Tag Archives: TV

Aug 12 2014
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Movies, Pop Culture, Television

‘Sho’ Nuff

Epic ‘80s TV miniseries comes to Blu-ray loaded with bonus features

Shogun

Shogun

DVD $85 (CBS Home Entertainment & Paramount Home Media Distribution)

 

Now re-mastered in hi-def and released for the first time on Blu-ray, this award-winning TV three-part mini-series, based on the bestselling James Clavell novel, captivated viewers over five nights in 1980 with the exploits of a 17th century British navigator (Richard Chamberlain) shipwrecked off the coast of Japan and caught up in a deadly, epic struggle of love and war in the land of the rising sun. Almost two hours of bonus features include a 13-part making-of documentary, which detail the intricacies, controversies and complications of filming the entire production in Japan, and commentary by the director.

 

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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May 27 2014
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Humor, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

Oh, Magoo!

The theatrical roots of the TV cartoon grumbler-bumbler

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The Mr. Magoo Theatrical Collection 1949-1959

DVD $34.93 (Shout! Factory)

Fans of the Golden Age of cartoons have been waiting for this roundup of all the cartoon “shorts” (made to be shown in movie theaters) starring everyone’s favorite bumbling, grumbling, visually impaired misanthrope. Voiced by actor Jim Backus, Mr. Magoo became an audience favorite who went on to have his own TV series in the 1960s. This generous collection, however, takes him back to his movie-house roots, with 53 original shorts, plus the 1959 animated feature film 1,001 Arabian Nights, two documentaries, an interview with film critic Leonard Maltin, and commentaries.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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Jan 17 2014
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Pop Culture, Television

Defensive Tackle

Perry Mason returns to the job in box set of TV movies

PerryMason_MovieCollectionV1

Perry Mason Movie Collection

DVD ($58.99, Paramount Home Video)

When the TV courtroom closed in 1966 after nine contentious seasons, Hollywood’s unflappable defense attorney went on hiatus for actor Raymond Burr to guest-star in other TV shows and movies, and even play another attorney in Ironsides (1967-75). But he eventually returned to the role that made him famous. A bit more grizzled than he was back in the black-and-white days, Perry nonetheless still has the stuff as he represent his former secretary (Barbara Hale) when she’s accused of murder (!) and digs into five other keep-you-guessing, cloak-and-dagger cases in this roundup of full-length TV movies from the mid-’80s.

—Neil Pond, American Profile Magazine

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