Sales Rank:331 List Price: $29.98 Lowest New Price: $14.99 Lowest Used Price: $16.49 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Director(s):
Jeff Chambers
Joel Zwick
Bob Claver
Frank Buxton
Garry Marshall
Actor(s):
Elizabeth Kerr
Robin Williams
Pam Dawber
Conrad Janis
Children who love Robin Williams as the voice of Aladdin or as Mrs. Doubtfire will get a blast out of the show that blasted him into the stratosphere, and made "Nanoo, Nanoo" a national catch-phrase. Mork & Mindy, a spin-off of a season 5 Happy Days episode, was a tailor-made star vehicle for Williams, who won a Golden Globe for this inaugural 1978 season. The role of extraterrestrial Mork from Ork gave free reign to Williams's stream-of-consciousness riffing as Mork observed life on Earth and reported back to his leader, Orson, on all that he learned about friendship, love, family, and emotions. As Mindy, the down-to-Earth Boulder, Colorado, girl who takes the stranded alien under her roof, fresh-faced Pam Dawber does her best to keep up. When Williams is really in the (Twilight?) zone, it's not acting: she does seem like she's dealing with someone from another planet.
The highlight of this first season is "Mork's Mixed Emotions," a tour-de-force that TV Guide ranked among the top 100 TV episodes of all time (#94, to be exact). Mork believes that emotions are bad, and tries to lock them inside himself, but they are unleashed in a lusty, happy, weepy, angry, envious torrent. Helping to launch Williams as a primetime player in the series pilot are Henry Winkler and Penny Marshall in their iconic roles as the Fonz and Laverne. Another notable guest star in season 1 is David Letterman as an abusive EST-like guru in "Mork Goes Erk." Mork & Mindy rapidly jumped the shark, and much of the '70s sitcom trappings have not aged well, but this first season is a giddy time capsule record of Williams at his most spontaneous and out of this world. Shazbot--the set contains no extras. --Donald Liebenson.
Sales Rank:743 List Price: $59.98 Lowest New Price: $17.99 Lowest Used Price: $12.39 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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The arrival of another gorgeous young woman with the initials of LL further complicates Clark Kent's (Tom Welling) life in the fourth season of Smallville, the WB's hip and sexy reinvention of the Superman legend. In this case, it's Lois Lane (Erica Durance), a would-be college freshman who's come to the Kansas heartland to investigate the disappearance of her cousin, Chloe. What she discovers instead is a naked, amnesiac Clark Kent in a cornfield, and things take off from there. Durance doesn't appear in every episode--she was credited as a "special guest star"--but her tough spirit and crackling wit provide a great, non-romantic foil to Clark.
That's just as well, because there's plenty of romantic triangulation--or worse--going on. Clark's former love interest--and his first LL--Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), has returned from her summer in Paris sporting a new boyfriend, Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles), as well as a mysterious tattoo that seems to have something to do with a set of Kryptonian crystals as well as Jason's sinister mom, Genevieve (Jane Seymour). Keeping his relationship with Lana a secret, Jason has signed on as Smallville High's new assistant football coach. What's surprising is that the team's new quarterback is none other than Clark, who's grown tired of hiding his super-strength, super-speed, and invulnerability and wants to be part of the team. But nothing's easy for Clark, and he goes through the prom, a marriage, and fatherhood, not necessarily in that order, as well as his secret being discovered, unknown to him, by one of his closest friends. (On the plus side, he does uncover a cool new power.)
But the key to the season is the Kryptonian crystals. They further deteriorate the relationship between the incarcerated Lionel Luthor (John Glover), and his son, Lex (Michael Rosenbaum). Lex may be Clark's best friend, but he reveals more of his dark side in a revelation about his sexual escapades and a split-personality (literally) incident. Lana's frightening dreams actually come to life in a silly Charmed-type episode. Then in the explosive season finale, the main characters are scattered and another meteor shower threatens to wipe out the town.
