Macgyver (Season 3) DVD Review
One of the best shows of the 1980s, MacGyver has a dedicated fan base even to this day. Richard Dean Anderson plays the role of MacGyver, a cerebral and charismatic agent of the Phoenix Foundation for Research. A different hero even by the standards of today’s TV series, MacGyver had an exaggerated fear of heights. He was also a pacifist who never relied on weapons, but instead on the ability to deploy his brain and think his way out of dangerous situations. MacGyver’s boss and best buddy was Pete Thornton (Dana Elcar). Pete regularly sends MacGyver on missions and oftentimes comes to his rescue (mostly in the moments after MacGyver has saved himself and someone else). MacGyver is also often accompanied by his airplane pilot friend Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill) who constantly gets himself and MacGyver into compromised predicaments with his illegal activities and hair-brained schemes. Along with the usual bad guys, archenemy Murdoc (Michael Des Barres) is MacGyver’s constant nightmare. With something interesting always in the works, there isn’t a boring episode of this fascinating series…
The MacGyver (Season 3) DVD features a number of action-packed episodes including the season premiere “Lost Love” in which a woman from MacGyver’s past (a woman he once loved) returns to his life. She also happens to be a known Soviet dissident who begs for his help in aiding her escape from the evil regime. But before MacGyver can help, the KGB kidnaps her and demands a priceless artifact as her ransom, leaving MacGyver as the only man who can save her… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “The Widowmaker” in which MacGyver mourns the death of his friend at the hands of a former enemy, and “Mask of the Wolf” in which Jack and MacGyver aid in the search for an ancient Indian wolf mask while two mercenaries follow their trail…
Below is a list of episodes included on the MacGyver (Season 3) DVD:
Episode 45 (Lost Love: Part 1) Air Date: 09-21-1987
Episode 46 (Lost Love: Part 2) Air Date: 09-28-1987
Episode 47 (Back from the Dead) Air Date: 10-05-1987
Episode 48 (Ghost Ship) Air Date: 10-19-1987
Episode 49 (Fire and Ice) Air Date: 10-26-1987
Episode 50 (GX-1) Air Date: 11-02-1987
Episode 51 (Jack in the Box) Air Date: 11-09-1987
Episode 52 (The Widowmaker) Air Date: 11-16-1987
Episode 53 (Hell Week) Air Date: 11-23-1987
Episode 54 (Blow Out) Air Date: 12-21-1987
Episode 55 (Kill Zone) Air Date: 01-04-1988
Episode 56 (Early Retirement) Air Date: 01-18-1988
Episode 57 (Thin Ice) Air Date: 02-01-1988
Episode 58 (The Odd Triple) Air Date: 02-29-1988
Episode 59 (The Negotiator) Air Date: 03-07-1988
Episode 60 (The Spoilers) Air Date: 03-14-1988
Episode 61 (Mask of the Wolf) Air Date: 03-28-1988
Episode 62 (Rock the Cradle) Air Date: 04-18-1988
Episode 63 (The Endangered) Air Date: 05-02-1988
Episode 64 (Murderer’s Sky) Air Date: 05-09-1988
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the MacGyver (Season 3) DVD.
The Incredibles (Movie Review)
Nominated for four Academy Awards, and winner of Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, The Incredibles is one of the best animated films ever produced. A cross between Toy Story, Superman, and Office Space, it provides an endless array of action sequences, visual creativity, and well-delivered humor. Director Brad Bird (who’s directed a few episodes of The Simpsons) not only creates a memorable film, but also voices one of the star characters of The Incredibles, Edna Mode. And following in the rich tradition of animated classics such Bambi (1942), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and The Lion King (1994), Walt Disney Pictures teams up once again with Pixar Animation Studios (with whom it collaborated on Finding Nemo) to produce a film both children and adults will love with equal verve and passion…
The Incredibles is set in the fictional cartoon township of Metroville (a hybrid of Superman’s two homes, Metropolis and Smallville). Metroville is home to a number of miraculous superheroes who do everything from hunting down evil murderers to saving cats stuck in trees. Foremost among the superheroes is Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) who resembles Superman in both strength and style. Shortly after Mr. Incredible’s marriage to the vivacious Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), a surge in civil lawsuits and other unwarranted torts are brought against the superheroes by the people they save, who cite numerous damages to their person as a result of being saved. The rash of legal action, and the strain it places on the local governmental budget, turns the tide of public opinion against the superheroes and forces them underground.
