Shades of Darkness

Description

One of the most intriguing mysteries is whether or not there is another plane of existence beyond our own. Shades of Darkness delves into the world of the supernatural with six bizarre, inexplicable and frightening ghost stories as told by some of the greatest mystery authors of all time. (Elizabeth Bowen, C.H.B. Kitchin, May Sinclair, Edith Wharton)

Bewitched
Eileen Atkins (She Fell Among Thieves) plays the wife of a once robust man who seems to be wasting away to nothing. She knows why: He's having a love affair with the restless ghost of another villager's dead daughter. The local minister takes her seriously because he knows the villagers once burned a member of the same family for witchcraft.

The Intercessor
John Duttine stars as a young historian who seeks a quiet place in the country where he can write in peace. His sole stipulation: he can't abide children because they're so noisy. So naturally, he's kept awake at night by the eerie sound of a child's ghostly crying.

The Lady's Maid's Bell
Joanna David (Rebecca) stars as Hartley, the new maid to Mr. and Mrs. Brympton, whose household is believed to be haunted by the spirit of their last maid, Emma. Sure enough, the ghostly Emma soon turns up, drawing Hartley into the scandalous gonis-on between Mrs. Brympton and her randy next-door neighbor, Mr. Ranford.

Afterward
An unusual twist on the standard story of young newlyweds who buy a beautiful old house only to find that it's haunted. In this case, a young American husband and his wife come to England, purposely looking for a grand old haunted house. They get the house and are assured a ghost will make an appearance before too long. For once, the real estate agent didn't sell them a bill of goods. There is a ghost all right, but its' one the husband hoped he'd never have to face.

The Maze
Francesa Annis (Partners in Crime) plays Catherine, a woman who comes back to her ancestral home after many years. Her 8 year-old daughter, Daisy, is fascinated by the maze of hedges in the garden, but Catherine is deathly afraid of what might lurk there. One day Daisy takes the hand of a strange man and follows him into the maze.

The Demon Lover
When a young man sets out to fight in the First World War, his lover vows that they will be reunited, no matter what might happen to him. She soon comes to regret her noble sentiments.

Customer Reviews:

Understated Creepiness.......2007-05-17

Shades of Darkness is a British production which was shown in the US on PBS' "Mystery" about 1984. I enjoyed it then and waited anxiously but fruitlessly for a rerun, so I am glad that at last it is available on DVD.

Each segment of Shades of Darkness is about an hour long and is drawn from short stories by Edith Wharton, Elizabeth Bowen, and other luminaries. The scripts are literate and faithful to the original stories.

The most pleasing thing about these short films is their ability to create an atmosphere of creepiness mounting to horror without having to fall back on the old horror movie standbys of fanged monsters and bloodshed. These are stories of people going about their ordinary lives who gradually become aware of the presence of the supernatural. My favorite episode is "Afterward" by Edith Wharton, where the viewer, like the principal character, doesn't even recognize the ghost is a ghost when it appears.

If you are accustomed to seeing horror delivered through the blows of an axe or by screaming monsters you will find Shades of Darkness just as frightening but far more equivocal and intriguing.

A great collection of wierd tales.......2007-04-03

We bought two copies, one for someone who had seen "The Maze" long ago and is still talking about it, and one for ourselves. I had never seen any of these before. They are all good, and some are even better than "The Maze" -- excellent cast and a distinguished list of authors too.

I searched for this for years - and it was worth the search........2007-02-23

If this set contained only May Sinclair's "The Interessor" it would still be worth quadruple the amount. Based on one of the best ghost stories ever written, an M.R. Jamesian historian who can't stand the sound of children has his working vacation in a very damp Welsh farm house disrupted by a little drowned spectre who sobs at his bedside. And in a strange reversal, he isn't at all afraid of her...

"Shades of Darkness (1983) ... Granada Television... Koch Vision (2006)".......2007-02-11

Koch Vision present "SHADES OF DARKNESS" (1983) (318 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- This set contains six episodes of Shades of Darkness on two discs ... a series of adaptations of classic ghost stories by Granada Television from the 1980s ... with some of the top authors Elizabeth Bowen, C.H.B. Kitchin, May Sinclair and Edith Wharton ... mixed with ghostly cries in the night and chilling mysteries left unsaid ... witness undying love from beyond the grave within this bizarre series of unexplainable tales ... they are excellent adaptations of high quality ghost stories.

