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Emma (2009)

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:25:39 +0000

ISBN13: 0883929096596
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Beautiful, clever, and rich Emma Woodhouse is convinced she is good at matchmaking after her older sister and her governess both marry suitable husbands. No matter that as Mr Knightley drily observes, in reality, she had nothing to do with these relationships. Yet Emma, certain of her talents, plays a dangerous game as she persuades her new friend, the young, pretty and socially inferior Harriet to reject an advantageous marriage proposal to a local farmer in favour of dashing Mr Elton. So begins a story which challenges Emma’s naivety, her social preconceptions and her relationship with Knightley. Fresh and funny, this perceptive adaptation, featuring a stellar cast, brings Jane Austen’s comic masterpiece to life.Although Jane Austen’s Emma has been adapted for the screen many times before, including for an American version starring Gwyneth Paltrow, this four-part miniseries is the version to begin with. The story of Miss Woodhouse, a matchmaker and meddler whose wit and misdirection need to be carefully acted to match the novel’s complex character, is perfectly expressed through Romola Garai’s portrayal. Throughout the retelling of this comedic romantic drama, Garai not only conveys Emma’s strong-willed sensibility but also manages to update Emma for modern audiences without relinquishing the traditional manners and tastes that Austen fans love in her 1815 historical tale. Each episode, here, opens with a seasonal shot of Hartfield, the estate Emma rules while caring for her loyal and kind but protective father (Michael Gambon). Having lost her mother early, Emma feels a bond with two other unfortunate children in Highbury, Frank Churchill (Rupert Evans) and Jane Fairfax (Laura Pyper), whom Emma befriends as they return home from boarding schools abroad.

The dramas that ensue revolve around Emma’s attempts to pair lovers, with varied degrees of success. Episode One establishes Emma’s curious desire to marry everyone off except herself. John Knightley (Johnny Lee Miller), Emma’s childhood friend, is constantly by her side, coaching, supporting, and chiding her as she matures into an intelligent, regal young lady. Miller’s ability to portray Knightley as the respectable, patient man he is throughout the series also lends this Emma incredible strength. In Episode Two, after Emma’s beloved governess, Anne Taylor (Jodhi May), moves out to marry, Emma bonds with new girlfriend Harriet Smith (Louise Dylan), and from here we begin to see some of Emma’s plans backfiring. Part of this series’ genius is in how it manages, in keeping with Austen’s book, to express deeper love developing between Emma and her true mate while Highbury’s daily gossip continues. Though in Episodes Three and Four one weathers some minor emotional upheaval with aging parents, losses of wealth, and illnesses, this story is not tragic and most side plots point toward Emma’s final love realization, which does not arrive until the last 20 minutes of the last episode. Settings and costumes enhance the story greatly, and views of the village farmers’ market contrast with lavish balls and dinner parties hosted by the Woodhouse family and others to underscore Austen’s original emphasis on capturing the preoccupations of upper-class British society in her day. Some scenes, as in Episode One when Knightley and Emma squabble for much too long over whom Harriet should marry, drag on, allowing one to marvel at how much free time these people had to worry about other business besides their own. Still, the romance in Emma is quite powerful and humor throughout makes this series ultimately enchanting. –Trinie Dalton

Rating: (out of 134 reviews)

List Price: $ 34.98

Price: $ 20.96

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Bones: The Complete Third Season

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:25:24 +0000

Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Surround / Spanish: Dolby Surround
Language: Dubbed: English & Spanish / Subtitled: English, French, & Spanish
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.78:1

Disc 1:

Forced Trailers: FBC Spot
Directors Take:
The vault
Making of the Body
Car Crash – Exploding Van
Squints
The Angelator
Gag Reel

Disc 2:

The Knight on the Grid – Extended Episode
The Santa in the Slush – Extended Kiss Scene
Player Under Pressure Original Version

Disc 3:

The Baby in the Bough – Extended Episode

Episode Description:
Disc 1:

The Widow’s Son in the Windshield
Soccer Mom in the Mini-Van
Death in the Saddle

Disc 2:

The Secret in the Soil
Mummy in the Maze
Intern in the Incinerator
Boy in the Time Capsule

Disc 3:

The Knight on the Grid
The Santa in the Slush
The Man in the Mud
Player Under Pressure

Disc 4:

The Baby in the Bough
The Verdict in the Story
The Wannabe in the Weeds
The Pain in the Heart

Disc 5:

