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DVD Snapshot's Holiday Gift Guide
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Wondering what to get for the DVD-obsessed person in your family or circle of friends? Well, wonder no more! DVD Snapshot presents our list of the best gift choices this holiday season, so you can make the best decisions as to what to buy for all different types of people! These DVD's get our personal recommendations, and we consider them to be among the best of the best. Enjoy, and have a happy holidays!
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They Say:
Superstar comedian Dane Cook, named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, comes home to Boston in his first-ever solo HBO concert! Performing at the TD Banknorth Garden in from of 18,000 fervent fans, Cook's trademark, take-no-prisoners style is fully evident, as he touches on universal issues such as the therapeutic value of a good lie, the socially-acceptable usage of crying, and how to deal with an atheist with an attitude problem. This Collector's Edition 2-disc DVD set includes the original 90-minute broadcast version of the concert, as well as the never-before-seen 2-hour extended cut!
We Say:
Oh yeah! (Oh no?) Oh yeah!
If you didn't catch the reference above (think Kool-Aid Man), this might not be the DVD for you. But I guarantee you that anyone with a sense of humor and no fear of the F-word will love this disc. Your college kids have probably already downloaded the concert, but this two-disc DVD set includes both the original 90-minute broadcast as well as an unaired two-hour version. It's double the Dane, and that's always a good thing.
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They Say:
A follow up to the highly successful, An Evening With Kevin Smith, Evening Harder includes wildly funny, irreverent Q&A sessions in London and Toronto with one of Hollywood's most gifted and hilarious filmmakers. This is yet another chance to get up close and personal with the man that brought you Dogma, Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back!
We Say:
If you are a Kevin Smith fan, it's a little slice of heaven on Earth. With surprise appearances from some Kevin Smith regulars, lots of talk about Affleck, and a ton of fat jokes, An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder is the perfect fix to hold you over until Smith's next film.
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For The Sci Fi/Comic Geek:
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They Say:
A war has been waging on the planet Cybertron for millennia. The Autobots, led by the heroic Optimus Prime, prepare to make a daring attempt to retake their planet from the evil forces of Megatron and the Decepticons. Unknown to both sides, a menacing force is heading their way - Unicron, a planet that devours everything in its path. The only hope of stopping Unicron lies within the Matrix of Leadership and the Autobot who can rise up and use its power to light their darkest hour. Will the Autobots be able to save their homeworld from destruction or will the Decepticons reign supreme? The all-star cast of voice talent includes Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Robert Stack, Orson Welles, Scatman Crothers, Casey Kasem and Leonard Nimoy. Relive the adventure that brought the Transformers to the big screen or see it now for the first time with this brilliantly remastered and color-corrected special edition 2-disc set!
We Say:
After years with nothing more than a plain vanilla DVD release, we finally get the film the way it should be with Transformers: The Movie - 20th Anniversary Edition. This two-disc set includes widescreen and full frame (why?) versions of the film as well as a ton of extra features. If you're a Transformers fan, I don't know how you can pass this one up. From the lenticular cover to the movie itself to all the great extra features, this one is definitely recommended!
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They Say:
He's back. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years (much longer in movie-fan years!) Superman sought his home planet, things changed on his adopted planet. Nations moved on without him. Lois Lane now has a son, a fiancé and a Pulitzer for "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." And Lex Luthor has a plan that will destroy millions - no, billions - of lives. Filmmaker Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2) gives the world the Superman it needs, honoring the legend everyone loves while taking it in a powerful new direction. Brandon Routh proves a perfect choice to wear the hero's cape, leading a top cast that includes Kate Bosworth as Lois and Kevin Spacey as Lex. And the thrills - from a sky-grapple with a tumbling jumbo jet to a continent-convulsing showdown - redefine Wow. "I'm always around," Superman tells Lois. You'll be glad he is.
We Say:
I still believe a man can fly. Thanks to Bryan Singer's Superman epic for a new generation, there's no doubt that a man can fly higher than ever. Is Brandon Routh as good as Christopher Reeve? Not quite. Has Brandon Routh ably inherited the cape and become the Man of Steel for the new millennium? Absolutely. Superman Returns may not be the perfect Superman movie, but it's a heck of a great start. With Singer on board for a sequel and all the "re-establishing the legend" stuff out of the way, the mind boggles at what the future holds for the franchise.
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They Say:
Dungeons & Dragons was one of CBS' most popular animated series, airing from 1983 - 1986, and later on FoxKids. Created by legendary Marvel Productions, the series was base on the popular TSR role-playing game created in 1974 - which spawned an entire industry! Now, in a set bursting with magical Special Features, fans can roll the dice to see the entire Dungeons & Dragons series in a beautiful five-disc set. Come back to the realm of action, adventure, and enchantment with...Dungeons & Dragons - The Complete Animated Series!