FEATURING:
1. "The Lady's Maid's Bell" (1985) ... Under John Glenister (Director), Edith Wharton (story), Kenneth Taylor (screenplay) --- the cast includes Joanna David (Miss Hartley), June Brown (Emma Saxon), Norma West (Mrs. Brympton) ------ the story line thus far, Miss Hartley arrives at Brympton Hall to be the lady's maid for Mrs. Brympton, who has a heart condition. She hears nothing but good reports about the prior lady's maid, Emma Saxon, who died a year ago after serving her mistress for 20 years A figure that seems to be watching and waiting, for what purpose?

2. "Afterward" (1985) ... Under Simon Langton (Director), Edith Wharton (novel), Alfred Shaughnessy (screenplay) --- the cast includes Kate Harper (Mary Boyne), Michael Shannon (Edward Boyne), Penelope Lee (Alida Stair), John Grillo (Harold Parvis), Meg Ritchie (Trimmle), Rolf Saxon (Robert Elwell), William Abney (Inspector Gates), Merelina Kendall (Agnes), Arthur Whybrow (Mr. Craig), Eric Francis (Cooper) ------ the story line Kate Harper and Michael J. Shannon as the quintessential late Victorian couple, living in Wisconsin, they have just come into a huge cash windfall on a stock deal, they retire early to England, buying an antiquated country estate which is supposed to have strange goings on, a visit by a mysterious stranger that the husband seems to recognize but afterward denies it, the wife is left with a growing dread that eventually culminates in tragedy, what dark secret is about to be uncovered? ------ [suspenseful story with an above average cast and performance]

3. "The Maze" (1985) ... Under Peter Hammond (Director), C.H.B. Kitchin (short story), Kenneth Taylor (screenplay) --- the cast includes Francesca Annis (Catherine Frode), James Bolam (Arthur Frode), Sky Macaskill (Daisy Frode), Amanda Boxer (Mrs. Levett), Nellie Hanham (Mrs. Wright), Duncan Preston (Fred Harston), Philip Sayer (Mervyn Barbet), Daniel Selby ------ the story line a slightly repressed housewife during the post-war years in England, with a secret she has kept from her daughter, the house, a large old Victorian place with rambling gardens, has a hedge maze on the grounds, the daughter is drawn to the maze, and we slowly see what secret the mother is hiding ------ [please note, this is the best of the six stories]

4. "Bewitched" (1985) ... Under John Gorrie (Director), Edmund Oboler (Director), Edith Wharton (story), Alan Plater (screenplay) --- the cast includes Eileen Atkins (Mrs. Rutledge), Alfred Burke (Reverend Hibben), Mary Healey (Loretta Bosworth), Martyn Hesford (Andrew), Alfred Lynch (Saul Rutledge), Mary Jo Randle (The Girl), Ray Smith (Sylvester Brand), Gareth Thomas (Owen Bosworth) --- the story line has a young girl who was thought to be a witch dancing around the beach, the funny thing is she's dead ... a minster from the village is looking into her and the villagers past to come up with the answer ... will he find out and let her soul and spirit have a final resting place?

5. "The Intercessor" (1983) ... Under Peter Smith (Director), May Sinclair (story), Alan Plater (script) --- the cast includes Chrissie Cotterill (Rachel), John Duttine (Garvin), Maggie Ford (Mrs. Falshaw), David Hargreaves (Mr. Falshaw), Peter Hughes (MacKinnon), Annette Wilkie-Miller (Child) --- the story line has a writer who needs peace and quiet for his writing ... a room in the country at a local farmhouse is the place or is it, a small child who is a ghost cries in the night and awakens him ... the ghost appears each night trying to tell him something, what dark secrets lay beyond this tale?

6. "The Demon Lover" (1986) ... Under Peter Hammond (Director), Elizabeth Bowen (story), Derek Mahon (screenplay) --- the cast includes Adrienne Corri (Delia Graham), John Fortune (Eric Farnham), Hugh Grant (Robert Drover), Robert Hardy (William Drover), Miranda Richardson (Gina), Angela Thorne (Mary Dash), Dorothy Tutin (Kathleen Drover), Amanda Waring (Young Kathleen), Arabella Weir (Anne Page) --- the story line is set in London during World War II, it revolves around the haunting of a married middle aged woman by the ghost of a sweetheart from her youth, a man presumed to have been killed in the First World War twenty five years earlier, .guest starring a very young Hugh Grant ... there Mrs. Drover discovers a letter, dated the present day, composed by a lover from the past who was presumed to have been killed in the previous world war ... will the past meet the future, only the final scene will tell.

Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "Shades of Darkness" (1983) - PBS Mystery, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- Six Mysterious Tales of the Paranormal.

Total Time: 318 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6430 ~ (12/05/2006)

Hit or miss series--more hits than misses.......2007-01-24

I'd been wanting to see this series for years and now (most of) it's finally on DVD. Very gloomy, shot on-location ghosts stories: decaying country houses, seaside graveyards, muddy roads, but all done with the utmost respect for the material and the genre. I actually haven't watched the final tale ("The Demon Lover") yet.

The story "The Maze" left me indifferent, and has an embarrassingly directed sex/wood-cutting scene, and lots of that awful tinkly piano music that's supposed to sound suspenseful. This is NOT characteristic of the other tales, whose music is much more appropriate and less distracting. The acting is actually quite good, but I just couldn't get into it. Even the hedge maze is disappointing--more like a halfhearted smattering of old bushes. Oh well.

"Afterward" is excellent (I'm quite a fan of the Edith Wharton tale): perfect location, period detail, just the right moodiness, smartly underused musical scoring, etc. The woman who plays the main character is outstanding, and we get a real sense of her choking, mute dread--the devastating truth she's unable to articulate or fully understand. The actor who plays her husband is stiff but serves his purpose and disappears soon enough.

"The Intercessor" and "Bewitched" are both beautifully done, BEAUTIFULLY acted, and more emotionally involving than might seem possible with ghost stories. I was really impressed. Eileen Atkins OWNS her role, and makes it something deeply ambiguous. These tales aren't really about ghosts; they're about the trials of the living, for which the ghosts provide poignant counterpoint. (Note: One of these two tales is so brilliantly told you might not even realize there's no ghost in it!).

"The Lady Maid's Bell." Not the strongest of the tales, but very atmospheric. As the first on the lineup it provides a nice prolog to the others, establishing mood and tone. And I enjoyed the ambiguous ending.

As stated in another review, the pacing of these six mini-movies is rather slow, but not too slow. We're allowed to absorb and contemplate the environments, and get the sense that the characters are moving through actual time, not skipping from one jarringly edited scene to the next. If you long for the days when you first read Poe, if you remember most fondly not Halloween itself but the bleak quiet weeks leading up to it, when you explored that old barn in the meadow or made up ghost stories around the fire, believing every word, these DVDs are for you.

Average customer rating:

A Tight Little Story
My Kind of movie!!!
Not Film Noir
A Sweet-Natured, Friendly Murder Mystery In A Small Town
I WAS IMPRESSED

Cover Up
Starring: Russell Arms , Art Baker , William Bendix , Barbara Britton , and Paul E. Burns
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BGH2IQ
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Customer Reviews:

A Tight Little Story.......2006-11-06

It's Hitchcock like in it's presentation that admits you into a very short segment of our hero's life, but one momentous enough to change his life forever. I also like being fooled by the story teller into reaching for the wrong conclusions before all is finally made known to me. A good yarn, as Mark Twain might say. William Bendix does a great job of sustaining the suspense throughout the film.

My Kind of movie!!!.......2006-03-14

I really enjoyed this flick. Had me guessing all the way. This film is very enjoyable...with just enough suspense and twists to keep you enthralled, while giving you a wonderful picture of 1940 small town America...complete with old homes, good manners and old fashioned Christmas tress. If you love good old movies that you can really enjoy and that leave you with a good feeling when they're through...buy this movie and you won't be sorry?

Not Film Noir.......2006-01-18

You may be disappointed with this film if you are expecting classic American film noir. It's more of a 1940s version of Matlock or Murder, She Wrote. As others have pointed ot, the cover has nothing to do with this film. The cover scene leads one to believe it's film noir (the title certainly suggests the genre) and my guess is that it was done on purpose to mislead for sales purposes. Considering the cost, I felt that I had my money's worth. The picture is clear (though not a restored print) and the film itself is entertaining. William Bendix is never bad performance wise. To me, he's one of the most likeable character actors the American cinema ever produced. If you see this film, I'm sure you'll be entertained. If you don't see it, you'll not have missed anything in my view.

