5 comments about Mystery, Alaska.

1. I wasn't sure if I would like this movie because I do not like Russell Crowe at all. The only reason I agreed to sit through it was that the rest of the ensemble cast was so good. I ended up enjoying this film. Who doesn't like a film where you can root for the underdog? The hockey team in Mystery, Alaska ends up playing an exhibition game against the New York Rangers. Everyone has the same question - can they compete? This is a movie that can appeal to many because while there are some very funny moments, there is also a lot of drama.



2. I wasn't going to purchase this film because as others stated it included Burt Reynolds and Russell Crowe and it was about hockey, but I happened to catch it on one of the movie channels and found that I actually enjoyed it. It's listed as a drama/comedy but there is more drama than comedy. Perhaps if there had been more comedy I would give it the full 5 stars but as I stated Mr's Reynolds and Crowe and hockey aren't my cup of tea. Still it had a lot going for it and is worth seeing.



3. "This is a hockey town." If you care even just a little about this sport, you must see this movie.



4. This is a great family . It has great actors and they all seem to work well together. My first copy was destroyed due to to many viewings. But,Just replaced it. It is a must see.



5. It was shipped quickly, and I really appreiciate that. Great seller. I would deffinately buy from them again.

5 comments about Caveman.

1. I remember seing this on video many years ago. Finally came out on DVD and I grabbed it. It's a classic. There are only about 3-4 words spoken in English. The rest is just a mixture of grunts and weird-sounding words, but the message gets across. See how fire was REALLY discovered. See how man REALLY started to walk upright. It's all tongue-in-cheek. It's all good.



2. This movie is not known by very many people which is sad. This is a GREAT movie and we quote from it almost as much as Monty Python's, The Holy Grail. Maybe partially cause they don't talk much in it. LOL. It's a lot of silly fun and the whole family can watch if they want. We love to sing the campfire song.....or at least kind of hum it. :)



3. Ok, this is a truly brainless film, I admit it. It's just one those films that is so stupid it has a endearing appeal. Ringo Starr in one of the last movies I remember him being in, Barbara Bach -- THE SPY WHO LOVED ME really did wonders for her career, eh? Also a young Dennis Quaid and Shelly Long. Mustn't forget the doped up T-Rex!



4. This movie cracks me up...when I First Saw it when i was about 9 or 10 years old on cable and could'nt wait until i owned it myself.. Thanks



5. This movie was a gift for someone very special in my life. He enjoyed it very much. It brought back memories of his teen years. Thank you so much for your quick response time.
   
   [...]

5 comments about White Squall.

1. Two things really struck me about this film: the sea action was beautifully filmed, and the development of the characters was well done. This, more than any other movie I've seen, shows what being on a windjammer in the open sea must be like. There's lots of action footage of actual heavy seas as well as excellent special effects. The changes the kids, who truly become young men, go through are very well done. Knowing that this is a true story makes it particularly compelling.



2. The picture and sound quality are excellent, but the widescreen version is the worst fit for a 16:9 television screen I've come across. It doesn't go all the way to the edge without stretching it and no matter how I fiddle with the aspect ratio on the television, it just doesn't work right. No other widescreen film on dvd have I had this sort of problem with, it's just a bit TOO letterboxed.



3. I rented this movie many years ago and bought it from Amazon with "Wind" which is another great sailing movie. White Squall is a good family movie telling the story of a group of boys who learn to work as a team, find courage and learn the life of a sailor. Highly recommend.



4. The movie tells the true story of a group of boys finishing high school on board a sailing ship in the early 60's. It's a coming of age film in a sense and there is the requisite high jinks and conflict that must fill in the gaps of an otherwise thoughtful journey that must come to a dramatic climax.
   
   Most everything comes together nicely and if you like the ocean, sailing ships or going on a journey into the unknown, you would do well to see this movie. Nothing too silly or gratuitous.
   
   The original music is very nice and even haunting at times.
   
   As you watch it, think of a journey you want to take and let it inspire you to make it so. The opening sequence with Scott Wolf doing the voiceover and setting the stage for what is yet to come is simple, but compelling as he embarks upon his quest for meaning.
   
   The ending with Jeff Bridges and the final summation by Wolf is powerful. It's a story of change and who among us can't identify with that.
   
   Finally, enjoy the very appropriately chosen tune by Sting called "Valparaiso" as the credits roll.