We Say:
What is great, without a doubt, is BCI Eclipse's Dungeons & Dragons: The Complete Animated Series box set. Now, the company’s Ink & Paint imprint has made a habit of producing terrific DVD sets, but this one is the best I've seen by far. It's a D&D fan's dream. Seriously, a radio production of the unaired final episode? How freaking sweet is that? BCI Eclipse has gone above and beyond to bring us one of the finest nostalgia DVD sets available. Dungeons & Dragons may not still be my favorite cartoon ever, but it is one I find a lot of joy in revisiting. This one's a keeper.
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They Say:
Boldly continuing where Star Trek: The Original Series left off, these animated adventures chart the progress of Captain Kirk and his crew in a universe unconstrained by "real-life" cinematography! With all characters voiced by their original actors, join Kirk, Spock, Bones and the crew for 22 new adventures: to boldly go where no animation has gone before!
We Say:
In a way, watching Star Trek: The Animated Series is kind of like watching all-new adventures of the original Star Trek series. For the most part, it's a really solid animated series that plays out much more like the original show than like a dumbed-down-for-kids cartoon. There's some solid Trek science fiction at play in Star Trek: the Animated Series, and as the final Star Trek property to be released on DVD, it's a welcome addition to the collection. My only complaint is that the Trek cast is nowhere to be found in the extra features, but at least there are extra features, so I can't really complain. It looks like for now, Star Trek: The Animated Series is the final frontier on DVD for Trek fans.
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They Say:
DVD collectors and fans of Oscar® winning filmmaker Peter Jackson's awe-inspiring masterpiece King Kong will be treated to a whole new thrilling movie experience when King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition comes to DVD on November 14, 2006 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. This definitive three-disc version of Jackson's groundbreaking action-adventure film includes over 13 additional mind-blowing minutes of King Kong's astounding visual effects and exhilarating action. For the first time anywhere, audiences can view both the extended version of the film and the extensive all-new bonus features documenting the imagination and passion behind its making in one must-own set. In addition, the multi-disc DVD is also available in an extraordinary King Kong: Deluxe Extended Limited Edition DVD gift set that includes specially designed collectable packaging. A beautifully crafted King Kong figurine, created exclusively for the package by the Oscar®-winning artists at Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, the company responsible for the film's creature design, special makeups, miniatures and dazzling visual effects, accompanies the gift set. It's the ultimate set for the ultimate King Kong fan.
We Say:
All I can really think is, "Did this movie really need to be 13 minutes longer? Luckily, the 13 minutes of footage added back in are impressive CGI and action sequences, so there's nothing that really makes the film feel that much longer. While I'll never love this or any other King Kong film as much as the original, you won't find a better version of this film on DVD. If you love the big monkey, he doesn't come any bigger than the King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition.
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For The Action/Sports Movie Junkie:
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They Say:
The adventures. The villains. The women. The gadgets. Now on 4 newly restored DVD volumes no Bond fan can be without!
We Say:
While the previous Bond special edition DVDs certainly weren't hurting for extras, these two-disc sets appear to have taken a trip through Q's lab before hitting the streets, as they are packed with every conceivable kind of bonus feature you can imagine. For once, when a studio calls something the "ultimate edition" they're really telling it as it is. This is the ultimate in DVD for James Bond fans.
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They Say:
Five-Disc Box set includes:
- Rocky
- Rocky II
- Rocky III
- Rocky IV
- Rocky V
We Say:
I don't know if there are many characters from the 80's more iconic than Rocky Balboa. Anybody born in the 70's or 80's basically can't help but be a Rocky fan; even if you don't like boxing, the Rocky films weren't just movies, they were events. Despite a questionable lack of extra features, the Rocky Anthology is a terrific set with all five Rocky movies in remastered form. It's easy to forget how great these movies are since it been so long since their release, but this is a great way to go back and revisit a time when the Italian Stallion was the king of the box office.
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They Say:
Move in to television's most fabulous apartment complex as all 32 sexy, steamy and sensational Season one episodes of Melrose Place arrive on DVD for the first time ever! the guilty pleasure begins when Amy Locane, Andrew Shue, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Daphne Zuniga, Doug Savant, Grant Show, Heather Locklear, Josie Bissett, Thomas Calabro and Vanessa Williams star as cool 20-somethings who scheme, scandalize, and seduce each other in a trendy L.A. apartment building where "love thy neighbor" is often taken to new and dramatic extremes. Sizzling with special features that take you behind the scenes of all the naughty bed-hopping, delicious backstabbing and spine-tingling cliffhangers, this fantastic eight-disc set is a must-own for fans of creator Darren Star (Sex and the City) and its pop-culture predecessor Beverly Hills 90210. It's time to take a trip back to Melrose Place!
We Say:
The show went on to fill a particular niche as it got more and more outrageous and more and more popular. I know for a fact that more than a few people were getting together for Melrose viewing parties every week by the end of the show's long run. I can't say that I was all that overwhelmed with the extra features in this set: 28 minutes of total bonus materials, with the cast interviews all at least a decade old. Still, many fans thought they might never see this show on DVD, so somewhere out there, I'm sure there are viewing parties happening all over again.