A Sweet-Natured, Friendly Murder Mystery In A Small Town.......2006-01-13

Can a murder mystery be sweet-natured? Yes, when it's Cover-Up, a well-crafted B movie programer put together by experienced pros.

Insurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe, who co-wrote the script) arrives in a small town a few days before Christmas to look into the apparent suicide of an intensely disliked resident. The man has left a $20,000 insurance policy with a double indemnity clause. Sam points out to Sheriff Larry Best (William Bendix) that if murder happened the policy will pay $40,000. The sheriff is friendly but unhelpful. "Look, Sam," he says, "take my advice. Don't be so all fired anxious to pay double indemnity on this case. Why don't you forget about it? Go on home."

The sheriff says it was suicide, but there was no gun by the corpse, no powder burns and, at first, he denies a bullet was even found. Sam starts poking around, but everyone says it had to be suicide even though any number of the townspeople had motive. The dead man, the sheriff says, "was a blight on the whole community." Sam meets Anita Weatherby (Barbara Britton), the daughter of the town's banker. They start to get serious, but she wants him to stop looking, especially when her father might be involved. Sam, however, doesn't like murder and keeps pushing the case. He finally sets a clever trap, figures out the identity of the murderer...and has to make a tough decision. Let's just say the movie takes place over Christmas and Sam makes the right decision.

This is a well-crafted look at a friendly small town. Main Street has two-story brick shops with the bus depot on the corner. The houses have wide porches and picket fences in front. People don't lock their front doors. The big event will soon be the lighting of the community Christmas tree in the town square, with everyone bundled up in scarves and coats and there'll be presents for all the kids. Don't fool yourself, though. There are plenty of suspects.

The actors, especially William Bendix and Dennis O'Keefe, do fine jobs. Bendix gives Sheriff Best just enough complexity that you're never sure what his game is, or whether he's just being friendly or something more sinister. O'Keefe plays the big city investigator with a nice mixture of toughness and puzzlement. He wants to catch the murderer, but he's come to like many of the people, including the banker's daughter, and he's increasingly reluctant to hurt anyone. Dora Merande, one of Hollywood's great character actresses, does a memorable job as the Weatherby's astringent but caring maid.

And as to that last decision Sam must make when he's discovered the murderer? He has to take a moment or two to think about things. "Like the sheriff is so fond of saying," he finally tells those with him in the murderer's living room, "I'm not much of a detective."

To avoid confusion, remember that the photo on the DVD cover has no connection to the movie. For some reason, someone pulled a scene from a completely different film to use. The DVD is bare bones. While there are chapter stops, there is no menu and no extras. The picture and audio are better than I would have expected. The movie is easy to watch if you're not a perfectionist.

I WAS IMPRESSED.......2005-12-30

If you liked "T-Men" or "Raw Deal" I think you'll like this movie. Granted, the insurance sub plot is odd and not explanined very well, but Dennis O'Keefe really shines. William Bendix is suprisingly good.

The image and sound quality is great Geneon [Pioneer] ver.

Average customer rating:

I love this film.
generally interesting drama
Powerful, quite moving
Now THIS is a movie
Truly a horrible movie

Forty Shades of Blue
Starring: Rip Torn , Dina Korzun , Darren E. Burrows , Christy Hamilton , and J. Blackfoot
Director: Ira Sachs
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000EPFCK4
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Amazon.com

In Forty Shades of Blue, writer/director Ira Sachs takes three archetypes--temperamental artist, trophy wife, and brooding writer--and turns them into real people. Alan (Rip Torn, The Larry Sanders Show), producer of numerous R&B hits, is a Memphis legend in the Sam Phillips mold. On a trip to Russia a few years ago, he met the much younger Laura (Dina Korzun, Last Resort), who became his common-law wife. They had a child. It should be a good life, except fidelity is not part of Alan's vocabulary. Michael (Darren Burrows, Northern Exposure), adult son from one of his many previous marriages, is an English teacher and aspiring author. When Michael travels from LA for a rare visit, he quickly realizes it's easier to talk to Laura than to his own father--or even his own wife, who decides to join him later. The more Alan, who perceives himself as a man of action, ignores Laura and belittles the introspective Michael, however, the closer they become. But how much of their attraction is based on lust and how much is based on a mutual desire to get back at the larger-than-life hitmaker for his misdeeds? Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Forty Shades of Blue may sound like soap opera, but in the patient, attentive hands of Sachs (The Delta), it never plays like it. Alan, Michael, and Laura are neither heroes nor villains; just three lonely people trapped in self-contained worlds of their own creation. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