5. Great movie. You don't see much of Scott Wolf anymore but the movie is great and all of the actors made you a part of the story.
   I recommend it if you like movies set on the ocean or boats. I guess it is also a god disaster movie too.

5 comments about Foxes.

1. This film is something of a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug use, but underneath it, it also presents a very cynical view of humanity in general. Following the lives of four teenage girls in Los Angeles, circa 1979, it consists of episodes tied together by the thinnest of plot lines. Everything appears trashy, ugly and venal. The city is run down and dilapidated. The teenagers lead barren lives that alternate between mindless drunken brawls and bouts of despair. The adults are scarcely better, empty, dysfunctional, older but little wiser. All the characters are intellectually shallow. Still, there are some powerful moments. The dream-like soft-focus introduction contrasts the softness of the girl's bodies with the harshness of the environment they live in. Cherrie Currie, herself a rock singer in real life, is completely believable as a drugged-out delinquent who is sexually attracted to drug-pushing thugs. The one uplifting element is Jodie Foster's performance as the only person who remains caring and compassionate in a chaotic world.



2. I can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie in the last 25 years or so. Granted, some of the little plot twists are a bit hokey, but as a whole I think the movie stands up well. I do wish there was something in the way of "bonus features" though. It'd be nice to have had audio commentary from Cherie Currie, or Jodie Foster. And it certainly would be nice to have had some more additional concert footage of Angel! I know there is more, as I attended that concert taping at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.



3. Foxes was a movie that surprised me with how gritty and accurate it was, then and now. I was 22 when this flick came out in 1980, and it quite realistically sums up the end of the 1970s. I recall the 70s as being far from the Happy Face, Brady Bunch era they're often remembered as in pop media these days. My high school experiences from '72 to '76 were much more like the grubby, druggy, post-Watergate-and-60s-hangover jaded teen pessimism portrayed in this movie. Jodie Foster is outstanding as the capable, common-sense teen lead, and Cherie Currie does a great job as the train-wreck tight-jeans doomed sexpot chick who's headed for the trailer park, pimp's stable, or morgue slab--take your best guess which. U-hadda-be-there, I guess. Great girl-point-of-view coda to the 1970s, and very recognizable to those of us who grew up in that era. Gritty and real. Superior movie, redolent of it's time.



4. Foxes is a coming of age drama about four teenage girls growing up in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles. It attempts to be a gritty behind the scenes look at the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of teenagers in the late 70's, but it comes off more akin to another force feeding of aerosol cheese by director Adrian Lyne. Jodie Foster is like the den mother of the Foxes in question, and while she is always interesting in whatever role she is playing, this is a tremendous waste of her talents. She tries to manage the situations and solve all the problems of her three friends, but it is beyond her capability. While she seeks to control the personal lives of her friends, who they date, and so forth, what of her own love life?
   
   The closest she comes to a love interest of her own is Brad, who is almost like a mascot for the Foxes. He is too cute and short to be taken seriously by Annie (Cherie Currie from the all girl rock group The Runaways). He is also too cute to be taken seriously by the audience. The whole time he is onscreen you are thinking, Happy Days, Joanie Loves Chachi, and Charles in Charge. Mostly though you are thinking, what is Chachi doing in this movie that purports to be a gritty behind the scenes look at the secret lives of teenage girls?
   
   Cherie Currie, as the stoner girl that Jeannie (Jodie Foster) is always trying to rescue, either from bad boys who get her drugged up for date rape, or from her psycho cop father, is a disappointment as an actress. You'd think that a rock star from the legendary rock band The Runaways would have some stage presence, but sadly she is totally lacking in charisma. It is so hard to be sympathetic for such a shallow, stupid, and doomed character. They should have picked Joan Jett, if they needed someone from The Runaways so badly. Even Lita Ford, judging by her subsequent musical career, would have been a better choice.
   
   Another bad choice: Angel, the rock band, really added little to the film. Were they supposed to show the total lack of creativity and inspiration the youth of 1980 had to draw on? If so, maybe it was a great choice. I don't remember Angel at all, and judging by what I saw in Foxes, I am grateful for the memory lapse. Speaking of bad musical choices, though, they chose a couple of songs that were totally inappropriate, just really bland pop music that didn't seem to have anything whatsover to do with anything that was even happening in the film. It was as if they owed some songwriter a favor. Was it The Beckmeier Brothers? There were some tunes by Angel that were lame, and lots of stuff by Giorgio Moroder. The only song that worked at all, and then only for a bit of late 70's nostalgia, was "More Than a Feeling" by Boston.
   
