Editorial Review

A simple accident of fate can change everything. It strands Sisko,Bashir, and Dax in 2024 and leaves the Defiant the sole remaining vestige of theFederation. This powerful conclusion to "Past Tense, Part 1" works not onlybecause the timeline desperately needs fixing, but also because Commander Sisko(Avery Brooks) acts as both the memory and the conscience of Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

Traditional, but contains a meaningfull message
Episode title: Past Tense, part II Kira and O'Brien rescue Sisko, Dax and Bashir from 2024 A.D.
In the second part of "Past Tense" Sisko and Bashir are trying to make sure the Bell Riots go the way history records while Dax tries to find them in the Sanctuary District.Meanwhile, O'Brien and Kira are trying to figure out a way to bring the trio back from the past.Eventually they decide the best thing to do is to bring the Defiant to the year 2024 and rescue Sisko and the others that way (although first they visit the 1930s and the 1960s before they make it to the right time).I am as sick and tired of time travel episodes on Star Trek as the next person, but "Past Tense" has the advantage of dealing with a real issue, unemployment and homelessness in the early 21st Century, as opposed to Earth being taken over by the Borg or whatever.A nice performance from Avery Brooks as Sisko playing the role of Gabriel Bell, the hero of the riots.The problems of Kira and O'Brien provide some nice comic relief touches and I like the homage to "The City on the Edge of Forever."

Past Tense Part II
This is the conclusion episode which finds Sisko, Bashir (sp), and Dax in the past on Earth.Sisko has to 'adopt' the identity of a famous person in an attempt to preserve the timeline while the 'Defiant' in orbit andprotected from the time shift attempts to find and rescue them.Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

Dr. Julian Bashir (Siddig El Fadil) tries to avoid 21st-century Earthhistory because it's "too depressing." Well, sometimes the truth hurts, and in"Past Tense," the painful reality of history—-including homelessness and theplight of the mentally ill--can’t be avoided. Thanks to a fluke transporteraccident, Sisko, Bashir, and Dax are thrown back to San Francisco during 2024,the year of the Bell Riots. Being an attractive "tattooed" white woman, Dax is"rescued" by a wealthy businessman, while the two brown-skinned officers arearrested and thrown into that hell called Sanctuary District A. In a matter ofdays, Sanctuary District A will explode into the civil disturbance that made theFederation possible.Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (4)

Finally, some time travel on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Synopsis: Ridiculously structured and unoriginal
Episode title: Past Tense Sisko, Dax and O'Brien end up in the Bell Riots of 2024 A.D.
When the Defiant returns to earth a transporter accident throws Sisko, Dax and O'Brien back in time to the year 2024, where the trio are put into custody.After all, they have neither identification cards nor credit chips.Consequently, they are thrown into a Sanctuary District, which is how Americans dealt with homelessness and unemployment in the early 21st Century.The obvious parallel is to the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation.Sisko knows enough about American history to remember that this particular Sanctuary is going to be the site of the Bell Riots, which led to the end of such places and significant reforms.The riots were named for Gabriel Bell, who was responsible for saving the lives of hostages only to be killed when the authorities retook the building.When Bell is killed before the riots begin, Sisko takes his place to protect the time line.Star Trek has always been noted for talking about contemporary social problems in the context of science fiction.Obviously "Past Tense" brings things a lot closer to home by strongly implying that the current disregard for the less fortunate in the United States is going to end up with our government violating sacred principles by treating such people as unequal.Once you get past the fact that this is yet ANOTHER time travel episode, "Past Tense" is a pretty good episode. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Features

• NTSC

Reviews (4)

Highlander the Series Season1
Highlander the Series, Season 1 is not as flashy as later seasons, but the story line is good, the shows are well done, enjoyable and give you a solid base for Highlander lore. Hardcore Highlander Fan
I own all of the Highlander movies, as well as all of the Highlander: The Series 1-6. I don't think there was ever a better series on T.V. Not only is Adrian Paul fantastic to look at, the theme and messages were very well thought out. Since it appealed to a young(er) audience (& yes there was violence) but it taught overcoming adversity, fighting for what you believe in, and that doing the right thing is important (especially when you live forever) it spans all emotions: humor,love,sadness,tragedy and more, all of the things that make up LIFE. I highly recommend all of the series, start with the first and keep going til the end, it is better than any series on T.V. today.