I love this film........2007-05-16

I love how the story unfolds, the beautiful flawed characters, the simplicity of the performances, every single one. I could feel the strain in the married couple's interactions, as well as hope and perhaps surrender. Rip Torn is fun to watch in this film as well as others, but I was completely blown away by Darren Burrow's performance. (My mind was like, holy cow, that guy played Ed Chigliak in the Northern Exposure series.) Even without the comparison, his performance, restrained and so completely authentic, is over the top, fantastic. The entire film just hits an authentic chord.

generally interesting drama.......2007-01-02

"Forty Shades of Blue" features Rip Torn as an acerbic, hard-drinking music producer in Memphis who, though greatly beloved by his fans and the people in the industry, is viewed somewhat differently by those who know him best. Despite his advanced age, he has a gorgeous live-in girlfriend, Laura (Dina Korzun), whom he met while on a business trip to Russia and, even though they seem to be reasonably devoted to one another and their relationship, Laura is becoming increasing morose as a result of his constant philandering. When Alan's married son, Michael (Darren E. Burrows) - who has reasons of his own for resenting the man - comes from California for a visit, he and Laura enter into a secret love affair that forces her to finally question her commitment to Alan and to perhaps cut the chords - both obligatory and emotional - that bind her to him.

Although the script does an effective job capturing the tensions simmering just beneath the surface of the story, the plot itself seems too conventional and too underdeveloped to engage the viewer completely. Still the characters are complex enough and the performances sufficiently layered to at least hold our interest throughout. Torn is particularly good at creating a character whose amiability and likeability on the surface mask a callousness and mean-spiritedness below.

This is a subtle, if not exactly gripping, study of the compromises we make - and the choices we come to regret - in our effort to avoid loneliness and to find meaning and happiness in life.

Powerful, quite moving.......2006-09-10

I don't think I've seen a movie as good, in a long, long time. One of the ironies of life, is that we make some of our largest commitments with our feelings, our "hearts" rather than our minds. This story is about a woman seeking love, letting her heart (and sometimes other parts) make her decisions for her, and it generally destroys her life, and that of the man most committed to her. There aren't any real antagonists to speak of in this story, but there certainly are winners and losers. Is there a better metaphor for life itself?

Now THIS is a movie.......2006-09-04

This is the best movie I've seen in a long, long time. Rip Torn is perfect for this role; and the actress playing his wife is as well. If you like character studies, the finest cinematography around, the best script writing, excellent directing and feeling like you are a "fly on the wall" in the finest drama you have ever seen---buy this film. It never lets up, it never overdoes, it just gives you exactly what you need. And all without anyone blowing anyone elses brains out!

Truly a horrible movie.......2006-08-01

One of the worst movies I've seen. Dialogs are slow and every single performance is emotionless. I did not build any kind of sympathy towards Rip Torn's character or his wife. Yeah, you do get a sense that she's lonely, you do get a sense that he is a has-been still living the life of the rich and famous and you do see his somewhat distant son get it on with his mother-in-law. But might as well read it here as you'll feel no emotion whatsoever finding it out in the movie. The music is the only thing that spares it from being terrible.
This movie is ranked right at the bottom of my list along with Van Sant's Last Days. People seem to overrate these pieces of film waste just because they're different. But my God, you can be different and good, entertaining and thought-provoking.

DO NOT BUY OR RENT!

Average customer rating:

The Con Man's Bible
Decent flick...Would recommend to poker fans/Stallone fans
TEXAS HOLD'EM POKER and various hustlers on the make
This movie is tight.
A heartfelt tribute to Cincinnati Kid

Shade
Starring: Patrick Bauchau , Mark Boone Junior , Tony Burton , Gabriel Byrne , and Jason Cerbone
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001XAQB4
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Description

The hand is quicker than the eye in LA's underground gambling scene, hustlers getting hustled and fortunes ride on every deal. Three small time grifters devise with a plan to beat the ultimate card mechanic- The Dean. But a seat at The Dean's table doesn't come cheap

Customer Reviews:

The Con Man's Bible.......2007-07-05

There's something in all of us that wants to "get over" on somebody else, thus this movie deals us all a great hand and can be watched many times over. Love the special features!

