The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD Review

Posted by admin on June 5th, 2008 filed in Films Festival


One of the most beloved shows in television history, The Andy Griffith Show takes its viewers back to a simpler time of small town America, apple pie, and black and white television The trademark whistling theme song is one of the most recognizable in history, and the duration of the show in syndicated reruns is unrivaled by its peers. The Andy Griffith Show follows the exploits of the small town of Mayberry and its family values, no nonsense sheriff Andy. Widowed, and father to a small boy named Opie (Ron Howard), Andy is joined in Mayberry by his sidekick Deputy Barney Fife, his relative and housekeeper Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and a host of other eccentric characters.

The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Opie the Birdman” in which Opie becomes the adoptive father of several orphaned baby birds after he inadvertently kills their mother with his slingshot. Developing a personal attachment to the birds, Opie struggles with the notion that once they’re grown, he’ll have to set them free Other notable episodes include “Barney’s Sidecar” in which Barney acquires a sidecar for his motorcycle a local auction, but his daily antics quickly have all of Mayberry up in arms, and “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” in which Gomer Pyle joins the Marine Corps in order to become a man, but he’s failing miserably until Andy convinces the drill instructor to take Gomer under his wing

Below is a list of episodes included on The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 96 (Opie the Birdman) Air Date: 09-30-1963
Episode 97 (The Haunted House) Air Date: 10-07-1963
Episode 98 (Ernest T. Bass Joins the Army) Air Date: 10-14-1963
Episode 99 (The Sermon for Today) Air Date: 10-21-1963
Episode 100 (Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee) Air Date: 10-28-1963
Episode 101 (Gomer the House Guest) Air Date: 11-04-1963
Episode 102 (A Black Day for Mayberry) Air Date: 11-11-1963
Episode 103 (Opie’s Ill-Gotten Gain) Air Date: 11-18-1963
Episode 104 (A Date for Gomer) Air Date: 11-25-1963
Episode 105 (Up in Barney’s Room) Air Date: 12-02-1963
Episode 106 (Citizen’s Arrest) Air Date: 12-16-1963
Episode 107 (Opie and His Merry Men) Air Date: 12-30-1963
Episode 108 (Barney and the Cave Rescue) Air Date: 01-06-1964
Episode 109 (Andy and Opie’s Pal) Air Date: 01-13-1964
Episode 110 (Aunt Bee the Crusader) Air Date: 01-20-1964
Episode 111 (Barney’s Sidecar) Air Date: 01-27-1964
Episode 112 (My Fair Ernest T. Bass) Air Date: 02-03-1964
Episode 113 (Prisoner of Love) Air Date: 02-10-1964
Episode 114 (Hot Rod Otis) Air Date: 02-17-1964
Episode 115 (The Song Festers) Air Date: 02-24-1964
Episode 116 (The Shoplifters) Air Date: 03-02-1964
Episode 117 (Andy’s Vacation) Air Date: 03-09-1964
Episode 118 (Andy Saves Gomer) Air Date: 03-16-1964
Episode 119 (Bargain Day) Air Date: 03-23-1964
Episode 120 (Divorce, Mountain Style) Air Date: 03-30-1964
Episode 121 (A Deal is a Deal) Air Date: 04-06-1964
Episode 122 (Fun Girls) Air Date: 04-13-1964
Episode 123 (The Return of Malcolm Merriweather) Air Date: 04-20-1964
Episode 124 (The Rumor) Air Date: 04-27-1964
Episode 125 (Barney and Thelma Lou, Phfftt) Air Date: 05-04-1964
Episode 126 (Back to Nature) Air Date: 05-11-1964
Episode 127 (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) Air Date: 05-18-1964

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Andy Griffith Show (Season 4) DVD.

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Dallas (Season 4) DVD Review

Posted by admin on June 4th, 2008 filed in Films Festival


Nominated for 18 Emmys and 15 Golden Globes in its thirteen season run, Dallas is the epitome of the prime-time drama/soap opera genre. Premiering in 1978 as a five part mini-series, the show combines the usual sex and innuendo of classic afternoon soap operas with the freewheeling adventure of Texas wildcats and filthy rich capitalist oil barons. The combination of business dealings and rampant affairs tested well with both the male and female demographic, prompting CBS to make Dallas a regular part of its prime-time lineup. The result was one of the most successful television shows in history. In fact, the so-called ‘Who shot J.R.?” episode (”A House Divided” Air Date: 3-21-1980) still reigns as the second most watched TV show in history (the season finale of MASH is #1). With one of most memorable characters ever created (the man everyone loves to hate), it’s no surprise that Dallas held the #1 or #2 spot in the Nielsen ratings for most of the 1980s

