Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Seasons 1 - 3 - DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***

SEASON 1

From the moment that Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn (Jane Seymour) first stepped from the stagecoach into the mud of Colorado Springs, TV audiences had a new destination on Saturday nights. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman won popular and critical acclaim--including five Emmy® awards--with its tales of courage, conviction and romance on the American frontier. When the show was cancelled after six seasons, it sparked one of the largest viewer protests in TV history.

This comprehensive collector's set gathers all 17 episodes from the groundbreaking first season--plus a host of exclusive extras--on 5 DVDs. Old fans will delight in revisiting favorite moments, like Dr. Mike's first kiss from Sully (Joe Lando) and General Custer's visit to town, while newcomers will be captivated by the gripping, family-friendly stories and painstaking authenticity. Return to Colorado Springs for the unforgettable first season of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

17 episodes on 5 discs
"Jane Seymour: Hollywood's English Rose" episode of A&E Biography
Interactive tour of 19th-century Colorado Springs
Series awards and honors
Jane Seymour and Joe Lando biographies
Photo gallery


SEASON 2

In an age when women are expected to be seen but not heard, Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn is a renegade, an independent spirit who forsakes her home in genteel Boston for the rough-and-tumble life of the frontier. But the prejudice she encountered back east pales in comparison to the challenges awaiting in Colorado Springs...

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman breathed new life into a tired genre and brought families together around the TV for six seasons with its refreshing take on the Western, blending a distinctly modern sensibility with painstaking historical authenticity and tales of courage, conviction and romance.

24 episodes on seven discs
"Beginnings" featurette
Awards and honors
Boarding House: guest stars



SEASON 3

This collection features all 25 episodes from the third season of the five-time Emmy Award winner starring Jane Seymour and Joe Lando.

25 episodes on eight discs
Commentary by Jane Seymour and Joe Lando on the double episode "For Better or for Worse"
"Highlights": a featurette





***VIDEO QUALITY***

DR. Quinn arrives on DVD with a 480i transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. While a nice improvement over the old VHS recordings of the show some of you or your folks may have unfortunately there wasn't a full remaster done. Viewing the 3 seasons in consecutive order give me the chance to notice the picture quality improving ever slightly through the seasons. There is inherent softness in the image and a light amount of grain. A keen eye will also notice dirt and scratches . The period clothing lends itself to some warm colors and earth tones. Overall an okay presentation in regards to anyone who was a fan of the show when it originally aired. 6.5/10





***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track. Nothing to write home about, but then again this is a talky drama. Dialogue was clean for the most part but there were a few instances of scratchy or muffled tones. Dynamics were flat with nary a hint of panning effects or any bass to speak of. The musical score came across fine. 5/10

The Third Reich: Rise & Fall - DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***

In History Channels two-part, four-hour Special Presentation: THIRD REICH, rare and never-before-seen amateur footage tells the epic story of the Third Reich as it's never been told before: through the eyes of the people who lived it.

THIRD REICH: THE RISE
A unique perspective on the rise of Nazi Germany and how millions of people were so vulnerable to fascism, told through rare and never-before-seen amateur films shot by the Germans who were there.

THIRD REICH: THE FALL
How did the Germans experience the Allied victory in WWII? Rarely-and never-before-seen amateur films recount the catastrophic downfall of the Third Reich through the eyes of the people who lived it: the Germans themselves.


***MOVIE REVIEW***

If you have even a casual interest in what happened in the era that Adolf Hitler made life on Earth a living hell for so many then you owe it to yourself to watch this amazing documentary. The story starts with a young Hitler and examines how he became to be evil personified and rose to power in Germany. Never before seen amateur footage captured during this horrific era sheds a new light and look at the Nazi Party. There are interesting German newsreel recordings as well, that help transport the viewer into the events that shaped the world and also spawned the "Greatest Generation". It is jaw dropping to see tens of thousands of Nazi stormtroopers goose-steeping in unison.

The holocaust is looked at in haunting detail and some of the footage is disturbing but necessary to learn from. What is different from past documentaries is the life for Germans that just wanted to remain peaceful and never supported Hitler and his Nazi regime, but still had to deal with the consequences left after the War had ended and they were left to pick up the pieces. The narration that leads you throughout is excellent. I was stunned by some of the things I saw as I watched this series and now a have a better understanding from all parties involved. I highly recommend you take the time to watch this. 9/10



***VIDEO QUALITY***
Third Reich arrives on DVD with a 480i transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. There are a variety of sources that were used to bring this story to life. A majority of footage was shot on cameras by amateurs and in black & white. Black levels were remarkably strong for this vintage. The brief scenes of color contain deep reds of the Nazi banners, and earthy browns on clothing. Detail was okay while there was inherent softness in the image due to the source and not the transfer. Overall this is a good presentation. 7/10



***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track. Dialogue reproduction is key here and it was consistently crisp and clean in regards to the narration. Music cues have a decent heft to them that adds to the foreboding theme. Complements the on screen material well. 7/10

Exclusive WWE Elimination Chamber 2011 - DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***

Six superstars vie for ultimate supremacy inside an unforgiving steel structure. At stake is a world championship and a date with the main event at WrestleMania. Six Raw superstars will battle in the elimination chamber for the WWE Championship and six of SmackDown s best will fight for the World Heavyweight Championship. In addition, other singles and tag team matches will have long-term ramifications on WrestleMania 27.




***MOVIE REVIEW***

This was without a doubt one of the best PPV shows in at least a year. The main events as well as the under card were well worked and exciting matches. John Morrison once again displayed athleticism that most mortals can only dream about. Trish Stratus gets a great reaction for her return and then proceeds to foul it with a so so promo and wearing high heels she was very clumsy.

Alberto Del Rio was excellent in his opening match with Kofi Kingston and shows why he is a deserving #1 contender at WrestleMania XXVII. Jerry "The King" Lawler and The Miz had the crowd eating out of their hand by the end of their well paced and exciting match. The fans in attendance started believing that Lawler may actually win his first WWE Cahmpionship, but alas it wasn't meant to be and now he is working in a superb program with Michael Cole. The Smackdown and Raw chamber matches took their place among the best ever in that monstrosity of steel and torture. All the top stars had their working shoes on for this evening and this is a worthy follow up to the highly anticipated "Super Bowl of Wrestling". Here is the full match listing:

Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston

Edge (c) vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Wade Barrett vs. The Big Show vs. Kane vs. Drew McIntyre - (World Heavyweight Championship Smackdown Elimination Chamber Match)

Santino Marella (c) & Vladimir Kozlov (c) vs. Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel - (World Tag Team Championship Match)

The Miz (c) w/ Alex Riley vs. Jerry "the King" Lawler - (WWE Championship Match)

John Cena vs. John Morrison vs. R-Truth vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. CM Punk - (Raw Chamber Match to determine the # 1 Contendor for WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXVII)




***VIDEO QUALITY***
Elimination Chamber 2011 arrives on DVD with a 480i transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This is a bright and colorful presentation. Primary colors are well saturated. Detail was good and the crowd was easily viewable. There were some light compression artifacts during ring entrances. Overall a consistently strong release. 8/10



***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The best part of the presentation is the entrance music which is provide with some decent bass. The commentary was crisp and clean throughout. Surround channels are mostly used for atmospheric crowd din and light bleeding of the theme music. 7/10



***SPECIAL FEATURES***

* The Rock & John Cena RAW February 21, 2011 - Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks you've seen this all time great promo and as you know it is pure GOLD