Decent flick...Would recommend to poker fans/Stallone fans.......2007-05-20

The movie all around wasn't bad, but not to say it was anything memorable. It does throw some twists and turns. A short-lived section of the movie with Jamie Foxx and his antics, Sylvester Stallone and his ability to "play it cool". Some of the acting could have been better, the movie was pretty short as well. I liked it, but again I've seen better.

TEXAS HOLD'EM POKER and various hustlers on the make.......2007-03-29

This movie, starring Sylvester Stallone as a master TEXAS
HOLD'EM POKER player, with other competitors, played by the
charismatic, laid back, and relaxed actors Gabriel Byrne, and
Stuart Townsend, has that typical, surprise ending, that will
knock most people's socks off, as was the case with "Nine
Queens" or "MatchStick Men", for example. You really don't see
it coming at all, just when the movie seemed to have reached its
peak.

Among the strong points of this picture, is the tasteful
soundtrack, that is modest, not drawing the attention of
viewers from the story, or the quality wide-screen release, or
the fine acting.

The editing is innovative, as it tries to avoid a one -
dimensional unfolding of the story, by presenting multiple
flash-backs, at the start and towards the middle of the movie,
allowing the audience to catch up with who is who, and where the
movie is heading, so the story unfolds rapidly, wasting no time.

Obviously, the movie's, when taken as pure entertainment, works
fine as successive grifters and poker players using various
cheating techniques, get "eaten" by their fellow "carnivores" in
one scam or other. The audience will perhaps consider that they
had it coming to them, sooner or later.

Melanie Griffth is lovely, and Stallone does an outstanding job,
in bringing a certain world-class status to the movie, by
simply being himself, both enjoying themselves over the course
of the 90 mins.

Clearly, this is a fun picture for people who've enjoyed poker
and card games, and cynically wonder whether there is something
else going on behind the scenes when certain participants
repetitively meet success. Theatrical or DVD release, SHADE is a
winner.

This movie is tight........2007-01-04

Great cast, excellent plot, and just enough twists to keep you guessing. Props to R. Paul Wilson for teaching the non-magicians proper slight of hand.

A heartfelt tribute to Cincinnati Kid.......2006-04-28

One of the most delicate factors to take into account at the moment you decide to make a remake (of such emblematic movie like the Cincinati Kid has meant through the yeras)is to play hard, to strike with a sonorous punch, giving that touch of genius, and avoiding to fall into common places.

The anecdote has been told too many times (The Big Lewoski, for instance), the classical challenge between the young and inexpert apprentice and the master champion.

The poker is probably, one of the most exciting card games. It demands from you the absolute and total domain of the wide gamut of psychological profiles; cold blood and that intuitive perception about when to play hard or retire. In this sublime instant of concentrated eternity, the copious adrenaline and the cold sweat so typical of this special moment.

Sylvester Stallone and Gabriel Byrne were specially effective I this hair raising movie where the emotional tension reached a true climax in the last sequence.

Average customer rating:

Not Full Length Episodes!
A must see for anyone considering trading their space
Bad Designers
Super short footage!
Awesome

The Best of Trading Spaces
Starring: Paige Davis , Alex McLeod , Ty Pennington , Vern Yip , and Richard Whiteford II
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000089763
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Amazon.com

This phenomenally popular reality TV series that put the Learning Channel on the map obviously hopes to further build its fan base with this nearly two-hour collection of memorable moments, behind-the-scenes segments, and crew profiles. The premise: Two sets of neighbors have 48 hours to redo a room in each other's home. At their disposal are a designer, a carpenter, and a $1,000 budget. Most entertaining are the "reveals," presented in too-brief "Love it" and "Hate it" segments. These are all subjective, of course. One couple loved their new safari-inspired bedroom. I thought it made Graceland look like Monticello. Those new to the series might want to get a few episodes under their (tool) belt to really appreciate this. Fans of the series will make it a valuable addition to their DVD library. --Donald Liebenson