Quite good
People don't believe me when I say that the TV serious had many episodes that are better than the films, but it's true. This series was very creative, and thrived in relative obscurity. Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action Heroes   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (6)

The most memorable leap aside from the show finale
Catch a Falling Star has to be the most memorable 'leap'.The reality of the actors playing persons who are themselves actors gives this leap a great sense of being actually there watching as the show is being made.A most memorable line from Dean Stockwell (Al) as he describes the emotion of his real-life vs pseudo-reality while being scanned in close by the camera "all eyes focused on yourself" is fantastic.You are able to think about both the actual story AND about what it must be like to make the series at the same time.Plus, Sam not only gets his girl, he shows a darker side and wishes the person he is supposed to save "breaks his arrogant ass".It is so un-Sam-like and yet so human (he is jealous). Of course Sam comes through in the end and marches off stage into his next Leap with Al by his side - but for 50 wonderful minutes you feel as if you have been there too.

Essential QL
Like Shock Theatre and The Leap Home, Catch a Falling Star is a "must have" for any true Quantum Leap lover. This episode showcases Scott Bakula's singing talent.The episode was written using Man of La Mancha as a metaphor for the friendship between Sam and Al for Don Quiote and Sancho. Very moving.

I ordered for Catch A Falling Star on 4/26 & haven't rec'd
I ordered & paid for Catch A Falling Star on 4/26 through Paypal. I've e'd the seller a few times with no results!I won't deal through him again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (13)

Likely the best tv episode I've seen
While I've certainly not seen every television show ever made, I've seen quite a bit.I'm not a huge QL fan, but I don't know if I've ever seen anything this good.Not perfect, but I still tear up a little thinking about the ending.Try to see parts 1 and 2 consecutively if you can. Quantum Leap:The Leap Home
"Quantum Leap" is my favorite show of all time and I never missed an episode.I wish it never went off the air!I have to say that my favorite episodes are "The Leap Home" when Sam leaps into himself as a teenager and then into his brother's sqad in Vietnam.The two parts are extremely moving.The very last scene of part two still gives me chills.The acting is superb by both Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell (as always).I highly recommend "The Leap Home" and any of the other episodes!

Unfair Trading Practices!
These videos are excellent and well worth buying. I am, however, extremely disappointed that Quantum Leap is NOT available to English customers. On www.amazon.co.uk, Quantum Leap is only available in the books. Which sadly fail to live up to the series. Why are the videos only for sale to America and Canada. Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

It seems pretty cute now to think about those first dozen or so episodes of Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (9)

The Planet Of The Bubbleheaded Bimbos!
Star Trek the Next Generation was and still is one of my favorite TV shows and I'm a fan who actually likes Wesley Crusher though I do admit that they sometimes went a little overboard with the whole boy genius thing but anyway This is not my favorite Wesley Crusher episode, and I agree that this episode is like watching a really bad B movie and I can just see Mystery Science Theater making fun of this episode and the goofy characters from the planet of the bimbos and their cheap flimsy costumes! Out of every episode made of Star Trek: The Next Generation I only disliked a few episodes and this is one of my least favorite ones.

the self-righteous and the horny humble the Enterprise crew
After depositing human colonists on an unhabited M-class planet, the Enterprise discovers yet another M-Class planet in a nearby system and goes to investigate. They find a race of people called the Edo, who are remarkably human in appearance. They are childlike, but as Geordi says, "they make love at the drop of a hat," and Tasha Yar chimes in, "ANY hat." Supposedly, Yar, the security chief has reviewed all the laws on the planet and they plan to send an away team to make first contact and to see if the planet is safe for them to send the entire crew for a long-awaited shore leave. This has got to be one of the stupidest set-ups on TNG. Pullease! The Federation only makes first contact with a warp-capable species, and only after watching the people for months to study their customs - but in this first season, the writers were still figuring this stuff out - thank goodness they finally pulled their heads out of their butts!
"When has justice been as simple as a rulebook?"
Star Trek: The Next Generation crosses over into camp and B-movie territory with its depiction of the Edo civilization in "Justice."Yet if somehow you are able to look past the scantily-clad surfer boys and beach bunnies, this episode still manages to come across as ridiculous as Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) interprets the Federation's sacred Prime Directive in so liberal a manner as to invite guffaws.How this episode made it past the initial brainstorming stage has to be one of the more puzzling mysteries of modern times.Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

