tv on dvd review: star trek: season two remastered

When Loophole called me and asked me to do a review on a new DVD compilation on Star Trek I said “Beam me up, Loopey. I am there!” My excitement, however, waned when I realized the DVD was of the original series. Don’t get me wrong, I am a Star Trek fan. Although, I am more of the “Next Generation” generation. Give me a good old Picard monologue or a romance scene between Riker and Troi anyday. That being said I, like most people with working televisions, have seen at least some snippet of an original Star Trek episode. I can even identify the main characters by name and perform the Spock greeting with my hand - seriously, I’m not kidding. To say, however, that I am qualified to write this review is going a little far. Therefore, I will do my best at this mission, where no Baravelli has gone before.

Tell me what’s so special about this set, you say. Well, dammit Jim, I’m a doctor not a - errrr, oh, wait. Here goes ……

The Hard Facts
Star Trek the Original Series: The Second Season Remastered
26 episodes from the 1967-1968 season
8 discs in an accordian style set
Studio: CBS / Paramount
Dolby Digital 5.1 format
Release Date: August 5, 2008
Rated: NR
Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig

Background:
We all know the quality of the series when seen on television. Each scene was colored with woefully muted hues, while the quality a little grainy. Compared to the more recent series’ from this franchise, the stunts and visual effects are, at best, campy. It had definite cheese factor all over it. But when one thinks about the time in which it was created, it can not be disputed that Gene Roddenberry was definitely a master in his art. His imagination and vision of what the world could be in the future was one that I dare say no one else ever ventured to embark upon. Nichelle Nichols, Uhura, once said that she went into Roddenberry’s office and told him she had figured him out - he was writing allegories. The accusation proved to be dead on. Roddenberry’s vision didn’t just exist to make for great entertainment. His stories were written to prove a point or to create conversation, a thought that would possibly invoke change. While the presentation was campy the underlying plot and purpose was pure genius. Roddenberry often pulled from history to create his plot lines or even characters. During a short episode one could be exposed to any number of themes - racism, sexism, war, anti-religion, etc. It was a political speech in the form of pure, unadulterated entertainment. The evil villains of the universe were, without a doubt, pulled from history. Those lovable, soft Klingons are very reminiscent of history’s Mongols, while the Romulans identify with the Romans (how’d you figure that one out, eh Baravelli) and the Vulcans can be likened to the Greeks. Creativity meets education at it’s finest. Jokes are made all the time about the seemingly obsessive Trekkers, but they obviously have someone else in their corner. Although they never received an Emmy, The Original Series was nominated for several during the 79 episode run, including Best Guest Appearance, Best Dramatic Series, and Best Supporting Actor. The series did win 2 Hugo Awards, the top honor for a science fiction show.


The Show:
Much about the show has already been said. It is important to note that many of the most popular episodes, even some listed by Entertainment Weekly as the Top Ten Star Trek Episodes are included in Season Two. Most notable of these are “ The Trouble with Tribbles”, “Amok Time”, “Mirror, Mirror”, and “The Doomsday Machine.”

Bonus Features:
The bonus features on this set are at Warp 9. These include preview trailers for the episodes in the set, some home movies, clips of favorite Star Trek moments, and interviews with the stars - what I went to first. Leonard Nimoy speaks about “Life Beyond Star Trek”, there is an interview with Nichelle Nichols, and the friendship between Kirk, Spock, and Bones is examined. These bonuses are all a must see.

Audio/Visual:
The A/V effects are essentially what we are here to discuss, the reason this set is being termed “Remastered.” Well, CBS has digitally reproduced these episodes with CGI visual effects. While the plots and scenes between the actors have been put in high definition using the original 35mm film elements, the visual effects have been digitally enhanced. Most notable are a new CGI Enterprise, a new background, and the various “tweaking” of shots. According to Wikipedia (I give credit where credit is due) some scenes have been redone using new actors in the background of some of these shots. When the box says “Remastered” it means “Remastered.” Below are two comparison shots - the first is the original shot and the next the same scene from the remastered edition:


The Bottom Line:
Really, do I need to give you the bottom line? This set is full of bonus features and exciting new images, as well as the same old stories that you love, cheese factor or not. I would say that this is definitely worth the trip to your favorite big box store, even with the gas prices so high. Too bad you can’t beam there!! Scotty, where are you?!