Description

THE BEST OF THE BEST. Take the coolest show on daytime TV, select the best moments plus never-before-seen outrageous footage, and you have The Best of Trading Spaces. This unique DVD captures the fun, creative side of the crew and homeowners and places them in an interactive format. Meet each crew member in specially edited vignettes. Witness extreme reveals (when the homeowners see their redesigned rooms for the first time) complete with awkward moments of truth. And go behind the scenes for never-before-seen bloopers and outtakes. It's the best of the best! DO UNTO YOUR NEIGHBORS... In this one-of-a-kind decorating show, two sets of neighbors swap keys to transform one room in each other's home. They have two days, a set budget, and they're not allowed back into their own homes until the moment of truth. This is the "how-to" with a neighborly twist.

Customer Reviews:

Not Full Length Episodes!.......2007-09-10

For some reason, I was under the impression that this DVD had full length episodes of Trading Spaces, but it is really only snippets of different episodes. It was not worth the money in my opinion.

A must see for anyone considering trading their space.......2007-03-22

I watched this DVD because I thought I'd learn something about decorating (can you tell I've seldom seen this TV series?). Instead I learned that it is definitely not a good idea to turn over a room of your house to the producers of this show. The DVD reveals the behind-the-scenes interactions between the decorators and worker-bee neighbors. Although the decorators are fun and entertaining, some try to bully the neighbors into assisting with a makeover that the neighbors insist the homeowners will hate (and they are proved right). A natural approach would be to detect the homeowners' taste and take it to another level. Instead, the decorators seem to be asking themselves, how can I make this room dramatically different (thereby abandoning any pretense of pleasing the homeowners). Even the section that purports to show the reactions of people who love their makeovers falls flat--anyone who can read faces knows that at least one spouse in most of those segments was unhappy or at least unimpressed. I gave the DVD an intermediate rating because although it teaches little about decorating it would be educational for anyone considering applying for the show.

Bad Designers .......2007-02-04

This DVD is almost as bad as the show has become. 99% of the designers should all be castigated for being selfish, self-centered emotional "artists" who DO NOT take into consideration the lifestyles and tastes of the homeowners. Yes, they're working with neighbors, but the designers rarely if ever listen to what the neighbors KNOW their friends are looking for. Have you looked at the faces of people who walk into the new rooms?!?! The vast majority are stricken, feeling ill.

Where do they find these designers? They sure aren't "Christopher Lowell". There is a way to meld your style as a designer to the client, and if totally at odds, the client should prevail. Boo hiss to this show. It's nothing but shock-value TV to me at this point.

Super short footage!.......2005-07-07

This footage was sooo short and only showed highlights. The biggest disappointment was Ty Pennington was not shirtless in this DVD!

Awesome.......2005-06-27

I don't have this DVD but I want it because I love remodeling shows such as Trading Spaces, Monster House, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and a lot more. I am asking for it for my birthday. Besides I want to be either a carpenter, designer, interior designer, enterior designer, interior decorator, exterior decorater, or a contracter. So I am totally hooked.

Average customer rating:

Paco' background
the contribution of Spain to world culture ...
Excellent intro to Paco de Lucia
Guitar Magic!
Great approach to Paco

Light and Shade
Starring: Paco de Lucía
Manufacturer: Arthaus Musik
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | International | Styles | Music

Flamenco | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

International | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005Q30W
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Customer Reviews:

Paco' background.......2006-12-30

This Dvd will be most interesting for rock fans or people that had in mind that Flamenco music is all about speeding phrases in acoustic guitars with some dancer in the background. Paco de Lucia may be rooted in the Flamenco music but he had enough courage to cross the borders, to understand that music is not only Flamenco and to get into the demanding jazz/rock scene together with John McLaughlin and others. This aspect gave him a new depth in his music and even better technique (as he admits with a lot of courage). This DVD gives the listener a good view over PDL musical influences and musical background and as such is highly recommended.