This two-hour finale of Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (31)

Totally fitting
"Star Trek - The Next Generation" aimed for more style, more depth, and more complexity than its predecessor, as a way to take Gene Roddenberry's concept a step further, and they usually succeeded.
Better than any of the movies.
While the original crew had it better with the movies, The Next Generation was the only Star Trek TV series that I watched consistently. The show had a cast that at least equalled that of the original, boasted better production values, and plots that were intriguing and touched on varieties of concepts that Kirk, Spock, and Bones never got the chance to explore. Deep Space Nine was too mired into the whole "war of the quadrants" to explore any ideas with real satisfaction, and while Voyager had the best effects and the best premise, the cast was middling at best. As for Enterprise, hell, I tried to watch one episode and got too damn bored. The End
This final episode of TNG stands alone as an all-time classic science fiction episode. "All Good Things", (co-directed by David Carson, from Star Trek: Generations) moves back and forth across time in an eye-appealing way. It's very fulfilling to see Picard deal with both his past, present, future, and Q to top it all off! A great way to end the series. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

The dubious introduction of the Ferengi, subjects of advance hype about a "new alien threat" on Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (5)

Poor way to introduce the Ferengi
While this episode accomplishes one very positive thing, namely introducing the Ferengi to Star Trek lore, it does so in two very bad ways. The first is that the Ferengi are presented as sniveling liars, hardly creatures that would be expected to create mighty star ships and civilizations that span multiple planets. The second is that the storyline from the original series episode "Arena" is reused. TNG episodes that reuse plot devices from the original series always seem to lack some of the fire of their forebears. "Yankee traders, I like the sound of that."
Star Trek: The Next Generation's first attempt to introduce a trademark villain to its new series in "The Last Outpost" did not bear fruit as the Ferengi proved not to have the widespread appeal of the Klingons or the Romulans.Their capitalistic orientation, oversized ears, sexist ideals, and diminutive stature characterized them more as comedic foils rather than enduring and worthy adversaries. The Fury of the Ferengi
The Ferocious Ferengi Strike Back!Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Features

• NTSC

Reviews (1)

An entertaining rookie debut by Allison Anders.
Border Radio was the first film made by the nowfamous Independent filmmaker Anders. the filmmade before her groundbreaking GAS, FOOD,AND LODGING WAS TITLED AFTER THE L.A. ROCKABILLY BLASTERS song,BORDER RADIO.Thefilm takes placein a small Texas town,where a murder takes place.I can'tsay much more but if you're a Indie Filmfan you will definitely like thisfilm. A firstfilm so you should'nt expect great anything.Butdefinitely afun film. It was made and developedwhile Anders was still at the SundanceInstitutein 1986,so you can prepare yourself for a cheaptreat,but a goodone. Good soundtrack,too.Withcameos' by BLASTERS front man Dave Alvin, andXVocals man John Doe. Give this film a try, please.....c. 1987. ALLISON ANDERS. SUNDANCE INSTITUTE. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Musicals   

Editorial Review

By defining one of the show's most effective trademarks--the combination of the unbelievably monstrous with the recognizably human--Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (7)

A charming piece of vintage.
During its nine years on the air, The X-Files managed a distinct new flavor to each season, but some of its founding components never changed."Squeeze" is entertaining in both respects: as the prototype for Season One and for the so-called "monster-of-the-week" episodes in general.Though it was aired as the second, it was written to be the first serial episode after the Pilot, and is accordingly packed with character development and one of the cleverest monster concepts ever.The unfolding of his mystery happens in many layers.As a sub-plot, Scully must wrestle with Mulder's reputation, (which he proceeds to milk for all its sardonic worth) its reflection on her, and the opportunity to be reassigned.Clashing and flirting are in high pitch in the smart dialogue, while the freshman agents (Anderson was only 24) look endearingly wet behind the ears."Tooms," as a sequel episode towards the end of the season, is less inventive than the first, but cute nonetheless, and somewhat of a trail marker in the heroes' relationship.

