The Corner Penthouse

Here we are at the seventh, and final, season of the Melissa Joan Hart series, Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Our fair Sabrina has left college and has now joined the workforce as a journalist for Scorch magazine. The first episode of the season, "Total Sabrina Live", provides the conclusion to the Season 6 finale ("I Fall To Pieces"); but with no "previously on" segment to explain what's happened before, it doesn't make any sense to new viewers.

Even though I've seen most of the episodes over the years, originally on ABC & The WB and in syndication, this is the first of the Sabrina season sets that I've purchased (not counting all of the animated series DVDs). Even though I like the series, it is not a show that I feel compelled to buy on DVD. However, the inclusion of the "Sabrina Goes To Rome" TV movie from 1998 is what enticed me to purchase this set. Sadly, I'm highly disappointed by how many of the episodes are edited. Here, take a look at the episode list with runtimes, and see if you can figure which episodes are edited.

01. Total Sabrina Live (September 20, 2002) (21:39)
02. The Big Head (September 27, 2002) (22:08)
03. Call Me Crazy (October 4, 2002) (21:13)
04. Shift Happens (October 11, 2002) (22:08)
05. Free Sabrina (October 18, 2002) (22:07)
06. Sabrina Unplugged (November 1, 2002) (22:05) [Scooby-Doo & Shaggy appearance retained]
07. Witch Way Out (November 8, 2002) (20:45)
08. Bada-Ping (November 15, 2002) (21:23)
09. It's A Hot, Hot, Hot, Hot Christmas (December 6, 2002) (21:58)
10. Ping, Ping A Song (January 10, 2003) (21:50)
11. The Lyin', The Witch And The Wardrobe (January 17, 2003) (21:08)
12. In Sabrina We Trust (January 24, 2003) (22:08)
13. Sabrina In Wonderland (January 31, 2003) (22:08)
14. Present Perfect (February 7, 2003) (22:08)
15. Cirque Du Sabrina (February 14, 2003) (22:08)
16. Getting To Nose You (February 21, 2003) (21:22)
17. Romance Looming (February 27, 2003) (22:08)
18. Spellmanian Slip (March 20, 2003) (22:08)
19. You Slay Me (March 27, 2003) (22:05)
20. Fish Tale (April 17, 2003) (22:07)
21&22. What A Witch Wants / Soul Mates (April 24, 2003) (44:00)

If you didn't figure it out, I think it's safe to say that any episodes under 22 minutes in length are edited, except for maybe the Christmas episode since it's only 2 seconds under. That's 7 out of 22 episodes (excluding the Christmas episode). I don't know if the previous season sets were this highly edited, but I think that it's shameful for Paramount to charge full price for a set that has one-third of its episodic content edited - and possible more with music replaced. Granted, Paramount at least makes note of this on the back of the case - "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions" and "Music has been changed for this home entertainment version" - but that's the same standard text they put on the cases for all of their TV series releases, whether it's actually true or not.

Here's a quick, and likely incomplete, list of edits:

* Witch Way Out - VERY heavily edited, as noted by the runtime. About 1 minute 20 seconds removed, including a performance by The Goo Goo Dolls (at 8:47 and 10:55?). The group is referenced in what little remains of the episode, and some comments make no sense now that the performance has been removed.

* Bada-Ping - It seems that an Avril Lavigne performance was cut out at 2:25.

* Getting To Nose You - It seems that a Sixpence None The Richer performance was cut out, and the music replaced in the background of the fight scene.

* Soul Mates - From what multiple sources tell me, at the very end when Sabrina runs out of her wedding to meet Harvey, originally "Running" by No Doubt was playing in the background. That song has been replaced by either a different song, or a different artist performing the song.

You know, considering this was the season that Sabrina worked at MUSIC MAGAZINE, with many appearances by musical artists performing their hits, the series producers should have made darn sure that they got home video rights to the songs. TV shows getting released on DVD wasn't an entirely unknown phenomenon back in 2002-2003.

BONUS FEATURE: Sabrina Goes To Rome

This was the first of two Sabrina series TV movies that aired on ABC as part of "The Wonderful World of Disney". Sabrina Goes To Rome aired on October 4, 1998, during season 3, and is presented here in its original 4:3 aspect ratio with stereo audio and Enghlish subtitles. On this DVD, it has a runtime of 1:26:49.

• Edits - None.
• Music Replacements - None.

All of the music that I remember being there is still there on the DVD: "Sky Fits Heaven" by Madonna still opens the movie, while "Crush" by Jennifer Paige remains at 40:29, and Carl Orff's "Gassenhauer" is heard during the end credits. If music were to be replaced, these would have been the first to go. The runtime matches the length I wrote on the label of my original ABC recording, so that's a good sign, too. Perhaps the music licensing was done differently because it's technically a "movie" and not an "episode".

I am disappointed that Paramount didn't include the 1999 TV movie Sabrina Down Under as a second bonus feature, as I don't see it very likely that Paramount will put it out on DVD at a later date. There are no more seasons of the TV series in which to bundle it, and if they were going to put it out by itself, they would have done so already. I mean, the logical thing to do would have been to put out both TV movies - Rome & Down Under - in one "double feature" set. Instead of doing that, they chose to put Rome in this final season set. So where does that leave Down Under?

Before I conclude this review, I'd like to bring two things to the attention of the purists out there. (1) The Viacom logo at the end has been replaced with a new CBS Television Distribution logo on all episodes and the TV movie. (2) Even though the last two episodes were originally broadcast on The WB as one hour-long episode, they were produced as and meant to be shown as two separate episodes, and should have been included that way on this DVD set (which is how they're currently shown in syndication). I believe that the wishes of the filmmakers takes precedence over how they were originally broadcast.

All in all, it's an okay set. The last season certainly isn't as good as the first three - the series lost its charm when the gorgeous Jenna Leigh Green left the show and Sabrina left high school - but it's not as bad as the stuff on TV these days.


2017 UPDATE - Paramount finally released Sabrina Down Under (1999) on DVD, which I reviewed here. I wonder what prompted Paramount to release this last bit of Melissa Joan Hart Sabrina stuff nearly seven years after the rest. I really wish Paramount would have paired it with Rome as a "double feature" release.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Collection (alt listing) consists of the three original live-action Turtles films from the early-to-mid 1990s, and the computer-animated TMNT film from 2007, along with a sheet of temporary tattoos - all packaged in a standard plastic keepcase, with two double-sided pages inside, one disc per side. The tattoos are stored under the literature clips on the inside cover, and there's nothing on the inside back cover.


Each of the four discs is a bit-for-bit copy (a "disc image") of a previous DVD release. All four movies are 16:9 widescreen, with Turtles 2 & 3 also containing 4:3 fullscreen versions. (Full disc specs are below.) Apparently in the original releases, Turtles 1 & TMNT were dual-sided discs with widescreen on one side and fullscreen on the other - and they only used the widescreen sides for this re-release. That's fine with me.


These same four discs (with the same disc art) and temporary tattoos are also available in a "25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" box set, which adds in some cloth masks and puts the discs in what appears to be a round CD holder, which is then apparently stored in an outer cardboard box with the masks.