Bonus Season 4 Episodes:
The Yanks in the UK, Part One
The Yanks in the UK, Part Two
The Man in the Outhouse
The Finger in the Nest

Stills from Bones – Season Three (Click for larger image)

Buy “Bones: The Complete Third Season” For Only $19.49

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Eleventh Season

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:24:29 +0000

Read between the lines of Jessica Fletcher’s famous novels and you’ll discover what her legions of fans already know—mystery has a way of following this witty writer wherever she goes. Angela Lansbury returns to her iconic role in all 21 sensational Season 11 episodes of the Primetime Emmy® Award and Golden Globe®-nominated series, Murder, She Wrote. Join guest stars Jeffrey Nordling (24), Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond), Ann Cusack (The Informant!), Jeri Ryan (Boston Public, Star Trek: Voyager), and more as they become part of Jessica’s acclaimed investigations that span the globe from hometown Cabot Cove to tropical Martinique. With two bonus episodes from Season 12 (the final season), no crime lover’s collection is complete without these entertaining adventures from the literary sleuth whose life is a real page-turner.

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Rescue Me: Season 5, Volume 2

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:24:26 +0000

The season continues as Tommy’s drinking begins to spiral out of control. Sean recovers from his illness and heads back to work where Tommy’s temper problems still get him in trouble. Needles and Lou both have new women in their lives, providing endless entertainment around the firehouse. Meanwhile, Tommy’s womanizing ways begin to catch up to him when he finds himself caught between Janet, Sheila, and an intriguing newcomer. Tensions boil over in a shocking turn of events during a late night at the bar, leaving Tommy Gavin in serious jeopardy in the hottest season yet.The 11 episodes that conclude Rescue Me‘s smokin’ fifth season go from carpe diem to some very bad karma for Tommy (Denis Leary). “You seem to do whatever you want and nothing bad ever happens to you,” Uncle Teddy (Lenny Clarke) states in the tense final moments of the harrowing and possibly game-changing finale. That’s not entirely true. Tommy’s family and personal life remain compellingly complicated: he falls off the wagon after a year of sobriety and tries to juggle supposed “no-strings” relationships with the volatile meds-upped Sheila (Callie Thorne) and his estranged wife, Janet (Andrea Roth), who finally issues Tommy an ultimatum. Sparking the season’s final episodes is Maura Tierney as “hot older chick” Kelly, who intrigues Tommy after she rushes back into a burning building to retrieve a mysterious suitcase. “We’re not a happy-type show,” Leary states during a convivial cast-member “family dinner,” the most substantial of this three-disc set’s special features. But there are some inspired comic set pieces, including one grocery store excursion with Tommy, Lou (John Scurti), and company that descends into chaos. Other comic subplots (Franco taking up boxing and Mike’s awful bar band) mercifully fizzle out. There is also some satisfying payback as Lou turns the tables on Candy, his ex-hooker, ex-thief girlfriend from season 2 with whom he is reunited. Rescue Me did not mellow in this fifth season. The banter is as profane as ever (“Too far, dude”), the worldview remains char black (Tommy subverts an intervention by pouring drinks for all), and the show continues to take bold chances. Suffice to say that one doesn’t expect a Busby Berkeley musical homage from Rescue Me. As with all good cliffhanger endings, this season’s conclusion leaves viewers eager to see what awaits on the other side. –Donald Liebenson

Buy “Rescue Me: Season 5, Volume 2″ For Only $32.96

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 5 [Blu-ray]

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:24:06 +0000

The series follows the exploits of “the gang,” a group of self-centered friends who run Paddy’s Pub, a relatively unsuccessful Irish bar in South Philadelphia.

Rating: (out of 13 reviews)

List Price: $ 49.99

Price: $ 23.95

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Newhart – The Complete First Season