   Finally, they slap in a totally gratuitous car/skateboard chase, and a totally contrived ending. This was a very ill conceived project. The only reason to watch it is if you are totally obsessed with Jodie Foster, like Hinckley, or if you just want to confirm what a rotten director Adrian Lyne is, has been, and will always be. Foxes is one of his early efforts and also one of his worst. A far better use of your time would be to watch Valley Girl, which doesn't aspire to be any more than a light hearted comedy, but is vastly more entertaining; and has a great soundtrack featuring The Plimsouls (who perform a song live), Josie Cotton, The Psychedelic Furs, Sparks, and Modern English. Plus, you get Nicolas Cage as a Hollywood (the actual city, not as in Tinsel Town) punk rocker.
   
   FILMS DIRECTED BY ADRIAN LYNNE
   
   Fatal Attraction (Special Collector's Edition) (1987)
   9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
   Flashdance (1983)
   
   FILMS AND ROLES OF JODIE FOSTER
   
   Nell (1994) .... Nell Kellty has been raised in isolation and speaks in a language all her own. Kind of a huge chance for an actor, a chance that it will come off totally ridiculous. Mixed reviews, some saying Foster was brilliant, and others saying, yes, totally ridiculous.
   The Silence of the Lambs (Widescreen Special Edition) (1991) .... Jodie Foster won the Oscar for playing FBI Agent Clarice Starling.
   The Accused (1988) .... Another Oscar for Jodie for her role as Sarah Tobias , rape victim made to feel as if she was the accused.
   Carny (1980) .... Jodie plays Donna, who joins the carnival along with Gary Busey as a clown and Robbie Robertson from The Band as the carnival boss.
   Bugsy Malone [Region 3] (1976) .... Jodie Foster plays Tallulah, and Scott Baio is Bugsy Malone!
   Taxi Driver (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1976) .... The role of Iris Steensma, teenage hooker, who is rescued by taxi driver Travis Bickle, played by Robert DeNiro, really got Jodie Foster noticed. Unfortunately, from John Hinckley, Jr.
   Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) .... Jodie Foster plays Audrey, a young tomboy, in what will be seen as foreshadowing if the Jodie Foster bio pic ever gets made.



5. Was good and interesting. Jodie Foster is young and in this movie you can see why she did so well for herself...Good Quality

5 comments about Whatever It Takes.

1. Whatever it Takes...
   
   This movie was not even worth my time in watching it. I even heard it was so good I bought it and I hate it! I love teen/romance movies but this one was not one I will ever watch again and struggled to get through the first time!
   
   Reading the synopsis will let you know just what the plot of this movie is. My thoughts skip this one all together.



2. It's a teen exploitation movie. That means you already know the plot. Gut has hots for girl and is willing to do "whatever it takes" to get her, even be incredibly stupid. That's what the genre is all about so people should not be surprised when that happens. In essence, guys, especially young ones, tend to do hilarious things to satisfy their...desires. This movie goes a step better.
   
   Synopsis: one of the school geeks is infatuated by the head cheerleader but lives next door to the proverbial "beautiful girl next door". A cousin of the head cheerleader, a jock, wants to add the "girl next door" to his scorecard. The two guys get togther to make each other's fantasies come true. Along the way, the "nice ones" learn important lessons and the "not so nice" ones get their comeuppance. Its as predictable as the sunset. It's still funny.
   
   Where this movie does its best is in the way it charactures the popular people. They are usually depicted as shallow and vapid. They still are but are taken to new heights of idiocy. It's fun to see them get taken down a peg by some nice kids who find each other.
   
   Don't expect any education from this film. Its strictly for laughs. Its not the best but it is certainly entertaining.



3. This is your typical teen/chick flick, but it is still funny and even guys will enjoy it. But the main two reasons to get this movie: Marla Sokoloff and Jodi Lyn O'Keefe. These girls are certainly easy on the eyes and make for excellent viewing. Collin Hanks also makes what I think is his movie debut in this film.