I bought the "Movie Collection" release for $25 at Walmart, which had a sticker on front proclaiming "Only At Wal*Mart - Includes Turtle Tattoos". Since the tattoos are available in the "25th Anniversary Collector's Edition" box set, it must be the standard packaging that's exclusive to Walmart.


I like that it's in standard packaging, and doesn't include the masks and CD holder that I have no desire to buy, but I wish the price were significantly cheaper. What hurts even more is that less than a year after I bought it, Warner Bros. put out the 4 Film Favorites - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles two-disc DVD set, which includes all of the same video content (one "disc image" per disc side), but usually sells in Target for $9.99 - two and a half times LESS than what I paid!

2017 UPDATE - The discs from the Blu-ray collectors set have been repackaged in the 4 Film Favorites - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Blu-Ray four-disc set, which retails for $20. That's a much better value than any of the DVD sets.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
* Year: 1990
* Runtime: 1:33:23
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: February 27, 2003 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: The T-Files (character biographies of Donatello, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Splinter, The Shredder), Theatrical Trailer, "Sewer Maze" Game, "Monkey Trouble" Trailer, "The Adventures Of Pinocchio" Trailer, "Theodore Rex" Trailer.
* Notes: This is a live-action movie.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE OOZE
* Year: 1991
* Runtime: 1:28:19
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 Fullscreen
* DVD Production Date: July 2, 2002 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, "Pick That Flick" Game.
* Notes: This is a live-action movie.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III
* Year: 1993
* Runtime: 1:35:33
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 Fullscreen
* DVD Production Date: July 18, 2002 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, "Pick That Flick" Game.
* Notes: This is a live-action movie.

TMNT
* Year: 2007
* Runtime: 1:26:45
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: May 18, 2007
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary with writer/director Kevin Munroe, Alternate Opening (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), Alternate Ending Temp/Scratch Test (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Mikey's Birthday Party" Full Sequence (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Raphael's Rough House Fight" Test (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Monsters Come Alive" Storyboard Comparison (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Donny's Digital Data Files" Featurette, "Rooftop Workout" Rough Scene (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Still Wanna Fight" Temp/Scratch Test (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), "Splinter Gets Cake" Additional Scene (with forced commentary by Kevin Munroe), Internet Reel, "Voice Talent First Look" Featurette
* Notes: This is a computer-animated movie. The back of the case incorrectly lists a Fullscreen copy, in addition to the Widescreen copy.

That is all.

The Rock: The Peoples' Champion VHS (not to be confused with The Rock: The People's Champ VHS) is a short, 30 minute sampler of promo and match highlights from The Rock's feud with The Corporation, featuring Triple H and The Undertaker. Nothing is shown in its entirety, and all cuss words are bleeped. Here's the rundown of clips:

01. Raw Is War - April 26, 1999 (promo & match)
02. Raw Is War - May 3, 1999 (promo)
03. Sunday Night Heat - May 16, 1999 (promo)
04. Raw Is War - May 17, 1999 (match)
05. Sunday Night Heat - May 23, 1999 (promo) [the night Owen Hart died]
06. Raw Is War - June 7, 1999 (match)
07. King Of The Ring Match History Package
08. King Of The Ring - June 28, 1999 (promo & match)
09. Raw Is War - July 5, 1999 (match)
10. Sunday Night Heat - July 11, 1999 (promo)

Besides being short and incomplete, this tape was duplicated in the inferior EP/SLP speed. So you may have to adjust the tracking on your VCR to get an optimal picture.

The lack of bar code on the box, and "sampler" nature of the video, leads me to believe this was given out as a freebie with a Pay Per View purchase back in 1999. I have a Best of Wrestlemania tape I got around 1999/2000 as a PPV mail-in freebie, so I think this tape was originally obtained in that manner as well. (I picked it up from a church's tag sale for less than a buck.)

There's a WWF DVD entitled The Rock: The People's Champ that was released in 2000. I would think that that DVD would contain the complete promos and matches that are sampled on this tape, but after reading KlownArt's review - which states that "this DVD starts around WWE King Of The Ring 1999 and ends at The Rock's Royal Rumble win at WWE Royal Rumble 2000" - I'm thinking that this material won't be found on that DVD.

There are a bunch of other Rock DVDs out there - Know Your Role, Just Bring It, and the more-recent The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment - but I highly doubt that any of them would contain ALL of the complete promos and matches that are sampled on this tape. (At best you'd probably get a complete promo or match here or there.) So, short of finding a good tape trader, this tape, as sparse and edited as it might be, might be the only way to obtain some of these promos and matches.

The other day I saw the Commando / The Marine Double Feature and several other titles in the "20th Century Fox 75th Anniversary Double Feature" series at BJ's Wholesale Club, each priced at $6.99. I was tempted to buy a few of them, but since they don't give any DVD specs (video format, languages, subtitles, extras) at all on the back, I did not want to take a chance getting ripped off in a major way. This is the first time I've seen a DVD release from a major studio that didn't give the DVD specs on the back of the case. I guess Fox didn't want you to know what you were buying until AFTER you opened the case and played the discs.

I decided that I'd chance it with just one selection and hope for the best. Unfortunately, I didn't get the best, I got the WORST!

Neither movie is 16:9 anamorphic widescreen. The Marine is 4:3 fullscreen, which is bad, but Commando is even worse - it's 4:3 LETTERBOX! The Commando disc was originally mastered and released in 1999 - OVER TEN YEARS AGO! Why haven't all of the studios destroyed their 4:3 letterbox masters (and the DVDs made from them) so they never see the light of day again? Fox should not keep putting this pathetic Commando disc, or any of their old 4:3 letterbox DVDs, out in new packagings.

Neither movie is inducive to viewing on a widescreen TV, with Commando being horrible to watch due to the movie image getting windowboxed (blackness on all four sides) since there's black bars in the video above and below the movie image, and the TV will add black bars on the sides due to the video being 4:3.

What makes all of this really sad is that widescreen masters of both films exist - and in theatrical and director's/unrated cuts, too. The Commando "Director's Cut" DVD is in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and includes both the R-Rated Theatrical and Unrated versions of the film. The The Marine "Unrated" DVD is in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and includes both the PG-13-Rated Theatrical and Unrated versions of the film. Both DVDs also have more extras than the discs included in this release.

I'm okay with only getting the theatrical versions of both films, and having practically no extras, but to not have both films in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen when those masters DO exist, is not acceptable.

I was tempted to buy the Mr. & Mrs. Smith/True Lies double feature (and maybe Garfield 1 & 2 as well), but after getting ripped off with cruddy letterbox and fullscreen versions, without any real bonus features, I certainly won't be buying any more titles in the collection.

By the way, some (all?) copies in the "20th Century Fox 75th Anniversary Double Feature" collection have a sticker on the front advertising a "limited edition movie poster". Unfortunately, this is NOT a freebie included in the case. You have visit the website listed on the back of the sticker and enter the code found on the back of the sticker. You can choose which poster you want, but you will need to pay $4.95 for shipping/handling ($11.95 for Canada). The posters are nice - various film icons atop the 20th Century Fox logo - but are not worth the price to some (like me). There's an insert card included in the case which shows the design of eight of the posters, so you can see what some of them look like without visiting the website.