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:24:00 +0000

No Description Available.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 26-FEB-2008
Media Type: DVDLooking for the perfect getaway? Check in to Newhart, finally open for business on DVD. Let’s consult the travel guide: “Nestled in a grove of majestic maples just a stone’s throw from the ivy covered walls of Dartmouth University lies the authentic colonial comfort of the Stratford Inn. Your jolly and congenial hosts are well known author Dick Loudon and his wife, Joanna.” It’s the ideal setup for the understated Newhart who is right at home in this quaint and bucolic setting. Between the guests and the colorful town characters, he has ample opportunities to do what he did so expertly on The Bob Newhart Show; deal with the crazies (as he so elegantly puts it in one of this set’s bonus featurettes). Newhart stars as Loudon, a successful New York writer of how-to books, who, with his more reluctant wife, Joanna (Mary Frann, who rises to the unenviable challenge of following Bob’s first TV wife, Suzanne Pleschette), uproots their lives to buy and run the venerable Stratford. The place comes with some colorful history (in the pilot, it is revealed that the inn once served as a house of ill repute, and in another episode, Bob learns that a woman hung as a witch is buried in the basement). It also comes with George Utley (Tom Poston), the handyman, who may have more than one screw loose. Newhart’s first season provided the series with a solid foundation. It just needed a little tinkering. Kirk (Second City veteran Steven Kampmann), owner of the neighboring café, is introduced as a habitual liar, a character trait that is thankfully phased out as the season unfolds (his character would exit the show after two seasons). Pam-pretty and sweet Leslie (Jennifer Holmes), the maid, an heiress who wants “to experience the real world,” would be replaced in season two by Julia Duffy, who is introduced as her cousin in the episode, “What is This Thing Called Lust?” But the series’ most welcome additions are backwoodsmen Larry (William Sanderson) and his silent brothers Darryl (John Voldstad) and Darryl (Tony Papenfuss), who make their auspicious debut in the second episode. An instant hit, they were brought back for another before becoming regulars in season two. Newhart is four-star character-based comedy. There is nary a cheap or easy laugh in these episodes. Lines such as “There go the dregs of society,” “I haven’t got $80,” and “What would you say if you weren’t a college graduate,” aren’t funny out of context, but spoken by these characters, they’re boffo. The DVD box lists four extras, but there are only three. The best is “Getting to the Heart of Newhart,” in which cast members Newhart, Duffy, Sanderson, and Voldstad reflect on the series and pay moving tribute to the late Poston and Frann. Considering how much fun they all say it was to work on the show, a gag reel (including the classic blooper in which Newhart accidentally calls Frann’s character, “Emily”) would have been a nice amenity. –Donald Liebenson

Buy “Newhart – The Complete First Season” For Only $10.48

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Checkmate – The Complete Series – 14 DVD Set! Over 58 Hours!

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:23:40 +0000

Checkmate – The Complete Series! Checkmate was one of the best television dramas to come out of the 1960′s, combining great scripts, locations and casting. Created by thriller-writer Eric Ambler and filmed on the streets of San Francisco, the series revolves around private investigators and their quest to prevent crimes before they happen. The show’s haunting, iconic music, composed by John Williams, is perfectly suited for Checkmate’s San Francisco setting, of fog-filled streets, sweeping ocean views and cable cars.

Rating: (out of 11 reviews)

List Price: $ 79.98

Price: $ 32.99

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The Golden Girls – The Complete Fifth Season

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:23:33 +0000

Travel to Miami for a visit with the original girls gone wild, The Golden Girls! Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty are back for Season Five of this multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning comedy. These four young-at-heart ladies couldn’t be more different, but they stick together through thick and thin. Enjoy every side-splitting episode of Season

Travel to Miami for a visit with the original girls gone wild, The Golden Girls! Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty are back for Season Five of this multiple Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning comedy. These four young-at-heart ladies couldn’t be more different, but they stick together through thick and thin. Enjoy every side-splitting episode of Season Five in this laugh-packed DVD box set, complete with exclusive bonus material. The hilarious adventures include Sophia going on a bulk-buying binge, Rose and Blanche joining a protest to save some dolphins and Dorothy dating a real clown. The girls are also joined by classic guest stars including Dick Van Dyke, and they just might be paid a visit by the Commander in Chief himself! It’s off-the-wall entertainment at its finest from the gals who wrote the recipe for great comedy.It’s a good sign when a new year begins with Jeffrey Tambor (The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development) and ends with Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap, The Simpsons). Tambor shows up as Dorothy’s doctor in the The Golden Girls two-part fifth season premiere (“Sick and Tired”). Unfortunately, he isn’t able to determine why she’s feeling run down, so she pays a visit to Empty Nest‘s Dr. Weston (Richard Mulligan, who returns a few episodes later). Blanche (Rue McClanahan), meanwhile, decides to become a romance novelist, despite the fact that she can’t write. Dorothy (Bea Arthur) will eventually find out she has chronic fatigue syndrome (an affliction shared by writer/creator Susan Harris, who’ll soon exit the show), while the flighty Blanche will retire from writing as suddenly as she took it up. Then she’ll get the news that her daughter, Rebecca, has decided to become a single mother–via artificial insemination. Blanche is aghast. As for Rose, she’ll get a new job as the assistant to a consumer affairs reporter and find second love with professor Miles Webber (Harold Gould). Other guests during the 1989-1990 season include Dick Van Dyke (“Love Under the Big Top”), Robert Culp (“Like the Beep Beep Beep of the Tom-Tom”), and a pre-Law & Order Jerry Orbach (“Cheaters”). Then there’s Shearer (“The President’s Coming! The President’s Coming!”), who provides the voice for the first George Bush. Also, Marc Cherry, the man behind Desperate Housewives, receives his first writing credit, while Mark Moses–now best known as the murderous Rex–appears as Blanche’s stepson. Unlike previous sets, this collection includes commentary from Arthur, McClanahan, and White. –Kathleen C Fennessy