4. This movie sure is a 90's teen movie. But if you like she's all that and all the other 90's teen movie you'll like it. If you like James Franco then you'll also like the movie. Its way back when he was young and there are good bouns features.



5. I didn't really like the smarmy guy the first time but when I saw how he contributed to the film I could appreciate him more. I love the scenes between Ryan and Maggie. They are the kind of kids you want to hang out with. Ashley is too over the top at times and not believable, i.e. the chocolate cake on the teeth scene. I go back to it and skip to the scenes with Maggie and Ryan. If you are a romantic you'll understand why.

5 comments about Hot Shots! / Hot Shots! Part Deux (Double Feature).

1. Charlie Sheen returns for part 2 which is basically a send-up of Rambo with T2, Seahunt, Apocalypse Now and Kickboxer thrown in for good measure. Sheen's Topper Harley is brought in to rescue prisoners from Irag, including several other rescue parties that got captured trying to rescue the original prisoners. Lloyd Bridges is hilarious as the president who never quite knows what's going on. Sheen does a good Rambo impersonation and they have Richard Crenna playing the same father figure role he played in the Rambo movies. There are site gags galore and clever wordplay. So much goes on you have to watch it more than once to catch everything.



2. While the Marx Brothers focuses less on sight gags and more on word play, this film reminds me of their films in many ways. It's an interesting comedy revolving around a military plot.
   
   A terrorist dictator is holding many Americans hostage, and only one man can lead the way to save them. That man is Topper Harley, who no longer wants to be a part of any war. He only fights for show now, dipping his hands in ice cream toppings just before a contest.
   
   Topper is somehow talked into the mission, and meets his girlfriend from the first movie along the way. She disguises herself as a man on a fishing boat to avoid being caught by patrol men on the river, but things erupt when she's seen entering the clearly marked women's restroom on the little boat.
   
   Topper goes on a shooting spree, leaving a body count higher than that of both Robocop and total Recall, until Hot Shots Part Deux becomes the bloodiest movie EVER! Then the hostages are set free.
   
   Topper rescues a tortured prisoner who can't walk because the terrorists tied his shoelaces together, and the good guys win after dropping a piano on the terrorist dictator.
   
   Something ridiculous happens every 10 to 30 seconds in the film, so there's plenty here to keep anybody amused. There's also a scene where the president vomits on the lap of the Japanese Emperor. Look familiar?
   
   I've never seen the first Hot Shots movie, but that in no way kept me from enjoying this great sequel. Completely absurd and highly recommended. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time.



3. This was one of the funniest movies around in the 90's, I can remember all the laughs I had in the theatre when it was on the big screen. I guarantee you even watching this today you would get more laughs than expected for this old movie double.



4. First of all, Charlie Sheen and Llyod bridges Make This Movie. The actors in the film are amazing in the fact that in a spoof you have to pretend your actually serious. So I give much props to Sheen for keeping a straight face througought the whole film. It wouldn't have been hilarious without that.
   
   Every single frame has a gag in it. The movie becomes sort of a treasure hunt to spot hilarious props and hidden jokes. For example, the Old Iraqi Beer in the fridge. If you haven't taken the time to catch all this stuff please rewind+pause. Your missing some great material. This movie really couldn't have been funnier with its premise. It had the perfect actors for the roles including Ryan Stiles who really deserves more hollywood attention. These were the days where spoofs were really thought out. I'm talking about the era before the disasters such as Scary Movie 4 and Date Movie. This movie is about pure silly humor, unlike the recent films that have been made to produce more money from tricking people to buy the movie ticket.
   
   Bottom Line: If you are old enough to watch this ronchy film, then watch it already! There are too few of days in your life to let such a great comedy pass you by. If you love Two and a Half Men so much then you should pay tribute to your sitcom actor and watch his previous films. He is actually an amazing actor, no matter what all the other critics say.



5. Awesome. Not much more to say. Both Hot Shots. One DVD. Do you even really need a review? If you seen these movies, and like them both, buy this DVD. For the price, it's a steal and a half. These are 2 of the best comedys. Funny as hell, and well worth the price. Buy this DVD. Just click the button. I'm serious. If I was joking, I'd say, a horse walks into a bar, the bartender says "Why the long face?".

5 comments about Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete Seventh Season.