The Dallas (Season 4) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “No More Mister Nice Guy” in which the shooting of J.R. forces Bobby to temporarily take over Ewing Oil while his older brother recovers. The promotion slowly changes Bobby into the vindictive brother he always loathed. Meanwhile, Sue Ellen wonders if she shot J.R. herself while mired in the foggy haze of a drinking binge Other notable episodes include “Start the Revolution with Me” in which J.R. attempts to orchestrate a counter-revolution in order to regain the Ewing’s Asian oil wells that were nationalized shortly before his shooting, and the season finale “Ewing-Gate” in which J.R.’s underhanded dealings in the Asian oil deals threaten to bring down all of Ewing Oil

Below is a list of episodes included on the Dallas (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 55 (No More Mister Nice Guy: Part 1) Air Date: 11-07-1980
Episode 56 (No More Mister Nice Guy: Part 2) Air Date: 11-09-1980
Episode 57 (Nightmare) Air Date: 11-14-1980
Episode 58 (Who Done It?) Air Date: 11-21-1980
Episode 59 (Taste of Success) Air Date: 11-28-1980
Episode 60 (The Venezuelan Connection) Air Date: 12-05-1980
Episode 61 (The Fourth Son) Air Date: 12-12-1980
Episode 62 (Trouble at Ewing 23) Air Date: 12-19-1980
Episode 63 (The Prodigal Mother) Air Date: 01-02-1981
Episode 64 (Executive Wife) Air Date: 01-09-1981
Episode 65 (End of the Road: Part 1) Air Date: 01-16-1981
Episode 66 (End of the Road: Part 2) Air Date: 01-23-1981
Episode 67 (Making of a President) Air Date: 01-30-1981
Episode 68 (Start the Revolution with Me) Air Date: 02-06-1981
Episode 69 (The Quest) Air Date: 02-13-1981
Episode 70 (Lover, Come Back) Air Date: 02-20-1981
Episode 71 (The New Mrs. Ewing) Air Date: 02-27-1981
Episode 72 (Mark of Cain) Air Date: 03-13-1981
Episode 73 (The Gathering Storm) Air Date: 03-27-1981
Episode 74 (Ewing vs. Ewing) Air Date: 04-03-1981
Episode 75 (New Beginnings) Air Date: 04-10-1981
Episode 76 (Full Circle) Air Date: 04-17-1981
Episode 77 (Ewing-Gate) Air Date: 05-01-1981

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Dallas (Season 4) DVD.

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Hard Disk Recorders - are They Superseding DVD Recorders

Posted by admin on June 3rd, 2008 filed in Films Festival


While some are convinced that DVD recorders are the future, there are also lots of people who think that they’ve already fallen by the wayside, to be replaced with hard disk recorders. This term refers to set-top boxes like Tivo and Sky+ that simply plug into your DVD and allow you to record straight onto their hard drives, no removable media required.

It is easy to see the advantages of this approach. Recording to hard drives is much faster and less error-prone than recording to DVDs. It allows you to easily view one channel and record another, or to use the ‘instant playback’ feature to start playing your recording while it’s still recording - plus the much-mooted capability to pause live TV broadcasts. DVD recorders cannot do this.

Not to mention, of course, that you save money on buying DVDs. If you often record shows that you intend to watch once and then delete, you save yourself a whole world of trouble with hard drives compared to DVD recorders. It’s instant to delete a file off a hard drive, but annoying to erase DVDs.

Another advantage of hard disk recorders is that they can scan through files much faster, allowing you to skip commercials far more quickly than if your player has to unexpectedly skip ahead on a disc and find its place again.

The best option is to get a hard drive recorder that is also capable of recording DVDs, for the times when you want to keep something forever. However, another good option, if you have a computer with a very large hard drive, is to get a hard disk recorder that can be hooked up to your computer and archive that way - much quicker than writing to DVD.

One of the best things about hard disk recorders is that, if you’re a technical sort, you can even build one yourself, using free software such as MythTV and Freevo. Really, it’s just a computer plugged into your TV.

John Gibb is the owner of dvd recorder resources
For more information on dvd recorders check out http://www.dvd-recorder-sources-and-guides.info

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