Masterpiece: Downton Abbey Seasons 1, 2 & 3 Deluxe Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive Season 4 Bonus Features)

"Downton Abbey" Seasons 1-3
There is something special about "Downton Abbey". It has all the trappings of a typical British costume drama, but it's got an extra spark that's allowed it to travel overseas and find great success here in the United States. I am a male in his 20s who enjoys dark TV shows like "Dexter" and "Breaking Bad" - on the surface, I'm not exactly in the demographic you'd think would be interested in "Downton Abbey". But I gave the show a chance, and I really enjoy it. So I'd encourage you to give it a chance too. Between "Downton Abbey" and the BBC's "Sherlock", I think Britain has two of the best shows of recent years.

As with any great TV show, "Downton Abbey" has a strong narrative and well-written characters. One thing that sounded a bit off-putting about the show was the idea of rich folks living in their castle with a bunch of servants. But as you watch, its obvious that the Crawleys (who own the estate) care very much for their staff. And when financial troubles hit...

Definitive Box Set............So Far!
This DVD set is a real treat as it includes all 25 episodes from Series 1-3. There are seven episodes from the first series, eight each from the second and third, plus the 2011 Christmas special which was arguably the best single episode so far; it was certainly one of the most dramatic! The less impressive 2012 Christmas Special is also included to round off Season 3.

The three series so far have taken us from 1912, just after the sinking of the Titanic, up to 1920. The circumstances surrounding each series have been in contrast with each other. The first series ran up to the start of the First World War, and the one of the main thrusts of the story line was the matchmaking within the Crawley family and the various financial and social influences on the choice of a suitable partner.

The second series moves on to the war years, when Downton Abbey had been converted into a convalescent home for injured servicemen. The time setting is from the Battle of the Somme...

we'll see....fingers crossed...
4 stars is for the show itself, lets face it...its "Dallas" all over again with different 'UK/English' accents instead of 'Southern/Texan' accents, and with historical elements in the mix as interesting backdrops. A good ol' Soap Opera with excellent acting...nothing too much wrong with that i say! (at least for seasons 1-2, we havent seen season 3 yet, and dont have this boxed set yet :)... BUT will come back and update rating based on the specifics of the set once it's released....questions i DO have about the set are....

Does anyone know whether or not this will contain the UN-cut longer UK versions of the show, or will it contain the cut/shorter versions that appeared on US broadcasts? the answer to the above will determine whether or not i purchase this set. My fingers crossed that it contains the genuine longer unedited versions that aired in UK?...if amazon can confirm that, then i'll be SOLD on this set right away as a gift for the mrs.

so,...does anyone...

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The Monster Club [Blu-ray]

"Monsters Rule O.K."
Back in the mid 60's to early 70's, Amicus Productions (The Studio That Dripped Blood) rivaled the famous Hammer Studios and its' horror films, and the releases from the two English studios were often confused as they often used many of the same actors and directors. Amicus Productions was most famous for its' creepy horror anthologies, including The House that Dripped Blood (1970), Tales from the Crypt (1972), Asylum (1972), The Vault of Horror (1974), and From Beyond the Grave (1975). Amicus, formed by a partnership between producers Milton Subotsky and Max J. Rosenberg, dissolved in the mid 70's, as did Amicus Productions. While many fans mourned the passing of this wonderful and short-lived institution, Subotosky did go on to form Sword and Sorcery Productions, which released The Monster Club (1980), bringing back some of the magic of a time since past.

Directed by Roy Ward Baker, who also did Asylum and The Vault of Horror, along with numerous Hammer films, The Monster Club,...

SIMPLY AMAZING..
I cannot recommend this disc enough. The picture and sound quality are fantastic for a film of its age and the extras are spot on as well, including the films soundtrack as a stand alone audio is a nice touch.

The only slight glich is the commentary from Beavis and Butthead (the actual people who released the dvd) who try there best to slag the film off in the most horror film nerd cliches of all time.

A brilliant budget disc that i have been waiting on for years.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah its cornball nonsense i know but.....

MONSTERS RULE OK!

Pure campy fun
Curious horror anthology is loosely based on the works of horror novelist R. Chetwynd-Hayes, portrayed by John Carradine as an active partaker in his own tales. The author is invited by a smooth vampire (the fabulous Vincent Price) to go with him to The Monster Club, where he bears witness to the secret social customs of various monsters, which evidently include drinking, dancing, and watching undead stripping Go Go Ghouls. He is also educated to the mating patterns of these creatures, whose tendency to inter-breed creates such new strains of monsters. All of this is interjected by short stories featuring campy yet fun monsters running amok. A fun side note is that the movie features music by pop-reggae band UB40. Have no sense of humor? Avoid this film. Love campy fun? Don't miss out.

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A Knight's Tale

Don't buy the "Extended" Edition!
If you're a fan of Brian Helgeland, Paul Bettany (Chaucer), or just commentary tracks in general, don't buy the extended edition. The regular DVD has every feature the "extended" edition does - it just doesn't insert the deleted scenes into the movie. They're included as bonus features. This extended edition does not include the hilarious and insightful commentary track by Helgeland and Bettany, which is really the best thing about the DVD. You get more features for less money by buying the regular DVD release.

IT WILL ROCK YOU
Apparently audiences couldn't quite figure out A Knight's Tale when it had its theatrical release last year. This was in all likelihood due to the combination of rock music in ancient times clashing with our knowledge of history and our delicate sensibilities. However, having both seen this at the cinema and owning it on DVD, I would like to hope that this movie will be given a second chance to win new viewers as it really is a good film and great fun!