1. I know that may seem a grandiose claim but Season 7 of Star Trek:The Next Generation truely represents the conclusion of an era in Star Trek that should never have been allowed to end.TNG was the most well realized and conceptualized of all the Star Trek spin off's thus far,as well as being probably THE most intellectually challanging.I would've though my endless exposure to these episodes over the years would've destroyed much of it's appeal.But that hasn't happened.So....I could give a review to every respective episode featured here but since that has been done by one too many I will focus my comments on specifics.This season offers up a lot of family oriented stories such as 'Inheritence' which explores Data meetin his "mother","Journey's End" about Wesleys fate and "Birthright" about Alexander's fate.This season also explores a number of very interesting story lines such as the real life ghost story of "Sub Rosa" all the way to the entire crew de evolving from a synthetic T-Cell defect in "Genesis".And since TNG began with one of the best Star Trek pilots ever it ended with probably the best finale ever in "All Good Things",which actually references the beginning,finding everything coming full circle,right down to an appearance by Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar.As far as the DVD it looks great;the picture is presented well and because the last several seasons were obviously filmed on state of the art film they were far easier digitally remastered then...say Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete First Season, a lot of which was filmed in 1987.I spent many a year wondering why a series like TNG,which presented the most thoughtful science fiction I've ever seen on TV,almost to the point of having the "fiction" part removed and being merely space drama,decided to make movies and not remain on TV for another four seasons or so.I believe it could've gone on that long;I really do.As much as I loved most of it 'Deep Space Nine' and even some of 'Voyager' showed heavy where and tare on quality in their later seasons;the quality of Star Trek in general was starting to slip around 1996-1999 but TNG was during a time where Star Trek could do no wrong and this really captures that spirit so well.Having TNG in 5.1 surround sound is great,as well as having the shows presented with the image quality of a theatrical film.In addition to having bonus features any lover of TNG will want to have this DVD in their collection and to anyone unlucky enough never to have seen it in it's original timeframe?Well I would;it's a significant moment in television history I wonder will ever be succeeded again,by Star Trek or anyone else.



2. This show is timeless as are all star trek shows.
   I love Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi.
   I feel she is the best of all the star trek characters.



3. The dvd came on time and in perfect condition. What more can you say?
   Always loved the series.
   Chris



4. The next generation was the series that got me back into star trek and they (the series) kept getting better and better after this. It was cool to see this blend in with DS9. I don't know how, but I've never seen the season' end until I bought this set. (There aren't many episodes I haven't seen)
   It was extremely entertaining to watch the seventh season in order. I have all seven seasons and this this one is the one I like to watch over and over (especially the season finale).



5. The case is nice, the DVD interface is easy to use, and of course, the show is incredible. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Drugstore Cowboy.

1. This Indie exceeds all expectations and genuinely takes the viewer on a "trip." Matt Dillon is perfect as the team-leader, Kelly Lynch is always seductive, and it was fun to see Heather Graham in her first film role. She plays good "dead" by the way. The film puts the viewer in a synthetic drug haze, as the team romps, steals, and abuses drugs, especially dilaudid. It is a sheer delight to see William S. Burroughs in this excellently directed drug-recovery film. I think it's Gus van Zandt's finest work because it never takes sides regarding drug use/abuse, gets the most out of Dillon's persona, and is just a very engaging story.



2. The entire film is like an extended public service announcement. Though it is entirely unclear whether the film is supposed to make you stay away from drugs... or get involved with them. My favorite scene is where a drugged-out Bob (Matt Dillon in a fabulous performance) fends off his wife's erotic dancing, saying first, "What the f*ck are you DOING?!" and then, "Whaddre you on GLUE or something?!"
   In a perfect world, the movie would end with a short segment of a glazed-eye, sweating, head-bandaged Matt Dillon, addressing the audience, clearly strung out. He wipes perspiration from his forehead, says tremulously, "Look, kids... don't you do any f*cki'n smack, OK? This is your uncle Bobby talkin' here.