Still the best X File I've seen
A series of murders in the Baltimore area have the FBI baffled. Most of the victims were found with their doors and windows locked from the inside - and their livers removed with bare hands. When Mulder and Scully lookback through old case files, they discover the pattern of the murdersstretching back for almost a century, with thirty year gaps in between.Soon they have a suspect ...but it can't be. Eugene Victor Tooms isn't ahundred years old. Besides, he couldn't have got through that tiny airvent. These episodes were awsome!
Tooms was such a cool episode. Any X files fan would love this, it is really suspenseful.Scully (my fave) and Muler's relationship grows stronger in this episode.As for Squeeze, that episode was just plain oldcool! If you like the X Files, these are the episodes thatt you shouldget! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

Luchino Visconti's adaptation of the Thomas Mann novel is the very definition of sumptuous:the costumes and sets, the special geography of Venice, and the breathtaking cinematography combine to form a heady experience. At the center of this gorgeousness is Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde in a meticulous performance), a controlled intellectual who unexpectedly finds himself obsessed by the vision of a 14-year-old boy while on a convalescent vacation in 1911. Visconti has turned Aschenbach into a composer, which accounts for the lush excerpts from Mahler on the soundtrack (Bogarde is meant to look like Mahler, too). Even if it tends to hit the nail on the head a little too forcefully, and even if Visconti can test one's patience with lingering looks at crowds at the beach and hotel dining rooms, Read more

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (56)

"Death in Venice" is a classic you should watch at least once, but...
"Death in Venice" (1971) is Visconti's version of the short story of the same name written by Thomas Mann. There are a few changes, but I think that the film is true to the spirit of the story. Did I love this movie? No, but I'd watch it again, because I was impressed by it.
Visconti's most lyrical, beguiling film
This is such a tragic, beautiful film.Langorous in its pacing, the film is told mainly through imagery, and evocative use of Mahler's 5th Symphony, 4th movement.It's almost like a tone poem, or a concerto itself, as it gives the viewer a true sense of sadness and death.Bogarde is superb as the dying composer, and the cinemtography is stunning.I would disagree that Bogarde's character is a homosexual who is lusting after the boy (some have said this just on the basis that Visconti was homosexual).Having read the novella this is based on, Bogarde's character sees in Tadzio the classical sense of beauty and truth, not sexual longings.He sees him as the perfect example of youth, but that doesn't necessarily mean he "wants" him.Some have called this film and the novella an advertisement for pedophilia, and that is grossly unfair and ridiculous.Thomas Mann is one of my favorite writers, and Visconti has made a film worthy of the original text.This is my favorite Visconti film, slightly ahead of The Leopard (the uncut version, of course).
Very sad but beautiful
Dirk Bogarde brought a sadness to his character that made me cry everytime he was on screen, especially when he went to the mens beauty shop, trying to look younger to attract the young boy he was infatuated with.Every shot in this movie looks like a painting.It was so beautiful and, dare I say it again, sad. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama   

Editorial Review

The first of many episodes of Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (8)

Fine Early X-Files Episodes
This X-Files VHS contains two episodes, both with original airdates in 1993.I like the VHS because it contains commentary by X-Files creator Chris Carter.The commentary airs before the show, and does contain a bit of spoiler, but if you have already seen these episodes years ago on TV, watching the commentary enhances the viewing experience.
A good near-intro to the show
As a die-hard fan of "X-Files", I have always had a fondness for "Conduit", one of the very earliest episodes.This is a thoughtful and somewhat melancholy story which gives some of the first background about the disappearance of Mulder's sister when they were kids, and how that event continues to play into Mulder's adult life.This ep has some lovely "X-Filey" images: bikers riding in the woods at night; Kevin Morris' haunting drawing of the missing Ruby; the white wolves at the lake campsite; Mulder contemplating a snapshot of Samantha at the end.It's also nice to see Carrie Snodgress (who, sadly, just passed away) in the lead guest role."Conduit" is a more emotional and introspective story, while "Ice" is more of an action/thriller. "Ice" is also a good ep, but I've always thought it to be overrated in the series.It IS derivative of "The Thing" - not that that's so awful (after all, "Conduit" samples "Poltergeist").But the "science" of the writers' premise keeps falling into rather large plot holes, the guest characters are somewhat paint-by-numbers, the CGI effects leave something to be desired, and the identity of the "villain" is really not set up effectively, so to me it's just not as good an ep as it's often made out to be.The increasing paranoia of the characters is done well though (which helps to disguise the weaknesses in the story), and director David Nutter does a terrific job with the claustrophobic location - the ep looks just great.I would recommend this tape to someone who's unfamiliar with the show and wants to start at or near the beginning, but I think the other two tapes in Wave 1 ("Pilot"/"Deep Throat" and "Fallen Angel"/"Eve") are stronger.