One of the fun things about Smallville is how producers Al Gough and Miles Millar and their team of writers acknowledge their place in a 70-year Superman mythos (even if Clark is never referred to as Superman). His DC Comics origins receive a nod with appearances by the Flash, Krypto the superdog, and the magical Mxyztplk. And the cast includes not only regular Annette O'Toole (Martha Clark), who had played Lana Lang in Superman III, but guest shots by Margot Kidder (Bridgette Porter) and Terence Stamp (the voice of Jor-El), and the late Christopher Reeve gets a brief but touching farewell in an announcement of the passing of his character, Dr. Virgil Swann.
Extras include 15 minutes with the writing team, a spotlight on Kidder, Durance, and others who have played Lois Lane, deleted scenes, and three episodes with commentary from combinations of Gough, Millar, Durance, Kreuk, Glover and others, but not Welling. --David Horiuchi
Sales Rank:1715 List Price: $69.99 Lowest New Price: $143.95 Lowest Used Price: $120.00 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Joel Hodgson
Mike Nelson
Trace Beaulieu
Frank Conniff
Jim Mallon
It's hard to believe that two decades have passed since Mystery Science Theater 3000 made it not only safe but hip to poke fun at cornball science fiction movies, but the episodes contained in this limited-edition set prove that the Peabody Award-winning program has lost none of its irreverent edge over the passage of time. The majority of the four episodes featured in the set come from the show's later incarnation; series creator Joel Hodgson is featured in an early effort, First Spaceship to Venus from Season 2, while head writer turned host Mike Nelson commands the Satellite of Love for Season 7's Laserblast (which brought MST3K's tenure on Comedy Central to an end) as well as Werewolf and Future War from its ninth and tenth season, respectively. Fans will undoubtedly debate the merits of this quartet as opposed to other episodes, but the pop culture references and machine-gun quips still feel fresh, and the low-tech charm of the skits (Joel's junk drawer in Venus; Mike in atrocious drag leading the 'bots in a girl-group tune inspired by Werewolf) remain inspired and even radical compared to most TV sitcoms. It's a rarity to find a comedy program that hasn't lost a few touches since its departure from the airwaves, but MST3K retains virtually all of the elements that made it a favorite for comedy and cult movie fans alike. In addition to the four complete episodes, the chief appeal of the 20th Anniversary edition--aside from the fun, lunchbox-style metal case--is a four-part history of the show told by its key players. Everyone from Hodgson and Nelson to J. Elvis Weinstein (Dr. Forrester's early sidekick and composer of the show's theme song) contributes their recollections of the show's inception, its tenures with Comedy Central and The Sci-Fi Channel, and the debacle surrounding its big-screen effort. Rare clips from its earliest days as a late-night cable offering in Minnesota, as well as behind-the-scenes footage, make this a must-have for series devotees, though one wonders why no mention of the participants' subsequent, MST3K-like projects (Nelson with Rifftrax and The Film Crew, and Hodgson with most of the core creative team on Cinematic Titanic) is included. A short featurette devoted to all six versions of the theme song is a fun touch, as are colorful new lobby cards for each feature, and even a Crow T. Robot figurine, suitable for riffing duty on your next bad movie night. --Paul Gaita
Sales Rank:862 List Price: $59.98 Lowest New Price: $17.91 Lowest Used Price: $9.99 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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For many fans, the Superman revisionist series Smallville truly hit its stride in its second season, when it shifted focus from traditional comic book conflicts to one of self-discovery for its hero, a teenage Clark Kent (Tom Welling). Fans and first-timers can judge for themselves with this six-disc set, which compiles all 23 episodes and a decent selection of supplemental features. Whereas season 1 focused on Clark using his powers to combat a host of menaces à la the WB's other big fantasy hit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 2 delved into Clark's past and the extent of his super powers, most notably in the back-to-back "Heat," in which he discovers his heat vision, and "Red," in which red kryptonite in the high school class rings uncorks Clark's less-than-upstanding side. Other plot developments from the season that pull the series in interesting directions include the arrival of Dr. Helen Bryce (Emanuelle Vaugier), who becomes involved with Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), but the season's most significant moment comes during episode 17, "Rosetta," in which Clark learns of his Kryptonian origins courtesy of a scientist, who, in an effective bit of casting, is played by Superman film star Christopher Reeve.