3. "Drugstore Cowboy" is a great movie. It tells the story of husband and wife, Bob and Diane and the younger and more naive couple, Rick and Nadine, who act as a team to steal drugs from pharmacies and hospitals in order to stay high. They seem to have a system of stealing down, in which they steal and hit the road to another pharmacy or hospital location. Although this movie plot can seem depressing (seeing 4 people who are seriously addicted), there are a lot of humourous parts of the movie. I love the scene where Bob interacts with the scared grandma at a motel or the scene where Nadine fakes an epileptic fit. After several incidents of bad luck (when Nadine and Rick mentions dogs, Nadine leaves a hat on a bed) and Nadine's death due to overdose, Bob decides that he needs to give up drugs for good. His wife, Diane, however, seems unwilling to stop with her drug abuse. She becomes Rick's girl as Rick takes over the group. Bob gets a job "drilling holes" and sees that being sober isn't that bad.
   
   I thought this story was captivating from the first 10 minutes. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good movie.



4. This too is a good addiction drama. I thought the characters done a good job in acting. This I would suggest watching for addiction to pills.



5. One gets addicted to drugs, for sure, but that is only a small part of the business. This film tries to show how the addiction is an attitude, a social behavior, an act of belonging to a group, a community, a social class nearly, but not that far away from it. Here the dependence is threefold. First the girlfriend who is determined to stay addicted because her addiction is moderate enough to be controlled. Then the boyfriend and his own girlfriend and this time there is some status question here and to go on is to belong to a certain level of humanity, a certain level of masculinity. And then there is the wider community of the junkies, dealers and other characters in that farcical, yes farcical, melodrama. Then there are various events that make that addiction stick. The solidarity with the girlfriend with whom he was arrested, busted and jailed. He owes her to go on. Then the boyfriend who is the guarantee that he is normal, a normal male, a real male, a male in one word full stop and period. The cops are chasing them, and bad events happen. The boyfriend's girlfriend dies of an overdose one night in total solitude, while a burglary attempt in the pharmacy of a hospital fails pitifully and pathetically, and they have to get rid of the body and bury her in some woods. That makes you stick to your addiction, to your group. And yet, out of boredom and tiredness, and since one of the group has stepped out and down, he decides to do the same and get out of the hassle it has all become. And then you find out very easily how the wider social group is catching upon him. Two of his old acquaintances, now he is isolated, try to get his stash of drugs, since they are convinced he has one, they refuse to believe he has quitted, and then since they are getting nothing and nowhere they decide to shoot him dead, which they fail doing because they know nothing about using fire-arms. And there we are in the ambulance taking him away. Will he tell who attacked him or not? Will he go back to that world and that habit? We cannot know and say right away, right now. But one thing is sure. If he goes back it would not be for the physiological habit, but for the social and maybe emotional habit. Drug addiction is first of all in the mind and in the social behavior of the addict, not in his physiological parameters.
   
   Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

No comments about Operations & Supply Management wStudent DVD Rom.

5 comments about Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Second Season.

1. Star Trek Season 2 DVD set is fantastic! This is great Star Trek DVD set to own! You have the original cast in their younger days back in the 1960s! William Shatner is Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy is First Officer Mr. Spock, Deforest Kelly as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy and the rest of the original cast! Some of the great episodes in Star Trek Season 2 are Amok Time, The Domesday Machine, Mirror, Mirror, Journey to Babel, The Trouble with Tribbles, The Ultimate Computer, and Assignment: Earth! Mirror, Mirror is one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek: TOS! Buy it! Highest Possible Recommendation!



2. I grew up knowing practically every line from every episode. I am disappointed in this DVD collection because so many of the episodes are terribly blurry at times. The opening of "A Piece of the Action" shows the Enterprise bouncing from white to gray...etc. Its weird. At times, the quality is marvelous...other times...its bad!!



3. Although it is real nice having the set in one package, it is a shame that they did not have the foresight to think we might want to watch them in the order they were numbered, i.e. episode 2 before 3, 3 before 4, 4 before 5, etc. They are on the disks in air date order, which is not the correct order, if you want to watch in actual order, you must juggle between disks. Wait to purchase until the idiots at Paramount get it right. Maybe this is why sales were not so good and went from $129 - $199 per season to less than $40.00 per season.



4. Season 2 saw the full maturation of the Star Trek franchise. Gone are the awkward feeling-out episodes and the plain bad/boring episodes of the first season (e.g. "Charlie X", although "The Changeling" is pretty bad). Also gone is the awkward broadcast schedule, where uniforms and cast members appeared to change because the shows were broadcast in an apparently random order relative to their filming dates. In full flower is the Star Trek Triumvirate of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy - Spock representing cold logic (the ego?), McCoy emotional humanity (id?), and Kirk balancing the two with action (superego?). The addition of Chekov as the last "main character" of the Original Series crew is also welcome.
   