"Ice" is a landmark.
"Conduit" is entirely forgettable, but "Ice," right out of the first season, is one of the scariest episodes ever--not from manipulative shock value, but essential drama. The real monster in this episode is fear, which can possess anyone with irrational violence at any time; the contagious worm is most frightening as a metaphor for this. The script is tight and the tension stellar, especially between the two leads, who let loose a little more panic than usual.The baby-faced young Scully charges around in a flnnel shirt and a sun-bleached, moisture-crimped ponytail, with unusually prominent authority as a scientist.The irony between the agents' first-season innocence and bewilderment and the intelligence of their dialogue and actions is in high relief. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (4)

And you wonder why your brother hates you
This is one of my favourites TNG episodes. There isn't a great deal of action in it, and if you aren't a fan of Data you might not find it so interesting. But it is a good story in its own right, well-written and with some excellent set design. There is also some significant character insight and background explanation, with the seeds of future events being sown. You do need to have seen "Datalore" first. Okay, which android gets the emotion chip from Daddy?
The Enterprise is dealing with a medical emergency, taking a dying boy to a Starbase equipped to save his life, when Data goes into a trance.When life support on the bridge fails everyone evacuates except Data, who takes over the ship, flies it to a strange planet and beams down.Data then walks into the workshop of an old man, who turns out to be Data's creator Dr. Noonian Soong.However, that is not the only surprise as Data's "brother" Lore also arrives in a trance.Soong explains to them that he had implanted a homing device in their positronic brains that allowed him to summon them.Soong is dying, but he has a final gift for Data: an emotion chip.However, Lore wants this final gift from Daddy for himself. "Brothers" Shows Spiner's Acting Ability
This is one of my favorite Next Generation episodes because it features Brent Spiner in three roles: Data, Lore and Dr. Soong.It's amazing to me, when I watch all three characters in the same scene -- all played by thesame actor -- to realize that each character's personality and eachperformance is so distinctly different from the others.A lesser actorcouldn't have pulled this off... This episode (along with ones like"Datalore" and "Masks", which allow Spiner to playmultiple characters in the space of a 45-minute episode) is a gem.Amust-have for all Spiner and Trek fans.Buy this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. TV Shows    4. Television   

Editorial Review

The holodeck needs a bit of maintenance, so the Read more

Features

• Closed-captioned
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (7)

The personality of Minuet raises philosophical questions
One of my two pet peeves concerning Star Trek is how often the holodeck malfunctions. I can accept a failure that makes a generated character sound like an old 45 rpm record running at 33 rpm or having a character move like the old slow motion scenes in the television series `The Six-Million Dollar Man.' However, the failures where people are locked in and everything else functions without so much as a hiccup exceed my credibility quotient. In this episode, everyone involved in the creation got the use of the holodeck right and that is what makes it one of the best episodes of the series.
why to the binary Bynars spell their names with a Y?
The Enterprise docks at Starbase 74 so that the Bynars, a species of twins that speak in binary code and have become dependent on computers for their very survival, can upgrade the ship's computer. Why the master computer core of the flagship of the fleet is handed over to an alien species is beyond me - especially since they are not Federation citizens and they obviously neglected to do a background check on these individuals.
"Believe it or not, Worf is developing a sense of humor."
A year before the Borg made their grand debut, the theme of interdependency between organic beings and technology was explored in "11001001."Even though the pale-skinned assimilators made more of a long-lasting impression, you gotta wonder why they never adopted the Bynars' strategy of duping Starfleet officers with attractive holograms - if this episode was any indication, it seemed like a pretty effective strategy to distract Starfleet officers.