COMMANDO
* Year: 1985
* Runtime: 1:30:08
* Video Format: 4:3 Letterbox
* DVD Production Date: February 22, 1999
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer

THE MARINE
* Year: 2006
* Runtime: 1:31:16
* Video Format: 4:3 Fullscreen.
* DVD Production Date: December 5, 2006
* Region: 1 (presumably)
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French, Spanish
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish
* Extras: Making Of Featurette, Theatrical Trailer.

This is not really a review, but more of a specifications and bonus features list intended to give all of you the details on exactly what you will find in several of Warner Bros. "4 Film Favorites" DVD sets. All of the info below was originally written in July 2010.

Warner Brothers/New Line's "4 Film Favorites" is a series of two-disc sets consisting of four films that are part of a series/franchise or center around a common theme. Each disc is dual-sided, with the contents of each side being a bit-for-bit copy (a "disc image") of a previous DVD release. (Note: More recent releases in the series simply put four DVDs into the case instead of re-pressing them as dual-sided discs.) Usually the very first DVD release of a film is used as the master for each side, which could be either single-layer or dual-layer. If the DVD master that is used first came out at the infancy of DVD production (the late 1990s), there may be little to no extras, and even a poor film transfer when compared to a later re-release. Also, if that original release was a two-disc set, or a dual-sided disc (see: Lethal Weapon 4), only Disc 1 or Side A will be used. The "4 Film Favorites" line is priced with the budget-conscience consumer in mind, with Target having the lowest price at 9.99 each (occasionally on sale for 8.99). Other stores will inevitably be priced higher, though I don't recommend paying more than ten dollars for each two-disc set.



BATMAN
* Year: 1989
* Runtime: 2:06:10
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: February 8, 1997
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Willians, Michael Gough, Jack Palance, Tim Burton), Production Notes (8 screens).

BATMAN RETURNS
* Year: 1992
* Runtime: 2:06:23
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: April 9, 1997
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Michael Murphy, Tim Burton), Production Notes (Special Effects, Hero & Villains [Batman, The Penguin, Catwoman], The Screenwriter, The Composer).

BATMAN FOREVER
* Year: 1995
* Runtime: 2:01:31
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: April 24, 1997
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Joel Schumacher), Production Notes (Additional Actors, Behind The Scenes, New Villains New Hero, Bob Kane).

BATMAN & ROBIN
* Year: 1997
* Runtime: 2:04:45
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: September 23, 1997
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Elle Macpherson, Stephen Goldblatt, Akiva Goldsman, Peter Macgregor-Scott, Joel Schumacher), Production Notes (Bob Kane And The Birth Of Batman, Creating The New Story, Friends And Foes, Recreating Gotham City, The Batmobile, The Redbird, The Freezemobile, Special Effects, The Costumes, Special Makeup).



BLADE
* Year: 1998
* Runtime: 2:00:07
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: February 25, 2002 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: Commentary by Wesley Snipes and others (Stephen Dorff, David S. Goyer, Theo Van De Sande, Kirk M. Petruccelli, Peter Frankfurt), Isolated Score with Commentary by composer Mark Isham, "La Magra" Featurette, "Designing Blade" Featurette, "The Origins Of Blade" Featurette, "The Blood Tide" Featurette, "House Of Erebus" (explanation of the twelve Vampire Glyphs), "Pencil To Post" Sketch Gallery, Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Donal Logue, Stephen Norrington, David S. Goyer, Peter Frankfurt, Theo Van De Sade, Kirk M. Petruccelli, Mark Isham), Theatrical Trailer, DVD-ROM Content (Entire Screenplay).
* Notes: The back of the case incorrectly lists "Real Time Storyboards While You Watch The Movie" as an extra.

BLADE II
* Year: 2002
* Runtime: 1:56:43
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: October 14, 2003
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: None

BLADE: TRINITY
* Year: 2004
* Runtime: 1:52:46
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 Fullscreen
* DVD Production Date: February 25, 2005
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish
* Extras: None
* Notes: This is the R-Rated Theatrical cut (an Unrated cut also exists). This is actually Disc 1 from what was originally a two-disc set. The back of the case incorrectly lists 2 commentaries and an isolated score track as extras.

BLADE: HOUSE OF CHTHON
* Year: 2006
* Runtime: 1:28:40
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: February 7, 2008
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish
* Extras: Commentary by director Peter O'Fallon, Commentary by writers David Goyer and Geoff Johns, "Turning Blade" Documentary, 8 Spike TV Promos, DVD Ads (The Butterfly Effect 2, Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny, Pan's Labyrinth, The Number 23, Superman: Doomsday, Doctor Strange).
* This is the feature-length premiere episode of the "Blade: The Series" television series that aired on Spike in 2006. This is also Disc 1 in the Blade: The Series - The Complete Series DVD set.



RUSH HOUR
* Year: 1998
* Runtime: 1:37:42
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: June 3, 2004 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1998 or 1999)
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: Commentary by director Brett Ratner, Isolated Score with Optional Commentary by composer Lalo Schifrin, Deleted Scenes, "A Piece Of The Action: Behind The Scenes Of Rush Hour" Featurette, Theatrical Trailer, "Whatever Happened To Mason Reese?" Short Film (with Optional Commentary by Brett Ratner), Heavy D "Nuttin' But Love" Music Video (with Optional Commentary by Brett Ratner), Dru Hill "How Deep Is Your Love" Music Video (with Optional Commentary by Brett Ratner), Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, Tom Wilkinson, Julia Hsu, Elizabeth Pena, Tzi Ma, Brett Ratner, Roger Birnbaum, Arthur Sarkissian, Jonathan Glickman, Jim Kouf, Ross LaManna, Adam Greenberg, Robb Wilson King, Sharen Davis, Mark Helfrich, Lalo Schifrin), DVD-ROM Content.
* Easter Eggs: Use your Remote Control to go to Title 4, then advance to Chapter 3 of the Disc and you will see "Evil Luke Lee", an early short film by director Brett Ratner (with optional commentary by Brett Ratner). This short is normally accessible only through the DVD-ROM content.

RUSH HOUR 2
* Year: 2001
* Runtime: 1:29:58
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: December 12, 2005
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: Commentary by director Brett Ratner and Writer Jeff Nathanson, Infinifilm Fact Track (branch out to featurettes during the film), "Jackie Chan's Hong Kong Introduction" Featurette, "Culture Clash: West Meets East" Featurette, "Language Barrier" Featurette, "Attaining International Stardom" Featurette, "Kung Fu Choreography" Featurette, "Making Magic Out Of Mire" Featurette, Evolution Of A Scene: Chicken Chop" Featurette, Evolution Of A Scene: "The Bomb" Featurette, Evolution Of A Scene: "Slide For Life" Featurette, "Fashion Of Rush Hour 2" Featurette, Visual Effects Deconstruction: Embassy Explosion Scene (4 Angles - plus an introduction by Visual Effects Supervisor Kevin Lingenfelser), 9 Deleted Scenes (with Optional Commentary by Brett Ratner), Outtakes, "Lady Luck" Short Film (with Optional Commentary by Brett Ratner), 3 Theatrical Trailers, Cast & Crew Filmographies (Jackie Chan, Alan King, Brett Ratner, Roselyn Sanchez, Chris Tucker, Harris Yulin, Zhang Ziyi), DVD-ROM Contest.
* Easter Eggs: (1) Go to Scene Selection and flip through to the Chapters "7-8". Highlight the Question Mark above the Dragon on the left and press Enter for a "Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring" trailer. (2) Go to Scene Selection and flip through to the Chapters "15-16". Highlight the Question Mark above the Number 7 on the left and press Enter for another "Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring" trailer.