Review Rating:
Individually grading the set, A/V and bonus features, the set would earn the following:
Season Two: A+
Remastering: A
Bonus Features: A


Overall Rating:
Star Trek: Season Two Remastered is a MUST HAVE!
We give it 5 stars (Groucho glasses)







Stay tuned- we've got more reviews, news and other great stuff lined up. Don't miss it!





There seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere...

you'll thank me later

Appointment television is a rare thing these days and it seems that Must See TV has went the way of Seinfeld. It used to be that there were certain nights that it seemed you and all of your friends were watching. The whole family used to watch together even further back when. Today it's rare when something can bring the whole family together, and in some cases, you just can't allow little ears and eyes to witness some shows. And the great shows are more scattershot and all over the dial. Thanks to TiVO, DVR and On Demand TV, many people just record their shows and watch them when the time is right. Netflix makes it as easy for those folks who don't have TiVO or cable or satellite.

Occasionally we've been known to recommend current television shows here on the Shelf, but more often than not there isn't much good television to recommend. I have my favorites: NCIS, The Unit, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Numbers, The Amazing Race. Now, we don't watch television all the time in the Loophole household. Sometimes it's more about a certain night when certain shows are on. Many times when the Little Loopholes have been tucked in and the Mrs. and I are tuckered out we end up saying- "there isn't anything on- let's pop in a DVD."
We don't get the USA network, but we've seen episodes of the USA series Monk and Psych when they ran on NBC during the Writer's Strike, and I wish they would have continued that particular example of corporate synergy. Fortunately, the shows have been released on DVD and the current season shows are available online on Hulu and USAnetwork.com. Recently, Universal released Season 6 of Monk and Season 2 of Psych

Monk: Season 5
16 episodes on 4 Discs
Slip Sleeve
Studio: Universal
Wide Screen Format
Stereo Surround
Release Date: 7-08-08
Rated: NR
Stars: Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard
Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford and Hector Eliazondo


According to the series creator and executive producer, Andy Breakman, (stated on Season 2 extras) the show Monk is character driven and based on the character model of Sherlock Holmes (Monk), Watson (Sharona/Natalie) and Lt. Lestrade (Capt. Stottlemeyer). As he says, it's a great model to work with, and it allows for multiple variations. Clearly the inspiration leads further into not only the relationships and interactions between the characters, but also into the inner workings of mind of the main character. Adrian Monk is a brilliant and quirky detective, who lost his wife in a car bombing years ago. Always suffering from certain aspects of obsessive compulsive disorder and phobias, he had them under some reasonable control until his wife was killed, after which they went full blown. Monk was suspended from the force (he is often mentioned as "inactive") and refused to leave his house for years. With the help of his therapist and his private nurse Sharona, Monk began to come back out into the world- driven to solve his wife's murder and get back on the force. While his OCD and phobias are very much a part of his everyday life, his brain and unorthodox way of noticing and seeing little things make him an invaluable consultant to the police on their most difficult cases. Later the character of Sharona left the show and Monk hired a new assistant, Natalie who is still with him today. Also the actor playing Monk's therapist, Dr. Kroger (Stanley Kamel) passed away last year, which they worked into the storyline this season in a very touching way. The always great Hector Elizondo plays Monk's current therapist, Dr. Bell.

Always entertaining and funny, the mysteries on Monk are really secondary to the characters. The mysteries are clever, but the show is really driven by Monk and the other characters. Season 6 is no exception- the 16 episodes have taken Monk even further into his condition, but also explores the lives of the other characters. Guest stars show up from time to time, but make no mistake- Tony Shalhoub is the star attraction. His performance as Monk brings not just the OCD and fears and foibles, but the warmth and authenticity of the character to life. He has traces of Holmes, Columbo, Clouseau with traces of Jack Benny's radio personality (some of Monk's stinginess is directly reminiscent of Jack). Season 6 continues the great run of the show, and it's very family friendly- no bloody corpses, bad words or other nastiness here. Great mysteries, great acting and more importantly great character driven stories- just what the Doctor disordered.