Buy “The Golden Girls – The Complete Fifth Season” For Only $18.95

30 Rock – Season 1

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:23:21 +0000

Emmy Award winner Tina Fey writes, executive produces, and stars as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a live variety program in New York City. Liz’s life is turned upside down when brash new network executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin in his Golden Globe winning role) interferes with her show, bringing the wildly unpredictable Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) into the cast. Now it’s up to Liz to manage the mayhem and still try and have a life. Join in the behind-the-scenes hilarity with the complete first season (21 episodes) on DVD.Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. Remember Arrested Development? Smartest, funniest show on television. A critics’ darling. An Emmy-winner for Best Comedy Series. But no one watched, and it was cancelled. Will history repeat itself with 30 Rock? It’s the smartest, funniest show on television. A critics’ darling. An Emmy-winner for Best Comedy Series. And it finished its inaugural season in 137th place! Hopefully, people will discover all that they missed with this Season 1 set and 30 Rock will, better late than never, find the audience it so richly deserves. A behind-the-scenes workplace comedy in the grand tradition of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show, 30 Rock stars comedy geek goddess Tina Fey as Liz Lemmon, who juggles her hapless personal life with her chaotic career as the producer and head writer of an SNL-ish sketch comedy show. She has a new boss, cunning and ruthless GE executive Jack Donaghy (Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winner Alec Baldwin), who insists on being her mentor, and a new star, medicated, loose-cannon comedian Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), who steals the spotlight from the show’s flighty star, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski).

Briskly paced and perfectly cast, 30 Rock rewards viewers with brilliant dialogue (when Liz asks Jack why he is dressed in a tuxedo with no formal event to attend, he coolly responds, “It’s after six; what am I, a farmer?”) and fresh characters you haven’t seen on a hundred other sitcoms. Jack McBrayer is the series’ scene-stealing breakout star as NBC page Kenneth, a sweet and innocent “rube.” The ensemble’s seemingly spontaneous byplay invites repeat viewings to catch jokes and sly bits of business you might have missed (in “Tracy Does Conan,” listen for the initial confusion over how to pronounce Tracy’s less-than-ethical physician, Dr. Spaceman, or, in “The Hair and the Head,” watch for the Katie Couric slur on the wall of what is purported to be NBC anchor Brian Williams’ trashed office). In a season full of gems (including “Black Tie,” featuring Paul Reubens as severely inbred royalty), there are only a couple of comparative clunkers, but the pleasure of this ensemble’s company more than compensates. 30 Rock is highly recommended for people like Kenneth who just love television so much. And by the hammer of Thor, watch season 2! –Donald Liebenson

Buy “30 Rock – Season 1″ For Only $15.95

Masterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:23:08 +0000

In one of Austen s most complex plots, Billie Piper (Doctor Who, The Ruby in the Smoke) stars as Fanny Price, who goes to live with prosperous relatives at Mansfield Park. Fanny navigates a labyrinth of intrigues and affairs among the occupants of the house, while her cousin Edmund Bertram (Blake Ritson, Inspector Lynley Mysteries) remains her stalwart confidant. Also starring Jemma Redgrave (Bram

In one of Austen’s most complex plots, Billie Piper (Doctor Who, The Ruby in the Smoke) stars as Fanny Price, who goes to live with prosperous relatives at Mansfield Park. Fanny navigates a labyrinth of intrigues and affairs among the occupants of the house, while her cousin Edmund Bertram (Blake Ritson, Inspector Lynley Mysteries) remains her stalwart confidant. Also starring Jemma Redgrave (Bramwell) as Fannyís observant aunt.

Buy “Masterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park” For Only $13.21