RUSH HOUR 3
* Year: 2007
* Runtime: 1:30:42
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 Fullscreen
* DVD Production Date: January 16, 2008
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, "Be Kind Rewind" Trailer, "Blade: House of Chthon" Trailer, "Ocean's Thirteen" Trailer.
* Notes: The back of the case incorrectly lists a commentary track, which is only an extra on Disc 1 of the 2-Disc Edition. The master used here is from the 1-Disc Widescreen/Fullscreen Edition.

MONEY TALKS
* Year: 1997
* Runtime: 1:35:42
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: February 27, 2002 (Nero InfoTool gives this date, but it should be 1997 or 1998)
* Region: 1
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, Cast Bios & Filmographies (Chris Tucker, Charlie Sheen, Paul Sorvino, Heather Locklear), Clips of Chris Tucker in "Friday" and "House Party 3" are hidden in his filmography, A clip of Charlie Sheen in "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1" is hidden in his filmography.



If you buy this release and the 4 Film Favorites - Cop Comedy Collection, you will essentially get the entire Police Academy - The Complete Collection box set for a fraction of the price - along with National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as a bonus movie (it's the fourth film on the Cop Comedy Collection). If you also buy the Police Academy - 20th Anniversary Special Edition, which is selling for about five bucks as I write this, and slip that disc into the 4 Film Favorites case, you will truly complete the set.

POLICE ACADEMY
* Year: 1984
* Runtime: 1:36:18
* Video Format: 4:3 Fullscreen (open matte)
* DVD Production Date: September 2, 1997
* Region: All
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, Bubba Smith, George Gaynes, G.W. Bailey, Neal Israel & Pat Proft, Hugh Wilson), "An Idea Hatched" two screens of text notes, "On Location" two screens of text notes, Trailers for all 7 Police Academy films.
* Notes: The back of the case incorrectly lists the format and extras from the 2004 "20th Anniversary Special Edition". The PA1 trailer is missing the narration, the first six trailers are 4:3 fullscreen, the last is 4:3 cropped letterbox.

POLICE ACADEMY 2: THEIR FIRST ASSIGNMENT
* Year: 1985
* Runtime: 1:27:00
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: January 15, 2004
* Region: 1, 4
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, French, Spanish
* Extras: "Accidental Heroes: The Best Of" Featurette, Theatrical Trailer.

POLICE ACADEMY 3: BACK IN TRAINING
* Year: 1986
* Runtime: 1:23:37
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: January 20, 2004
* Region: 1, 4
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, French, Spanish
* Extras: "All Washed Up: Floating Memories" Featurette, Theatrical Trailer.

POLICE ACADEMY 4: CITIZENS ON PATROL
* Year: 1987
* Runtime: 1:27:07
* Video Format: 4:3 Fullscreen
* DVD Production Date: January 23, 2004
* Region: 1, 4
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, French, Spanish
* Extras: "Remembering A Lofty Investigation" Featurette, Additional Scenes, Theatrical Trailer, Easter Egg.



If you buy this release and the 4 Film Favorites - Police Academy 1-4 Collection: 4 Film Favorites, you will essentially get the entire Police Academy - The Complete Collection box set for a fraction of the price - along with National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as a bonus movie (it's the fourth film on the Cop Comedy Collection). If you also buy the Police Academy - 20th Anniversary Special Edition, and slip that disc into the Police Academy 1-4 Collection case, you will truly complete the set.

POLICE ACADEMY 5: ASSIGNMENT MIAMI BEACH
* Year: 1988
* Runtime: 1:29:41
* Video Format: 4:3 Fullscreen
* DVD Production Date: January 23, 2004
* Region: 1, 4
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, French, Spanish
* Extras: "Mistaken Identity: Case Reopened" Featurette, Theatrical Trailer.

POLICE ACADEMY 6: CITY UNDER SEIGE
* Year: 1989
* Runtime: 1:23:47
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: January 19, 2004
* Region: 1, 4
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, French, Spanish
* Extras: "Unholy Alliance: A Retrospective" Featurette, Theatrical Trailer.

POLICE ACADEMY: MISSION TO MOSCOW
* Year: 1994
* Runtime: 1:22:33
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: January 21, 2004
* Region: 1, 4
* Layers: 1
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, French, Spanish
* Extras: "Underneath The Mission" Featurette, Theatrical Trailer.

NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LOADED WEAPON 1
* Year: 1993
* Runtime: 1:22:30
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen, 4:3 Fullscreen
* DVD Production Date: April 19, 2002
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, Cast/Crew Filmographies (Emilio Esteves, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Tim Curry, Kathy Ireland, William Shatner, Gene Quintano). Trailers for "The Long Kiss Goodnight" and "Menace II Society" are hidden in the Samuel L. Jackson filmography.



THE MATRIX
* Year: 1999
* Runtime: 2:16:13
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: August 2, 1999
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English
* Extras: Commentary by Carrie-Anne Moss and visual effects supervisor John Gaeta and editor Zach Staenberg, Music-Only Track with Commentary by composer Don Davis, "Making The Matrix" Featurette, Cast & Crew Bios & Filmographies (Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Joel Silver, The Wachowski Brothers), "Follow the White Rabbit" Feature (giving access to 9 behind the scenes featurettes at various points in the movie), DVD-ROM Content.
* Easter Eggs: (1) The Red Pill on the bottom of the Special Features screen leads you to the "What Is Bullet Time?" featurette. (2) In the Wachowski Brothers section of Cast And Crew, there is another Red Pill, taking you to the "What Is The Concept?" featurette.

THE MATRIX RELOADED
* Year: 2003
* Runtime: 2:18:09
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: July 14, 2003
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: None
* Notes: This is actually Disc 1 from what was originally a two-disc set.

THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS
* Year: 2003
* Runtime: 2:09:06
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: February 2, 2004
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer, "The Matrix" Teaser Trailer, "The Matrix Reloaded" Teaser Trailer, "The Animatrix" Teaser Trailer, DVD-ROM Content.
* Notes: This is actually Disc 1 from what was originally a two-disc set.

THE ANIMATRIX
* Year: 2003
* Runtime: 1:41:00
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: May 1, 2003
* Region: 1, 2, 3, 4
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, Japanese
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary by director Yoshiaki Kawajiri on "Program" (in Japanese, with English subtitles), Commentary by director Mahiro Maeda on "The Second Renaissance Part 1" (in Japanese, with English subtitles), Commentary by director Mahiro Maeda on "The Second Renaissance Part 2" (in Japanese, with English subtitles), Commentary by director Takeshi Kokie on "World Record" (in Japanese, with English subtitles), "Making Final Flight Of The Osiris" Featurette, "Making The Second Renaissance Parts 1 And 2" Featurette, "Making Kid's Story And Detective Story" Featurette, "Making Program" Featurette, "Making World Record" Featurette, "Making Beyond" Featurette, "Making Matriculated" Featurette, "Scrolls To Screen: The History And Culture Of Anime" Featurette, "Enter The Matrix: In The Making" Video Game Featurette, Directors & Segment Producers Biographies (Peter Chung, Andy Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Mahiro Maeda, Koji Morimoto, Shinichiro Watanabe, Michael Arias, Hiroaki Takeuchi, Eiko Tanaka).