Heath Ledger (The Patriot) displaying great charm and a winning smile throughout, plays William Thatcher, squire to a washed up champion jouster, who dies during a competition, leaving William to masquerade as his master in order to collect their winnings. Aided by his initially less than enthusiatic pals Roland (Mark Addy from Full Monty) and Wat (Alan Tudyk, 28 Days) William fakes nobility to illegally enter competitions. On their travels they encounter a naked wanderer, the future famed author, Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany) who...

Changing their stars
I can't tell you how surprised I was when I absolutely loved this movie! I didn't expect to like it at all. I figured it would be a two-dimensional MTV take on Medieval sport. Instead the producers did something dangerous -- they found a script!

Sure it's predictable and there are plenty of cliched lines, but the film absolutely succeeds in what it set out to do. It plays very well by its own rules. And it is surprisingly moving at times. When the film could have sunk to schmaltz, it holds its own with good acting and sturdy writing.

What could have been another stupid teen movie actually has legs and a soul.

I'm amazed the number of people who fault it for its inventive style in incorporating contemporary music with the medieval milieu, when these same people loved Shrek for doing exactly the same thing.

I applaud the risks the film takes and how well it succeeds when it takes them. In the end, isn't Pro Wrestling or boxing the modern day equivalent of the joust? In...

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How I Met Your Mother: Season Eight

How could HIMYM ever go wrong?
I had just finished all of Seasons 1 through 7 on Netflix and I didn't know what I was going to do to watch Season 8. It's not on Hulu or any other valid website, the DVD isn't released yet and probably won't be until the fall AFTER the new (and final) season starts. I couldn't bear to miss more and find a way to catch up later, so buying the instant video episodes on here was one of the best decisions I've made! Season 8 is hilarious, touching, and everything else good about this show. I highly recommend buying the instant vids if you need to find a quick way to watch Season 8!

Amazing show
God, I love this show. I recommend you watch it now, its so funny! Legen - wait for it - dary!

Loved it
Since me and my husband are the same age as the gang we really enjoy it. Also it is amazing to see that relationships and jokes are cross cultural .

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New Girl: The Complete Second Season

Best show on tv
This is an incredible show with a fantastic cast and stellar writing. The first few episodes of the show had a little trouble finding a groove, but it has gotten steadily more amazing with each episode. This second season was even better, with the last ten episodes of the season just blowing all other comedies out of the water. All the characters are amazing, and the story between Nick and Jess that took off at the second half of this second season has made them THE best tv couple of all time. Their chemistry just cannot be matched on any other show. The storylines are fun, but realistic and move organically at the same time. If the writers see a story developing (like the love between roommates, Nick and Jess) they don't hold back because they think they "should". They just GO FOR IT, and the show is so much better because they're willing to take those kinds of risks. They've developed and matured the characters at a realistic pace, without ever making you feel like they were...

Star Rating for FOX Ads! The Show Itself Is 5 Stars!
First, the show itself continues to be well-written and acted in the second season, so for the content of the show, 5 Stars!
ZERO stars for FOX's policy of putting advertising on the episodes.

Unfortunately, FOX has chosen to stick obnoxiously loud commercials at the beginning and end of each episode! A primary reason I purchase the shows like this is not to be bombarded with ads. I cannot imagine why FOX feels it necessary to put an ad at the head of each episode with a commercial for the show I ALREADY BOUGHT. Then at the end of each episode FOX insidiously inserts commercials for their other programming. I know I can skip through them, but I can do that with DVR from cable WITHOUT paying $1.99 an episode; I do not expect to have to avoid ads on episodes I purchase.

Finally, since this IS commercial-supported (and with two ads, it definitely is), the price should be lower than for other shows which are sold with no commercials, and the product description...

funny, warm, and addictive
You'll be watching half a season in a night if you're anything like me. This show only gets better with age.

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Murder, She Wrote: Season One

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The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec [Director's Cut] (BluRay/DVD/Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

Not a Hollywood Film!
Thank heavens, and it doesn't suffer from the predictability and cliches of Hollywood that almost every movie from that town does nowadays. One never knows where The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec will end up next, and that's half of the fun. Pterydactyls, mummies, and raising from the dead have never been as fun, or as fashionable. Louise Bourgois, as Adele, is wonderful. And for those of you, like myself, who don't speak French, the English dubbing is well voiced (although not necessarily always well synchronized). It's nothing more than a silly, fun romp, but it is a very good silly fun romp.

Wait for the Director's Cut
This movie is very fun, but unfortunately Shout! Factory has decided to release a censored version that removes the briefest of nudity scenes from the movie. A scene actually shown in the theaters. What's worse is they're releasing a "Director's Cut" version in just a few months. That's a rather poor decision considering this version was not advertised as being censored and people who bought it had no idea of a Director's Cut coming out in October.

So before you say this review wasn't helpful because I gave it 1-star, I'm giving 1 star solely for the release and not for the movie. Shout! is being greedy and trying to get people to buy it twice. If you support that then go ahead and say I'm not helpful.

I hope others who read this also post similar reviews so that they realize they can't treat their customers like this.

Region 0 version English & French 5.1 Dolby Digital
In addition to what little information that Amazon provides for this title;

it has:

BOTH the original French audio in 5.1 Dolby Digital

AND English 5.1 Dolby Digital

as well as ONLY English subtitles

It's also 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen

and runs 112 minutes and is NTSC video format

And it is Region 0, not Region 1. This DVD is Region Free and will play worldwide.

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