   With the rise of stories revolving around the Triumvirate, there is an inevitable diminution of secondary character interactions. That's not to say that Scotty, Uhura, et al. are not given ample screen time in some episodes (e.g. Scotty's murder trial in "Wolf in the Fold"), but we don't have many interactions between them - e.g. Sulu and Rand discussing fencing, or Uhura singing in the officer's mess. That's a minor quibble, of course, as the season is rich in fantastic and varies episodes. There are some outright comedies ("I, Mudd" doesn't work, but "Trouble with Tribbles" and "A Piece of the Action" both routinely appear at the tops of lists of favourite episode votes).
   
   Other reviews have listed the episodes for the season, but I will give a partial list of highlights, divided by classic Trek themes:
   
   1. Comedy episodes:
   - The Trouble with Tribbles: insatiable purring furballs infest the Enterprise while docked at a space station is disputed space. The Klingons pay a visit and further chaos ensues.
   - A Piece of the Action: cultural contamination by a survey ship 100 years easrlier creates a culture based on 1930's Chicago mobs. Kirk and Spock attempt to redirect the course of the planetary evolution. Contains the a memorable line uttered by Mr. Spock in a mob accent: "I'd advise yez to keep dialing" (the phone). In a recent straw poll in the local newspaper, this episode was voted "best Trek episode" of all time.
   
   2. Prime Directive episodes
   - The aforementioned A Piece of the Action
   - Patterns of Force - an historian recreates Nazi Germany on a planet at war with a neighbour
   
   3. Alien Culture
   - Amok Time and Journey to Babel - the former dealing with Vulcan mating rituals, the latter with the Father-Son relationship between Sarek and Spock.
   - Friday's Child - the Klingons and Federation fight over mining rights on a pre-technological world
   
   4. Transporter/holodeck/technology malfunction
   - Mirror, Mirror - a transporter accident sends Kirk, Uhura, McCoy, and Scotty into an alternate universe where their counterparts are genocidal empire-builders.
   
   5. Threat to all life in the galaxy/universe
   - Doomsday Machine - The USS Constellation's crew are killed by a giant superweapon, and Kirk and the Constellation's captain must figure out how to destroy it.
   - Obsession - a gaseous entity that eats red blood cells (thus killing its victim) is encountered. We learn that Kirk's first landing party command was destroyed by this same creature.
   
   The final great episode of Season 2 doesn't easily fit into a standard Trek category, and that is "Wolf in the Fold", where Scotty is charged with the multiple murders of women on a shore-leave planet. It was written by Theodore Sturgeon, who also penned "Psycho".
   
   There are extras on this disc, and they are quite good. I would have liked to have seen more text commentaries by the Okudas, and would really like to have heard some audio commentaries by the actors (both Nimoy and Shatner gave good commentaries on the ST films they directed). There are interviews with Nimoy discussing his photography career, Nichelle Nicholls on the origins of Uhura's name, and writer D.C. Fontana on the writing process, for just a few examples. Now that the price of these series have come down to more affordable levels (they were originally $100 each!), they are worth the money to see the stories uninterrupted by ads and uncut for syndication.



5. The Second Season of Star Trek: The Original Series picks up right where the first season left off in terms of mind-bending plotlines and rousing action/adventure. Without the feeling-out period that all TV shows need in order to find their correct footing, this Second Season provided the most compelling drama of the entire show. Highlights include:
   
   Amok Time: When Spock begins acting strange, Kirk brings him back to the Vulcan home world and discovers a special ritual that may have deadly consequences.
   
   Mirror, Mirror: During an intense electrical storm, certain members of the Enterprise crew are transported to an alternate dimension, where the Enterprise is ruled by an iron fist.
   
   Wolf In The Fold: When Chief Engineer Scotty is accused of muder on an alien planet, the Enterprise crew uncover the real killer (a chilling episode).
   
   The Trouble With Tribbles: A hilarious script that lightens the mood of an otherwise tense show.
   
   The Ultimate Computer: The ultimate maverick, Kirk, matches wits with the ultimate computer that technology can build.
   
   To conclude, for viewers of the first season, the Second Season of Star Trek: TOS will not disappoint you.