OCEAN'S 11
* Year: 1960
* Runtime: 2:07:17
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: September 10, 2001
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary by Frank Sinatra Jr. and Angie Dickinson, Interactive Las Vegas Then and Now Map Casino Vignettes, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Excerpt Featuring Guest Host Frank Sinatra and Angie Dickinson, Cast & Crew Filmographies (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson), 2 Theatrical Trailers.
* Easter Eggs: (1) On the Special Features menu, press LEFT to highlight a poker chip on the pile. Press Enter to view a clip about the Las Vegas Gambling Museum. (2) On the "Map Of Vegas" menu, watch The Sands casino video. After viewing the video, select it again to see a different video showing the implosion of the casino in November 1996.

OCEAN'S ELEVEN
* Year: 2001
* Runtime: 1:56:27
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: March 7, 2002
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary by Matt Damon and Andy Garcia and Brad Pitt, Commentary by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin, "The Making Of Ocean's Eleven" Featurette, "The Look Of The Con" Featurette, Cast Filmographies (George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts), 3 Theatrical Trailers, "Are You In Or Out?" DVD-ROM Game.

OCEAN'S TWELVE
* Year: 2004
* Runtime: 2:05:10
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: February 8, 2005
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Theatrical Trailer.

OCEAN'S THIRTEEN
* Year: 2007
* Runtime: 2:01:59
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: August 29, 2007
* Region: 1
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Additional Scenes, "Vegas: An Opulent Illusion" Featurette, "Jerry Weintraub Walk And Talk: The Producer Takes Us On A Casino Set Tour" Featurette.



SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE
* Year: 1978
* Runtime: 2:22:57
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: December 5, 2006
* Region: 1, 2, 3, 4
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary by executive producer Ilya Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler, Teaser Trailer, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot.
* Notes: This is actually Disc 1 from what was originally a four-disc set. This is the PG-Rated Theatrical cut of the film (an Extended cut also exists).

SUPERMAN II
* Year: 1980
* Runtime: 2:07:20
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: August 1, 2006
* Region: 1, 2, 3, 4
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary by executive producer Ilya Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler, "Superman's Souffle" Deleted Scene, Theatrical Trailer.
* Notes: This is actually Disc 1 from what was originally a two-disc set. This is the PG-Rated Theatrical cut of the film (a "Richard Donner Cut" also exists).

SUPERMAN III
* Year: 1983
* Runtime: 2:04:54
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: July 19, 2006
* Region: 1, 2, 3, 4
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary by executive producer Ilya Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler, "The Making Of Superman III" Vintage TV Special, 11 Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailer.

SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE
* Year: 1987
* Runtime: 1:29:42
* Video Format: 16:9 Widescreen
* DVD Production Date: July 25, 2006
* Region: 1, 2, 3, 4
* Layers: 2
* Audio Languages: English, French
* Subtitle Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Extras: Commentary by screenwriter Mark Rosenthal, 15 Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailer.

That is all.

Since July 2007 I've owned an Acer AL1917WAbd 19" LCD Monitor. It works great and I've never had a problem with it. However, with the recent purchase of a Blu-ray drive, it no longer meets my needs as it's not in a 16:9 aspect ratio (it's 16:10) and it's not HDCP-compliant (a requirement for Blu-ray playback). So I went online and looked for an affordable monitor that met those two new requirements, and also has a DVI-D input and is physically no wider than 18 inches (the maximum amount of space I have available on my desk for a monitor). I found a monitor that met all four of my requirements, but I sure had a heap of trouble with it since practically day one. Here's a nice detailed timeline of the ordeal I went through.

09/30/2009 - Purchased the LG W1943TB-PF Black 18.5" 16:9 Widescreen LCD Monitor brand-new for 119.95 from Newegg, in spite of their horrendous Monitor Replacement Only Return Policy which states that "there must be a minimum of 8 dead pixels to declare an LCD display defective and eligible for return" within 30 days of purchase. Since the Acer LCD monitor never gave me a single problem in 2 1/2 years of use, I figured that I wouldn't have any with the LG monitor, and so that horrendous return policy didn't scare me away.

10/01/1009 - Received the monitor via UPS. On it's SECOND USE, in less than a week of ownership, I noticed a big ugly black spot in the screen! It was on the left side, where it got in the way of my work. I work frequently in word processing applications, which have a white background, so it very easy to see. Since I never experienced this phenomena with the Acer monitor, I went online to see what it was. I've learned that it's known as a "dead pixel", and apparently there's nothing that can fix it - as opposed to a "stuck pixel", which apparently CAN be fixed.

Newegg specifically mentioned that a minimum of eight dead pixels has to be present before they would take it back, so I didn't bother wasting my time trying to return it to them - though in retrospect maybe I should have lied about how many dead pixels there were and tried doing an exchange with them, because the alternative was much worse. Instead, I contacted LG customer service to see if they would honor the three year warranty. I originally made the mistake of using the newly-learned phrase "dead pixel" in my transmission to them, which resulted in an e-mail that read, "Unfortunately that is a standard that they [Newegg] use based off of all LCD monitor manufactures. We would have the same policy to have the repaired/replaced only if the unit had that many pixels out." I waited a week or two and tried contacting them again, this time only referring to the defect as a "black spot" (which is what I was calling it until I learned the proper terminology online). This time I had better luck, as they allowed me to exchange it for another monitor in a process that they call a "Standard Swap".

10/29/2009 - First Swap claim was initiated via e-mail, but would not get processed until I had the chance to call customer service two weeks later. I couldn't even file the claim through their online form as the monitor isn't even listed on their website!

11/16/2009 - First Swap claim was processed, monitor was shipped to LG on 11/19/2009.

Now before I go any further, I want to provide the complete parts list for the brand-new monitor:

-- W1943TB-PF Monitor.
-- W1943TB-PF Monitor Stand.
-- DVI-D Signal Cable.
-- 15-Pin D-Sub Signal Cable (standard VGA cable).
-- Power Cord.
-- W1943TB-PF Drivers/Users Guide disc (an actual factory-pressed disc, not a CD-R).
-- W1943TB-PF Easy Setup Guide paper.
-- Standard LG Monitor Warranty Information Sheet.


In the Swap instructions letter that I was e-mailed (along with a pre-paid FedEx label to print out), I was told in bold capital underlined letters, "PLEASE SEND ACCESSORIES (CABLES. CORDS, REMOTES. MANUALS ETC.)" So I included every single one of those items listed above in the package that I sent to LG. To this day I still have not received the last three items back. Granted, they're not required for the normal operation of the monitor (even though the Quick Start Guide says to use the drivers on the disc instead of the standard Windows plug & play driver), but they ARE something that I paid for - and I feel insulted that I was told in bold capital underlined letters to send everything back, only for LG to decide not to send it all back to me in return.

11/24/2009 - First replacement monitor was shipped from the LG warehouse to me.