Harbored by the government witness protection program, Mr. Incredible has assumed a new identity - that of Bob Parr, an ordinary middle-class suburbanite who works as an Insurance Claims Specialist. Cowering in his cubicle, Bob Parr must deal with the typical travails of a 9-to-5 job, a boss he hates, and regulations he feels are immoral and hurtful to the company’s clients. Meanwhile, Elastigirl is now known as Helen Parr, and she’s grown comfortable in her new role as a housewife rearing the couple’s three suppressed-superhero children - Violet (a shy girl with the ability to turn invisible), Dash (a cocky boy with the ability to run super fast), and Jack Jack (a baby with no as-of-yet-known super powers). All goes well until Mr. Incredible, anxious to return to life of helping people, is approached by a super secret government organization hoping to enlist his aid. When it turns out to be part of an elaborate conspiracy hatched by the evil Syndrome (Jason Lee), a former Mr. Incredible sycophant turned bad, Elastigirl and the entire Parr family must risk blowing their cover in order to save Mr. Incredible, and the world, from certain doom…
The Incredibles deserves a spot on anyone’s list of the Top 100 films ever made. It really is that good. The musical score, composed by Michael Giacchino (know for his work on Alias), sneers at today’s digital multi-track recording in favor of the old-school analog recordings of the 1960s in its effort to recreate the jazz-orchestra ambience often associated with the golden age of comic books. This attention to the form and detail of the story sets the tone for The Incredibles. And that’s why the film is an absolute must-see. Its meticulous blend of sound and visuals, coupled with an utterly hilarious - if not ingenious script - makes The Incredibles a solid contender for the best film of 2004…
About the Author
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Incredibles (DVD).
Movies: What Would Life Be Like Without Them?
Have you ever thought about how your life would be if there were no movies? You probably haven’t and that is because we all take them for granted but lets think about movies, both the good and the bad a little, shall we?
Movies are one of the most common forms of entertainment there is in our world. This is because they allow us to escape our world and enter into another world for a couple of hours and gives our immediate concerns a rest. They allow us to travel to worlds we will never be able to experience otherwise. They bring excitement and intensity of emotion that we would not have otherwise. These are all pretty good things right? And probably some of the main reasons that they are so popular.
On the flip side movies create unrealistic expectations and make unhealthy lifestyles and choices look appealing. This is especially true for those of us who have grown up in this age of technology. You see back when movies were simpler it was easier to separate them from reality. Now however the special effects and computer animations create such realism that it is confusing our kids. You’ve heard stories in the news about a child being killed or seriously hurt by another child because they were acting out something they saw in a movie. The other thing is that our children are being exposed to hyper intense scenes of violence that it is surprising that more Columbine’s haven’t happened really.
And what about Hollywood’s portrayal of sex? Well lets just say that we all were really surprised the first time that we had sex. It wasn’t nearly as smooth and well coordinated as we had seen every time on the silver screen was it. What if sex was portrayed realistically as something that can be extremely good and fulfilling given that the two people are committed to each other for life and are willing to work at it? What if the fact that there is a lot of responsibility that goes with the pleasure what dealt with? Well lots of people believe that we would have far less trouble with sex at its root. Teenage sex wouldn’t be as rampant. Unwanted pregnancies would be a far smaller issue. STDs would not be spinning out of control, and on and on.
So are movies good or bad? Well the answer is both. Now the question remains, does one outweigh the other?
When not writing about movies, author Boyd Troublerr is most definitely watching them. To learn more about this wonderful form of entertainment go to www.moviesdeal.info.