Psych: Season 2
16 episodes on 4 Discs
Digi-pak case
Studio: Universal
Wide Screen Format
Stereo Surround
Release Date: 7-08-08
Rated: NR
Stars: James Roday, Dule Hill, Corben Bernsen,
Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson and Kirsten Nelson.


Psych debuted in 2006 following the Monk time slot. It is almost a "sister show" in the sense that it shares the comedy-drama-mystery format and is also very character driven. Shawn Spencer's (James Roday) dad Henry (Corben Bernsen) was a great cop for the Santa Barbara, CA PD, who always thought his son would follow in his footsteps. His son possesses the same observation gifts and deductive reasoning skills that his father had, but ultimately Shawn was more interested in... whatever else interested him at the moment. Henry is now retired and has given up on this dream, but Shawn has been drawn into the line of work in a very different way. After seeing a report on a crime on television, he gives a tip to the police, which lead to the solving of the cases. The police got suspicious of Shawn and named him as a suspect. In a corner, Shawn claimed to be a psychic- and at the risk of getting in trouble for "faking it"- Shawn keeps up the psychic act and with his best friend Burton "Gus" Guster (Dule Hill) he gets called in to work his "psychic" skills on difficult cases. While his psychic act is a cover, and a way to often mock and have fun at the expense of certain characters, his observational and deducting skills often lead him to find and notice clues others cannot.

Season 2 carries on the antics of Shawn and Gus, and continues to bring in more of Shawn's dad and the other supporting characters. Shawn and Gus are hilarious and pop culture junkies and especially kids of the 70s and 80s will pick up on the many jokes and references. Shawn has grown a bit from being an aimless guy who gets bored when things are too easy (perhaps, because he's too smart for his own good) to being driven to get the "big cases". The relationship between the best friends Shawn and Gus is central to the show, as well as Shawn's complicated relationship with his dad, Henry, who reluctantly helps Shawn solve some cases. He mostly bemoans Shawn's "psychic" act and keeps mentioning how Shawn will yet again give up on another "project". But slowly, over the course of season 2 and into season 3, you see some softening and begrudging mutual respect. The Season two set is rife with extras, which are sometimes as funny as the show and fans of the show will get a lot of the inside jokes and references. Side note: series creator Steve Franks also wrote the great theme song as well. Great stuff.

Also here is a fun bit of trivia: Tim Daly (Tony Shalhoub's cohort in Wings) made a fun guest appearance as himself at the end of Season One of Monk. Not to be out done, fellow Wings co-star, Steven Webber, recently guest starred on Psych as Shawn's Uncle.

You probably have been watching, but in case you aren't may I recommend that you check these two shows which have shot up on the Loophole Top TV list! And for goodness sakes- go back to the first seasons and work your way up. Season 6 of Monk and Season 2 of Psych receive a big thumbs up as Shelf Classic television- maybe even appointment (on your schedule) television.

Both DVD sets receive 5 stars (Groucho glasses)






Stay tuned- more reviews and stuff on the way!



It's a gift...and a curse.

tv on dvd: review round-up

We know we've been MIA for the past week, but that doesn't mean we haven't been keeping an eye out for the good stuff. Today we bring you a round-up review of several new releases of TV series on DVD:

Early Edition: The First Season (released June 24, 2008)
Kyle Chandler stars as Chicago stockbroker Gary Hobson in this CBS series from 1996. Hobson’s life is turned upside down when his wife suddenly throws him out and asks for a divorce. When he moves into a hotel, Gary discovers that a divorce is just the beginning. He starts to receive the morning paper… a day early. It means more than just having sports scores and stock info early; Gary discovers that he has the opportunity, and perhaps the responsibility, to stop bad things before they happen. He doesn’t know how or why he receives the paper, but Gary quits his job and tries to make a difference.

His former co-workers and friends, Chuck (Fisher Stevens) and Marissa (Shanesia Davis) are the only other people who know Gary’s secret and are in on quite a few of his adventures. Chuck isn’t above trying to sneak a peak at the stock pages for a tip, but Marissa encourages Gary to look beyond the headlines to see why and how he is really needed.