11/27/2009 - Received first replacement REFURBISHED monitor. I was expecting a brand-new monitor like the one I purchased brand-new less than 60 days earlier. This monitor had a small defect in it, though not as noticeable as the one in the other monitor. There was a small thin black line in the lower right area of the screen, about an inch above the clock in the tray area of Windows.

Also, I didn't get back half of the items that I sent back with the original monitor. This replacement unit was missing the DVI-D Signal Cable, Drivers/Users Guide disc, Easy Setup Guide paper, and Standard LG Monitor Warranty Information Sheet. I've had to temporarily borrow the DVI-D cable from the Acer monitor in order to connect the replacement LG monitor to my computer. Instead of getting a real drivers disc, LG had sent me a CD-R which has no drivers on them at all (only user guides). Because (as I would later learn) the drivers I installed from the original monitor did NOT get fully uninstalled when I used the "uninstall driver" button in Windows, Windows kept looking for them at every boot, prompting me with this message: "Please insert the Compact Disc labeled 'LG Monitor Profiles Installation Disk' into your CD-ROM drive and then click OK." As the monitor is not listed on the LG support site, I couldn't even download drivers for it. So for a few weeks I was annoyed at every Windows boot-up by this message. (I eventually learned that pressing the "rollback driver" button would fix the problem by reverting back to the standard Windows plug & play driver. You know, the one that the Quick Start Guide said not to use.)

Anyway, I was willing to live with the small defect, though I e-mailed and phoned Jennie Ramey (SWAP Coordinator, RA Department) and customer service to get the missing accessories. Jennie told me that I shouldn't have to live with the defect and that I should send it back for another monitor. Jennie also told me over the phone (on 12/7/2009) that "customer service generally sends a reconditioned unit for units over 60 days old". That's all fine and dandy, except that the claim was initiated LESS THAN 30 DAYS after the original purchase, and the replacement was sent out LESS THAN 60 DAYS after the original purchase. She didn't know why I wasn't sent a brand new unit, but she was willing to send me one. The only problem is that she didn't have any brand new W1943TB-PF units in stock at the warehouse in Alabama (where she's located), and she wouldn't be able to order any for me. I don't know why she couldn't order any as she works for the company that makes the product, but so be it. However, none of the alternate models we discussed met my few qualifications: 16:9 aspect ratio, DVI input, HDCP compliant, and 19" in screen size (20" would be a stretch for the space I have, anything bigger definitely wouldn't fit). So I was in store for yet another refurbished unit.

12/08/2009 - Second Swap claim was processed, monitor was shipped to LG on 12/15/2009.

12/29/2009 - Second replacement monitor was shipped from the LG warehouse to me.

12/31/2009 - Received second replacement REFURBISHED monitor. Again the package was missing the Drivers/Users Guide disc, Easy Setup Guide paper, and Standard LG Monitor Warranty Information Sheet. At least this time it came with the DVI-D Signal Cable. At this point I've realized that I'm never getting those three items back, even though they are technically something I paid for when I bought the original monitor.

This second replacement monitor is, sadly, not 100% defect-free, though it contains the least annoying defect of the three monitors to date. About 2 1/4 inches from the right side of the screen, about half an inch from the bottom (a little above the tray area, in the status bar of most applications) is a very faint dark spot (probably a dead subpixel or half-pixel or whatever it's called). It's only noticeable if you know that it's there and you know where to look, which is a BIG improvement over the defects in the other two monitors. Still, this just proves to me that LG is incapable of manufacturing a 100% perfect defect-free monitor. Considering the poorly-designed LG Chocolate cell phone that left my mother with hundreds of dollars in unwanted charges a few years ago because it kept doing things other than what she was trying to do, I've come to the conclusion that LG stands for "like garbage".

I'll live with this most minor of defects, but a bigger injustice is present that LG would not correct on their own.

They would not give me a refund of the difference between the full retail price I paid for the brand-new monitor and the value of the refurbished monitor I received as the replacement so soon thereafter. Jennie Ramey told me via e-mail that she "can not refund [me] the difference in price", but she did not say why. She did say that "replacements that are sent out for units over 90 days old are reconditioned", which is a change from the "60 days" she mentioned over the phone on 12/7/2009 (I guess she can't keep her story straight). However, whether 60 or 90 days, I should have received a brand new unit. The first claim was initiated LESS THAN 30 DAYS after the original purchase, the first replacement was sent out LESS THAN 60 DAYS after the original purchase, and the second replacement was sent out LESS THAN 90 DAYS after the original purchase. So there's no reason that I should not be granted a refund for the difference.

On February 1st I sent a letter to the President and CEO of LG Electronics USA at the U.S. Corporate Headquarters (1000 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632). I figured as the head honcho, he'd be the single best person to contact about the matter. After waiting three weeks for a reply and not getting one, I contacted the Better Business Bureau on February 22nd for help.

Four days later on 2/26 I received an e-mail from Jennifer Adams-McKee, Asst. Manager of the Customer Resolution Team. She told me that "the warranty statements on our monitors do state that parts or units may be replaced with reconditioned units at LG's discretion. It does not specify any age of the unit at all. However, we at LG do try to make it a "good" practice to use new stock for any units less than 60 days old whenever stock is available." Okay, that explains the situation better than what I've been told over the past few months.

Jennifer was very willing to grant me a refund of the difference in cost between what I paid for the new monitor and the value of the refurbished monitor I received as the replacement. She told me that refurbished units sell online for 89.95 to 99.95, and that she would be able to offer me a refund of 30 dollars. I replied back to let her know that this would be quite acceptable to me. The check was cut on 3/5, and received by me on 3/8/2010.

Although I'm happy with the end result, after this experience, I certainly won't buy another LG product ever again, and certainly won't recommend LG to others.

This review was originally written on April 6, 2009, the day after the live Wrestlemania 25 event took place.

--------------------------------------------------

I have been a WWE fan for over 25 years. I've seen every Wrestlemania, been to three of them "live" (via closed circuit television in the arena in the late 1980s - before pay-per-view existed), and have ordered every single one on pay-per-view for the past 15 years. I have enjoyed each and every one that I've seen...until last night's 25th event.

For starters, it annoys me to no end that WWE kept promoting the event as the 25th anniversary. It was the 24th anniversary, not the 25th. The first Wrestlemania took place 24 years ago in 1985, not 25 years ago in 1984. Putting that aside, going into the event it looked like it was going to be a great show. The first sign of trouble was the night before Wrestlemania at the Hall of Fame ceremony. The televised portion of the ceremony was like one big ad for the Wrestlemania event and the Legends of Wrestlemania video game. WWE even had Jerry Lawler stop the awards show to present a clip from the game featuring Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. So much for giving it the guise of being a "prestigious" event.

While I'm on the subject of the Hall of Fame ceremony, WWE needs to start showing the entire ceremony live and unedited on television, like the Academy Awards and every other major awards show does every year. There's no need to show part of it live online and tape the rest, only to show it edited a few hours later on television. It's not like the USA Network has anything more important to show. All they played last Saturday night were 5-10 year old movies that they've shown numerous times before.


Anyway, getting back to Wrestlemania 25...Things started off fairly well. Although I thought Nicole Scherzinger's performance of "America The Beautiful" was rather lackluster, it served its purpose nicely and was well done overall. The Money in the Bank ladder match was also very enjoyable, even though Christian should have been awarded the prize instead of C.M. Punk.