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For The Wannabe Criminal:
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They Say:
Say hello to an all-new, two-disc platinum edition of Scarface featuring bigger guns, explosions, and sounds! Every sound effect in the film has been replaced and digitally remastered for the ultimate Scarface experience. Now Available from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Scarface: Platinum Edition also offers additional new bonus features and specially designed, highly collectible packaging that combine to make Scarface: Platinum Edition an extraordinary home entertainment event.
We Say:
How Scarface transformed from being a minor hit movie from the 80's into a merchandising juggernaut (encompassing shirts, posters, and even a new video game) is beyond me. However, since it is oh-so-popular, why not continue milking it for everything it's worth? Even though there was a special edition DVD of Scarface just a couple of years ago, Universal has gone back and produced the Platinum Edition DVD, a two-disc affair that is loaded with extra features. If only it could have included an alternate cut that was about an hour shorter.
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For The Person Who Thinks There's Never Anything Good On TV Anymore:
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They Say:
The groundbreaking sketch comedy of the pioneering first season of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" comes to DVD with digitally remastered picture and sound for the first time on December 5, 2006 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Back in 1975, seven young performers came together as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players and created a multiple Emmy® Award-winning late-night comedy showcase that would become one of the most enduring and celebrated franchises in the history of television. In that first season comic geniuses John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris put their unforgettable stamp on television comedy and shocked viewers with their irreverent, smart and off-kilter humor. Now available for the first time, "Saturday Night Live": The Complete First Season contains all 24 episodes of the debut season in their original 90-minute format, adding up to more than 30 hours of hilarious characters and memorable sketches, all the original musical performances by a roster of chart-topping artists and guest appearances by some of Hollywood's most acclaimed actors and comedians. The set includes unforgettable sketches such as Land Shark and the Killer Bees; musical performances include Simon & Garfunkel, Jimmy Cliff, Carly Simon and Patti Smith. "Saturday Night Live": The Complete First Season guest hosts include Richard Pryor, Rob Reiner, Candice Bergen, Buck Henry and George Carlin.Just in time for the holidays, the eight-disc set comes in specially designed gift packaging with a limited-edition collectible book, audition footage and cast interview that aired the day before the first show! The set is sure to delight any SNL fan.
We Say:
Wow! With so many DVD sets nowadays having to replace music because of rights issues, it's amazing that this uncut Season One collection not only includes every sketch from every episode of the first season, but also every musical number. Wrap it all up in some terrific packaging, and this one's a winner!
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For The Person Who Thinks They Don't Make Good Movies Anymore:
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They Say:
Six-Disc box set that includes:
- American Madness
- It Happened One Night
- Mr. Deeds Goes To Town
- You Can't Take It With You
- Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
- Frank Capra's American Dream (Hosted by Ron Howard)
We Say:
The new Premiere Frank Capra Collection from Sony is a wonderful box set that collects some of the director's most important works into one archive. As if the films in this set weren't enough, there's a bonus disc packed with extra features that is truly fantastic. In addition, there's a 96-page Movie Scrapbook that's so nice it could sell as a coffee table tome if it was 11x14 and hardcover. Regardless of your zeal for classic pictures of Americana, the movies in the Premiere Frank Capra Collection are all terrific films in their own right, making this set a must have. This is classic Hollywood at its finest.
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For The Eternally Depressed:
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They Say:
From its powerful premiere to its haunting finale, Oscar®-winner Alan Ball's Six Feet Under remains a poignantly dramatic, unpredictably humorous masterpiece. Now's your chance to relive every moment from this nine-time Emmy®-winning series in this exclusive DVD collector's set.
We Say:
This incredible box set is a hefty chunk of real estate (in clever packaging that looks like a real grave site) that is everything the Six Feet Under fan could ask for. It includes every episode of every season, two soundtrack CD's, and a very nice commemorative book. Even better, all the extra features from the individual releases are here, so you get numerous commentaries, featurettes, and much more! If you want to introduce somebody to the show, this set is great because they don't have to buy anything else afterwards if they get hooked. You simply cannot find a better package for Fisher family fans.
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They Say:
For the first time ever, all three Blue Collar Comedy Tour movies are available to own in one complete set!
Includes:
Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie
Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again
Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One For The Road
We Say:
The Blue Collar Comedy Tour strikes again in the form of a box set collecting all three stand-up comedy movies into a holiday-friendly gift pack. Personally, I find the Blue Collar tours to be of a hit or miss proposition; I generally like Bill Engvall and Jeff Foxworthy, but I'm not a big fan of Larry the Cable Guy. Ron White can be brutally funny at times, and horribly unfunny at other times. This collection gives you the chance to find all the best moments on your own.
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