers, and numerous cast members reveal a whole lot of juicy trivia; plus, the DVDs even provide a subtitle track for the commentary (rarely seen other than on foreign-language director’s commentaries) so you won’t miss a thing. “Lost Book Club” goes through the parallels between what characters are reading and the show’s storylines (The Wizard of Oz and Stephen King are heavily referenced). “Lost: On Location” gives a lot of insight to some of the biggest episodes, and “Lost in a Day” gives a 24-hour glimpse at the drama’s arduous production. If you’re a Lost fan who gave up during this season, the bonus features alone might lure you back for the next round. –Ellen A. Kim

Lost: Season Four
Season four of Lost was a fine return to form for the series, which polarized its audience the year before with its focus on The Others and not enough on our original crash victims. That season’s finale introduced a new storytelling device–the flash-forward–that’s employed to great effect this time around; by showing who actually got off the island (known as the Oceanic Six), the viewer is able to put to bed some longstanding loose ends. As the finale attests, we see that in the future Jack (Matthew Fox) is broken, bearded, and not sober, while Kate (Evangeline Lilly) is estranged from Jack and with another guy (the identity may surprise you). Four others do make it back to their homes, but as the flash-forwards show, it’s definitely not the end of their connection to the island. Back in present day, however, the islanders are visited by the denizens of a so-called rescue ship, who have agendas of their own. While Jack works with the newcomers to try to get off the island, Locke (Terry O’Quinn), with a few followers of his own, forms an uneasy alliance with Ben (Michael Emerson) against the suspicious gang. Some episodes featuring the new characters feel like filler, but the evolution of such characters as Sun and Jin (Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim) is this season’s strength; plus, the love story of Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Penny (Sonya Walger) provides some of the show’s emotional highlights. As is the custom with Lost, bullets fly and characters die (while others may or may not have). Moreover, the fate of Michael (Harold Perrineau), last seen traitorously sailing off to civilization in season two, as well as the flash-forwards of the Oceanic Six, shows you never quite leave the island once you’ve left. There’s a force that pulls them in, and it’s a hook that keeps you watching. Season four was a shorter 13 episodes instead of the usual 22 due to the 2008 writers’ strike; nonetheless, the set comes with two discs of extras. One of the best features is “LOST in 8:15,” which is a rapid-fire summation of the series thus far in eight minutes, 15 seconds. Narrated by a hilariously droll female, it includes lines such as “Jack meets Kate. Kate stitches up Jack. They bond.” and “They see Jack play football with Mr. Friendly. Mr. Friendly throws like a girl.” The featurette “The Right to Bear Arms” takes a fun look at the prop masters responsible for supplying the castaways with guns–and keeping track of who has one and who doesn’t (best here is Sawyer’s (Josh Holloway) assertion that characters often cock their guns just to look cool). Cast members Lilly, Garcia, Yunjin Kim, and Daniel Dae Kim provide a few of the commentaries, and the set even comes with an amusing safety guide for Oceanic Airlines. (Example: “if you notice black smoke emanating from the plane, please alert the captain. It is either a problem with the engines or a mysterious creature.”) Finally, for those who bought the standard-def DVD, take a closer look at the front cover after you’ve removed the O-sleeve; you’ll notice the entire cast has been blacked out save for a few: the Oceanic Six. –Ellen A. Kim

Lost: Season Five
Since Lost made its debut as a cult phenomenon in 2004, certain things seemed inconceivable. In its fourth year, some of those things, like a rescue, came to pass. The season ended with Locke (Terry O’Quinn) attempting to persuade the Oceanic Six to return, but he dies before that can happen–or so it appears–and where Jack (Matthew Fox) used to lead, Ben (Emmy nominee Michael Emerson) now takes the reins and convinces the survivors to fulfill Locke’s wish. As producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse state in their commentary on the fifth-season premiere, “We’re doing time travel this year,” and the pile-up of flashbacks and flash-forwards will make even the most dedicated fan dizzy. Ben, Jack, Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Kate (Evangeline Lilly) arrive to find that Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) have been part of the Dharma Initiative for three years. The writers also clarify the roles that Richard (Nestor Carbonell) and Daniel (Jeremy Davies) play in the island’s master plan, setting the stage for the prophecies of Daniel’s mother, Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan), to play a bigger part in the sixth and final season. Dozens of other players flit in and out, some never to return. A few, such as Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), live again in the past. Lost could’ve wrapped things up in five years, as The Wire did, but the show continues to excite and surprise. As Lindelof and Cuse admit in the commentary, there’s a “fine line between confusion and mystery,” adding, “it makes more sense if you’re drunk.” Other extras include deleted scenes, featurettes, a “lost” episode of Mysteries of the Universe, and commentary from writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz on “He’s Our You,” a reference to Sayid, who tries to change the future by changing the past. –Kathleen C. Fennessy