Then came the first of the event's many downfalls: Kid Rock. What the heck was he doing there? Nobody goes to Wrestlemania to see Kid Rock. If, like Motorhead or POD, he was there to perform a superstar's theme music, that would be fine. Instead he performed a 10-minute medley of his "greatest hits", concluding with his latest single - which an on-screen graphic was kind enough to let us know is available on his latest album. Geez, even the video game shilling on the Hall of Fame ceremony the night before wasn't this much of a time waster.

Kid Rock segued right into the event's second downfall: the 25 "woman" Diva Battle Royal to crown the first ever Miss Wrestlemania. It started off bad, continued to be bad, and ended bad. Why weren't any of the Divas given introductions so we'd know who they all are? Yes, I know WWE were trying to hide the fact that they had a man in drag (Santino Marella) in the match, but why bring back all these women from years past and give them absolutely no attention whatsoever? Sunny was in the match, but there was hardly a mention of her, and she was only fleetingly seen on screen. The same for the other past Divas - Molly Holly, Jackie Gayda, Joy Giovanni, and Torrie Wilson - some of whom were only mentioned when they went sailing over the top rope. Victoria was the only past Diva who got any bit of screen time, and it was just a brief few seconds. Having no introductions also hurts the current Divas, as it gives them no way to stand out from each other. Looking at all 25 women in the ring, without knowing who is who, it ends up being just a sea of generic blondes and brunettes.


It's absolutely ridiculous that the women, some of whom can really work, were given one worthless spot on the card, and a man in drag walks away with the victory. That says a lot about what WWE thinks of its women's division. But WWE didn't just insult the Divas, WWE also insulted the audience by NOT having "Santina" be revealed to be a man in drag. The fact that WWE had neither the women in the ring NOR the commentators notice that there was a man in there was absolutely moronic. It was completely obvious to anyone watching, yet the announcers (of course) didn't notice that he was even there until the match was almost over, and none of the Divas even touched or attacked him throughout the match. After he tossed out his girlfriend Beth Phoenix, why not have her go back into the ring and pull his wig off, and then kick his butt? That would have been a somewhat respectable way to salvage this debacle. Instead WWE continued on as if "Santina" were a real woman. This match was clearly the Wrestlecrap Match of the Night. That's not something WWE should be proud of.


The Chris Jericho vs. the Legends match started and ended with great disappointment. Roddy Piper was good, Jimmy Snuka was sad to see (he can hardly walk), but once Ricky Steamboat and Jericho were left to go at it one-on-one it was AMAZING! That part of the match was one of the few highlights of the whole night. Then it got really disappointing. Much ado was made of Ric Flair and Mickey Rourke, but they did little to nothing to effect the match. A run in or some interference during the match would be been appropriate (Flair briefly ran in and was quickly taken care of so that negated his presence at ringside).


After the match was over, THEN Rourke is brought into the spotlight, having been called out by Jericho. After an eternity of making his way into the ring, Rourke gets in two punches and Jericho is left holding his head. I know that the WWE likes to put celebrities over at Wrestlemania, but that just looked bad for both Jericho AND Rourke, and it was so anti-climatic for the audience. I suppose, looking back, there wasn't much more that he could have done, but WWE could have handled it with more excitement than THAT. Flair and Rourke might as well not have bothered to show up since they did nothing of importance.


The Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy match was another one of the event's highlights, so there's really nothing bad to say about it. Well, other than the fact that for an "Extreme Rules" match, there sure was a distinct lack of blood (save for a small cut on Matt's head).

The Rey Mysterio vs. John Bradshaw Layfield match was barely that. From bell to bell it ran a mere 21 seconds. The match was a disgrace to all the great Intercontinental matches in Wrestlemania history. I didn't pay almost sixty dollars to see an event with a match that didn't even last half a minute - especially when both wrestlers are capable of putting on an enjoyable and much longer match.


Next up was the Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker match. An absolute classic that was damn near perfect. If anything it could have been a tiny bit shorter - there were too many near falls for my liking - but that's a very minor quibble. This was the last match of the night for which I truly felt like I was getting *some* of my money's worth.


The first title match of the televised event was next, and it's the Triple Threat featuring John Cena vs. Edge vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship. I'd ask why there needs to be a Triple Threat at every Wrestlemania, but that's irrelevant. The whole match just felt like The John Cena Show to me. It was lame and predictable. WWE even had the same exact spot in the match that they had on free TV a few weeks ago: Vickie Guerrero on the ring apron, Cena runs at her but stops, steps aside, and Edge spears her off the apron. The Big Show never won a singles title at Wrestlemania. He's long overdue. Instead WWE gives us the same old, same old. Yawn.


The Hall of Fame Class of 2009 come out next and get the bows they deserve. Stone Cold Steve Austin then drives around the ring in his ATV and has a farewell beer bash. This was all well and good, but the fact that Kid Rock got more screen time than the Hall of Fame class is complete BS.


Then we have the final match of the evening: Randy Orton vs. Triple H for the WWE Championship. I was actually looking forward to this match because their feud was intense, and it could have been a big payoff. But WWE ruined it by getting awfully strict with the rules. When you have a feud where both men attacked each other in the most vicious and brutal ways, and each one of them is just waiting to get his hands around the throat of the other, you don't set up a match where the rules of disqualification are stricter than ever. Because of that, there was no twist, no interference (by either Legacy or the McMahons), no nothing. It was lame, tame, and ordinary. The build up was better than the match. Besides that, it had NOTHING to do with the title. This was a personal grudge match, not a championship match, not a pay-per-view main event, and sure as heck not a Wrestlemania main event, let alone the main event of this big landmark "25th anniversary" Wrestlemania. THIS is the match that should have had Extreme Rules, THIS is the match where they should have been beating the ever loving crap out of each other.


Wait a minute! That was the last match? When I ordered the event, one of the matches I was most looking forward to was the Champions vs. Champions Tag Team Title Match featuring Carlito & Primo vs. Miz & Morrison. But where is it? As I would find out the next day on WWE.com, the match did indeed take place at Wrestlemania - just not as part of the televised event. WWE shunted the match to the non-televised pre-show. A match for the freaking Tag Team TITLES was not worthy of being shown on television? It was not only a title match, but one in which the titles would be UNIFIED! Surely that's something important? Surely that's worth showing live on the air instead of a 10-minute Kid Rock concert or a joke of a Divas Battle Royal? The tag team match was thrown off the show so that Kid Rock could sing?!? Ummm...does WWE realize that the event is called WRESTLEmania, right? I paid to see wrestling, not a concert!

Here's the thing I just don't understand. It's a scripted show, WWE knows they only have four hours in which to fit everything in, so why doesn't WWE plan it out better? Set time limits for each match and segment so that everything can be shown, and nothing feels rushed.

Outside of two or three matches (none of which were for titles), this did not feel like Wrestlemania. Had this been No Way Out or Backlash, the card would have been fine and I probably wouldn't feel as negatively as I do about the fiasco. But it was Wrestlemania, it was the grandest stage of them all, and the WWE sorely disappointed. To make a big deal out of the "25th anniversary" and then put forth what I, and millions of others, watched Sunday night was almost atrocious.