This was a great, smart show that lasted only 4 seasons and was cancelled way too early (how many times have you heard that before). Chandler was a great leading man for the show, and the supporting cast was fantastic. Even though it seems to have a supernatural premise, it is all too human, and it’s easy to get drawn in. In fact, once we popped the set in the player last weekend, slowly but surely we had watched every episode, and the kids had joined us on the couch. It is a great family show. I had almost forgotten how good it was.

The only extras included are episode promos, but the video and audio are excellent and the whole first season is included, rather than the regrettable practice of splitting up seasons across two or more sets.
5 stars (Groucho Glasses)







Evening Shade: Season One (releases July 15, 2008-available for pre-order)
Former Pro football player Wood Newton (Burt Reynolds) has returned to his hometown of Evening Shade, Arkansas to coach the High School football team and raise his family. His wife Ava (Marilu Henner) also grew up in Evening Shade and that means Wood’s life is suddenly full of kids, in-laws, his mom, friends and a very eccentric cast of characters in this quiet southern town. His team may not be winning football games, and he’s besieged by intrusions, advice and opinions from just about everyone, but Wood is doing what he can to keep it altogether.

This series from the early 90’s (also lasting about 4 seasons) came from the same Linda Bloodsworth-Thompson of Designing Women. Having grown up in the south, I must say the show (and Designing Women) had a great feel to it, an authentic ear, if you will. But then again, how could you go wrong with a fantastic cast- Burt Reynolds, Marilu Henner, Ossie Davis, Hal Holbrook, Michael Jeter, Charles Durning- I still can’t really believe some shows were just able to pull so much experience and reliable talent on one screen. You don’t see too much of that today.

We got an early review copy of Evening Shade, and I couldn’t resist popping in quickly to see if it was as good as I remember- and it was. The show was very well written and directed (Reynolds also served as producer of the show), and had some very memorable characters- especially Michael Jeter’s Herman Stiles. There are no extras to speak of on the set, but all 24 episodes of the first season are here. The audio and video are great, although there was some noticeable sound dampening on the first disc- not a big deal. Very much worth picking up, especially when you see the dearth of great, smart and grown-up comedies on television today.
4 stars (Groucho glasses)







Mannix: The First Season (released 6-3-2008)
One of the most popular crime shows ever to hit television, Mannix starred Mike Connors as tough as nails and smart Detective Joe Mannix. A bit of a loner on the Detective agency, and something of a maverick, Mannix seems to be just as much at odds with his boss (Joseph Campanella) as he is with the bad guys. You’ve seen the police show clichés- this is the show that started some of them. And yet it’s almost refreshing to see Conner’s tough and smart character- something again that seems to be lacking in some of today’s police procedurals. The Rockerford Files, Mannix, Law and Order, Miami Vice, Nash Bridges, Streets of San Francisco- they all seem to be able to bring the entertainment with grittiness and yet not afraid to show right and wrong- and that it takes an equally tough cop to bring the bad guys down.

Unlike the other sets mention in this round-up review- Mannix is packed with some great extras. Included are clips of Connors on The Mike Douglas Show and a guest shot on Diagnosis Murder, interview with Connors and Campanella, and several introductions and episode commentaries. Classic television as it should be.
Great stuff – 5 stars (Groucho Glasses)





Stay tuned for more reviews and more stuff- I promise. Even Mrs. Baravelli is working on a review and Wolf is cooking up something special you're gonna like- so don't touch that dial. Same Shelf Time, Same Shelf Channel.



You go with what you got, and when what you got is tomorrow's news, well it's gotta be one of two things: either you're a day ahead, or everyone else is a day behind.

tv on dvd review: walker texas ranger season 4

Hello Shelfers and welcome to our first ever TV on DVD review. For our inaugural offering we reached out to Mrs. Baravelli, she of the popular White Christmas post from last year. She is a fan of Walker Texas Ranger, and since we are on our final night of our Walker contest, we thought it would be a perfect time for a review of the Season 4 set we are giving away. And yes, this is the last night for the contest so get your email entry in! Just send us your name and address to randomshelf@hotmail.com and be sure to put "Walker Texas Ranger Contest" in the subject line. We'll be randomly drawing 5 winners from the entries tomorrow, so good luck! Now without further adieu... Mrs. Baravelli, take it away!