The complexity of the writing and issues dealt with in season 2 marked Smallville as a series with depth and drama worthy of its considerable fan following as well as a second boxed set; fittingly, the supplements in this set are more expansive than on the first one. Producers Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Greg Beeman and cast members Welling, Rosenbaum, and Kristen Kreuk weigh in on commentary tracks for two episodes ("Red" and "Rosetta"), while a trio of short featurettes explore Christopher Reeves's appearance in "Rosetta," the show's visual effects, and the amusing "Wall of Weird" web page maintained by Chloe (Allison Mack). The extras are rounded out by a handful of deleted scenes and a gag reel. --Paul Gaita
Sales Rank:876 List Price: $59.98 Lowest New Price: $16.33 Lowest Used Price: $10.72 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Actor(s):
Tom Welling
Kristin Kreuk
Michael Rosenbaum
Sam Jones III
Allison Mack
Truth, identity, and responsibility are the cornerstones of Smallville's exceptional third season. When viewers left Clark (Tom Welling) at the end of season 2, he was feeling his oats in Metropolis with the help of a red Kryptonite ring, but by the opening of season 3, he must return to Smallville to not only help his parents save their farm, but seek some resolution in his relationships with Lana (Kristin Kreuk) and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum), who's returned from his abandonment at the conclusion of the previous season. Lex himself must deal with some shocking revelations regarding his relationship with his sinister father Lionel (John Glover, magnetic as always), and Lana becomes involved with a new figure in town, the mysterious Adam Knight (Lost's Ian Somerholder), who may or may not be a certain caped crusader. And speaking of heroes in disguise, the season's finale introduces Kara, a young woman with powers similar to Clark's--could she in fact be his sister, known best to comic book fans as Supergirl? Season 3 is chock full of such intriguing moments, including an appearance by future Daily Planet editor Perry White (Michael McKean, the real-life husband of series star Annette O'Toole) in "Perry," helmed by Supergirl film director Jeannot Szwarc; the return of villains Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Shawn Ashmore, and Jesse Metcalfe from seasons 1 and 2 (in "Asylum"); the departure of series regular Samuel L. Jones; and a intrigue-fraught final turn by Christopher Reeve as Dr. Swann ("Legacy").
The boxed set matches the high quality of the season with some terrific extras, including commentary on three episodes by series creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, along with Rosenbaum, Allison Mack (Chloe), and Glover. Gough and Millar also contribute commentary to a battery of deleted scenes, and Mack's "Chloe Chronicles" returns for another go-round. The supplemental features are rounded out by a behind-the-scenes featurette, an amusing gag reel, and an Easter egg with Rosenbaum conducting some offbeat interviews. --Paul Gaita
Sales Rank:1171 List Price: $19.99 Lowest New Price: $9.95 Lowest Used Price: $4.76 MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
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Animated
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Director(s):
Andrew Adamson
Vicky Jenson
Actor(s):
Mike Myers
Eddie Murphy
Cameron Diaz
John Lithgow
William Steig's delightfully fractured fairy tale is the right stuff for this computer-animated adaptation full of verve and wit. Our title character (voiced by Mike Myers) is an agreeable enough ogre who wants to live his days in peace. When the diminutive Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) evicts local fairy-tale creatures (including the now-famous Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and the Gingerbread Man), they settle in the ogre's swamp and Shrek wants answers from Farquaad. A quest of sorts starts for Shrek and his new pal, a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), where battles have to be won and a princess (Cameron Diaz) must be rescued from a dragon lair in a thrilling action sequence. The story is stronger than most animated fare, but it's the humor that makes Shrek a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy and Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humor is fun enough for 10-year-olds but will never embarrass their parents. Shrek is never as warm and inspired as the Toy Story films, but the realistic computer animation and a rollicking soundtrack keep the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its crosstown rival, Disney. --Doug Thomas