[UPDATE]
When WWE later released Wrestlemania 25 on Blu-ray and DVD, they did more than the usual music replacement. They actually removed the entire Kid Rock performance, leaving the Diva's Battle Royal to start in progress. This is even more insulting than the live event. Not because they removed something that never should have been there in the first place (I'm happy that it's gone), but because it makes the whole thing pointless to begin with, and gives the Divas the indinity of having their match joined in progress (in addition to losing it to a man in drag). Since WWE knew that they weren't going to use Kid Rock's performance on home video (I don't know about the WWE Network), why pay him to be there at all?

Photos for this review are courtesy of WWE via this gallery, this video and this video.

I'm writing about a series of Hello Kitty DVDs released by MGM in 2003: HK Becomes a Princess, HK Saves the Day, HK Tells Fairy Tales, HK Goes to the Movies, and HK Plays Pretend. These five discs have also been bundled together into the Diamond Collection with a Jewelry Box, HK 5-DVD Collection, as well as paired into a Plays Pretend/Saves The Day 2-Pack (alt url). Finally there's a "Triple Feature DVD Set" with the discs for Princess, Saves The Day, and Fairy Tales all in one case (this might be exclusive to Target). Whew!

For those who don't already know, contained on these DVDs are stories from the 1987 Saturday morning series "Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater". You wouldn't know that by watching the discs because there are NO SERIES OPENING TITLES and NO SERIES END CREDITS!!! Yes, you read that correctly. They left out one of the most significant parts of a television series. Remember the catchy theme song? Well, all you'll have are your memories because that theme won't be found here. There's a credits block on the back of the case that lists the voice actors (Tara Charendoff as Hello Kitty in one of her first roles) and major crew, but it doesn't list the minor crew members. Pity all of the poor animators whose work on the series now goes uncredited.

The series consists of 13 half-hour episodes with 2 stories per episode (26 stories total). Yet only 25 of the 26 stories appear on these five discs. Keep in mind that's only 5 stories per each $10 disc (that's the original price). They could have easily fit the entire series onto two dual-layer discs for $20. So not only are you missing a story, and NOT getting the episodes in their original 2-story pairs with the original series opening titles and end credits, but you're being bilked for what little you DO get!

The previous VHS releases in the late 1990s (Wizard of Paws VHS and Kitty & The Beast VHS) were MUCH better than these five DVDs. Sure they only included four stories each, but they included the series opening titles and end credits, which makes them a vast improvement over these DVDs. I can only hope that someone at MGM wakes up and re-releases this series as a proper "complete series" set, but I doubt that that will ever happen.

After getting burned on so many budget DVD releases of The Beverly Hillbillies, The Andy Griffith Show, and Petticoat Junction due to the replacement music, I really lucked out when I picked Mill Creek Entertainment's The Best of The Beverly Hillbillies 40 Episode, 4 DVD set yesterday at Walmart for 5.00.

The quality could be better - I noticed some compression artifacts on the side of the mansion when I quickly checked out the first few episodes - but for the price, number of episodes, and MOST IMPORTANTLY the original theme music, it's WELL worth it! Of course, a die-hard fan should buy the two "Ultimate Collection" volumes and "The Beverly Hillbillies/Petticoat Junction Ultimate Christmas Collection" disc, in order to get all of the public domain episodes and a TON of extras - albeit for about fifty bucks in total; but for the casual fan, this set is the best single item you can purchase.

This set includes 40 black & white episodes on 4 discs, and they're all in chronological airdate order (for the full list, see AlphaControl's review of this item). As I stated in my review title, the original theme music is used in ALMOST all episodes. Only two episodes don't use the original music:

* "No Place Like Home" uses replacement music and the titles are in progress, starting at "The Beverly Hillbillies" title screen and leaving out the "shooting at food" scenes beforehand. Since replacement music is used, I have no problem with cutting the full opening sequence.

* "Elly Needs a Maw" doesn't have any beginning titles at all. However, it's missing on another disc I have, so maybe all copies of this episode leave out the beginning title sequence - though they could have tacked one on from another episode.

I should also note that the theme song starts a few seconds late in the episode "Christmas at the Clampetts", though at least it's the original music!

I don't know if I got a bum copy, but the "Pygmalion and Elly" episode on Disc 1 won't play. When I try to view it, my player stops. If this defect exists in all copies, then technically there are only 39 episodes on the disc, and this episode should be added to the list of missing episodes below.

I tried the DVD in four different players, and the episode didn't play in any of them. Mill Creek was kind enough to send me a replacement set and that one also had the same problem. This is the only Mill Creek DVD I have that I've had a problem with - and I have about a dozen of their sets.

From what I've read, all 36 season one episodes and the first 19 season two episodes are in the public domain, which means that only 15 public domain episodes are missing from this set. Although it would be better if this were a six disc set and included those remaining episodes, all things considered, that's a fairly small number of episodes to be missing. For the record, these are the missing 15 episodes (excluding the two that need original music and/or beginning titles, and the one that wouldn't play on any of my DVD players):

1.05 10/24/1962 Jed Buys Stock
1.06 10/31/1962 Trick or Treat
1.09 11/21/1962 Elly's First Date
1.22 02/20/1963 Duke Steals a Wife
1.28 04/03/1963 Jed Pays His Income Tax
1.30 04/17/1963 Duke Becomes a Father
1.31 04/24/1963 The Clampetts Entertain
1.35 05/22/1963 Elly Becomes a Secretary
1.36 05/29/1963 Jethro's Friend
2.01 09/25/1963 Jed Gets the Misery
2.05 10/23/1963 The Clampett Look
2.10 11/27/1963 Turkey Day
2.11 12/04/1963 The Garden Party
2.13 12/18/1963 The Clampetts Get Culture
2.17 01/15/1964 The Girl from Home

That is all.

I bought the Lilian Garcia - Quiero Vivir! audio CD from Amazon in March 2008. Although I don't understand Spanish, I found it to be very enjoyable. Lilian has a great voice, and I wish that she had made a completely English version of this album. Thankfully two of the songs are English translations. Track 10 "Under In Love" is the English version of track 4 "Desenamorada", and track 11 "Where Did Love Go?" is the English version of track 3 "Adonde" (that's the duet with Jon Secada).

The one thing I dislike about the CD is one thing that I have *NEVER* seen on any CD that I've ever purchased. On the outer rim of the CD is this disclaimer: "This CD is the property of the record company and is licensed to the intended recipient for personal use only. Acceptance of this CD shall constitute an agreement to comply with the terms of the license. Resale or transfer of possession is not allowed and may be punishable under federal and state laws. This CD may be watermarked to identify the intended recipient."

It appears that Amazon is selling promo CDs, as this disclaimer pops up in articles about the current case of Universal Music Group (UMG) vs. Troy Augusto (do a Google search for "this CD is the property of the record company" to find more information about the case). Interestingly, Universal Music Latino is the distributor of the CD, though WWE owns the content. However, nothing on the packaging states that the copy Amazon sold me is a promo CD, so I have no idea why it appears on the disc.

Below is an image of the CD so you can see the disclaimer for yourself, and see that the disclaimer isn't presented to the customer until after the purchase has been made and the product has been opened - thus nullifying the "agreement to comply with the terms of the license" because you can't agree beforehand.


I sincerely hope that this is an error and that Universal Music isn't serious with this disclaimer or they certainly will have killed their CD sales for good.