I must say that I was pleased and honored when J.C. requested my assistance at reviewing a new DVD collection he received. Was it because of my keen television intellect, my knowledge of acting facts and history, or my concise reporting style? Oh, but all of these reasons are for naught. The biggest reason J.C. requested my assistance is that I am a big….wait for it….DORK!!! Yes, I am a big dork and oft-times my choice of television and film entertainment is proof of this disease. For this reason, and this reason alone, I was asked to review the collection of the 4th season of Walker, Texas Ranger.

Now, I am certainly not trying to under play the value of this television program by saying that I am a dork. I just like my entertainment simple. I don’t need the high drama or the Emmy winning acting - none of which is found in this program. I don’t particularly like hanging on week after week and having to remember what happened in the 1st episode of the season to follow along in the 18th. I also don’t enjoy the grittiness that some of today’s programming brings. I follow the time old adage of KISS - keep it simple stupid. That ‘s what this show did. This box collection brings all of the episodes from the ‘96-’97 season of Walker.


The Hard Facts
Walker Texas Ranger: The Fourth Season
27 episodes from the 1996-1997 season come in a 7 disc set
Studio: Paramount
Full Screen Format
Stereo Surround
Release Date: 2-19-08
Rated: NR
Stars: Chuck Norris, Clarence Gilyard, Jr, Sheree J. Wilson, and Noble Willingham

The Show:
Chuck Norris stars as Texas Ranger Cordell Walker who fights crime in the big state of Texas more with his kicks and Cherokee instinct than with his gun. His partner, Ranger James Trivette, helps in the fight with his computer savvy skills, quick wit, and unending loyalty to his partner. Along for the ride are Assistant District Attorney Alex Cahill, Walker’s love interest, and his best friend and retired Ranger, C.D. Parker. The four friends help fight crime with high adventure and often while saving each other at one point or another.

This season was full of feel good, “after school special” plot lines, including Buddhist reincarnation, a small girl standing up to gang violence, and Christmas with a host of orphans. It also includes some more action packed sequences with some ex-cons, a white supremacist group, drug smugglers, and kidnappers of a bus full of children - now that’s what I call family entertainment!! This season is also where we get to see what happens to Alex‘s stalker “Victor LaRue”, my favorite returning character, only because the actor added a little spark to the story. We meet Alex’s father, Gordon Cahill, played by veteran television and screen actor Rod Taylor. We also meet Trent Malloy and his family in the Sons of Thunder episodes, later created as a short -lived spin-off to Walker, which I also watched.

If you’re looking for some action packed adventure without all of the blood and gore on today’s screen then this box set doesn’t disappoint. In the episode “Swan Song” Walker tracks down the wreckage of a small plane used in a bank robbery many years before. Alex insists on joining him, thinking it will be a fun adventure for the pair. Little do they know that some other criminals are also trying to find the plane wreckage, along with the money stolen in the robbery. In this one episode Walker and Alex scale a mountain under gun fire, Walker gets attacked by a bear and Alex has to, for once, help him - mixing herbs, making a poultice, and keeping him warm so he can recover from his wounds. As if it couldn’t get any worse, there’s also a scary cannibal on the loose. So much for the mountain get-away! A lot is going on in this episode and the same can be said of the entire box set.



Bonus Features:
Sad to say there are no bonus features in this set. I think it would have been a lot of fun if Paramount had included some behind the scene action sequences or even a fun blooper reel.

Audio/Video:
The visual and sound effects on the box set are just as good as when the episodes originally aired.

The Bottom Line:
So, is this collection worth the trip to to your local big box store? As a fan of Walker, I would say yes. I still catch a rerun or two now and again. It would definitely have been a lot more enjoyable with some extra bonus behind the scenes features, however, the episodes are just as I remembered. I guess they’re following my advice - KISS.

Overall rating:
4 stars (Groucho Glasses)







Posted by Mrs. Baravelli


You know? Life's funny - you can sleep off a hangover but you can't sleep off ugly.