the contribution of Spain to world culture ..........2005-10-19

Paco de Lucia plays an imperious guitar.
On the one hand every guitar-player, watching this documentation, will observe the finger technology (and the precise film is offering much material); and you maybe think: pleasantly the world within the last 40 years does not have developed only armed forces technologically, but also most advanced guitar techniques (in of course different social circles).
On the other hand one also feels, that the music of Paco de Lucia is a life attitude of strictness and pride, of concentration and creativity, of restriction to a fingerboard as a world,
but also a world appreciation, which demonstrates variation and change, hunting first and then going back to reflection
- as hardly another art direction.
It is fascinating and exemplarily, how Paco de Lucia is far away from that kind of musician, who degenerates obeying to favors of the audience.
De Lucia expresses himself, and the audience may follow him if it has the talent.
A famous flamenco artist, to whom he had to show his progress as a child, almost had said disparagingly: "A guitarist must present a style of his own, does not imitate anything!" Therefore Paco strengthened tried to get in front of planning area of composition.
And humorously he notices, that he could not enter on the favored career of a singer: "Who would have wanted to look on a small, plump boy?"
Still a higher level opened up for the request as Paco tried to rely the sure port of the traditionally formed Spanish flamenco music to exist on the high seas of improvisation,
side to side with Carlos Santana or John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola.
His interview statements for this remind of the fear, of which the classically trained violin hero Yehudi Menuhin reported to, when he had to go through a jam-session scene with the Gipsy-Violinist Stephane Grappelli (the companion of Django Reinhardt) ahead of running TV cameras.
I have never understood by the way more considerably what an art sociologist must have meant, as him talked about the fact of "aesthetics as a social barrier":
One will be able to imagine Paco's music hardly accompanied by people, dressed in vest, swinging beer cans or dancing round, dressed in leather shorts with a Bavarian shaving-brush hat.
Paco portrays pensiveness, connected to a pinch humor and melancholy -- and the film moves closer to not only the music (like a bare concert-document runs the risk of doing it) but also to the human being Paco de Lucia - and therefore perhaps solves the question: Which could be that specific and valuable contribution, which Spain is able to give the world culture - next to bullfight and Don Quichotte ...

Excellent intro to Paco de Lucia.......2004-03-30

This is a very well produced dvd of Paco.From his early influences to international promenance. Paco has introduced new harmonies and diatonics to the Flamenco vocabulary, however keeping it within he Flamenco compass and thereby expanding it. Included in this dvd are nearly the entire " La Barossa", Interviews with Paco, his father and sister,Paco and Cameron, the trio of Paco, Al Dimeola and John Mclaughlin and the the sextet. This is a wonderful introduction to Paco de Lucia and his music. Also recommended (although as of this writing not yet available on Amazon) is Francisco Sanhchez- Paco de Lucia.

Guitar Magic!.......2003-09-13

This DVD is an insightful documentary that takes us into the life of Paco De Lucia through personal interviews with the musician, his family and Flamenco experts. If you are, as I am, enchanted by Paco de Lucia's masterful guitar playing and are interested in his background, the philosophy behind his music and his biography, you'll be fascinated by this film. It should be a complimentary addition to your library of Paco de Lucia's CD's.

Great approach to Paco.......2003-06-27

This DVD has great quality in both sound and video. One of the things that makes me appreciate it the most is the fact that it is one of the very few DVDs featuring Paco de Lucia available in this continent. The documentary is rather short. It is, of course, a documentary, and not a concert video, but I guess that most of us are craving to see Paco in action. There are so many great concerts that could be revived by remastering and bringing them to DVD.

By the way, there is new double DVD featuring Paco's biography and some complete concerts, including Aranjuez. It is called "Francisco Sanchez - Paco de Lucia". The bad thing is that it has only been released for PAL. Come on guys! Bring Paco de Lucias's duende to the rest of the world!!!

Average customer rating:

Only because there isn't a 0 stars choice.

Jeepers, Creepers where'd you get those peepers

Knight of the Peeper
Starring: Heather Polamis , Dan Dare , Tara Ashleigh , Claude Anders , and Anette Durucz
Director: Jose Sombra
Manufacturer: Power of 3 Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video
( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Apartment of Erotic Horror

Mummy's Kiss: 2nd Dynasty

Christina

Mansion of the Living Dead

Virgin Witch

ASIN: B000HKCSZS
Release Date: 2006-07-15

Product Description

Beautiful, buxom bombshell Tatianna Stone {Apartment of Erotic Horror} has more than her hands full when she and her luscious friends battle two lecherous psychopaths in Knight of the Peeper. Unsuspecting young women have been the target of the Stocking Strangler {aka The Peeper} a vicious pile of garbage who deals in humiliation and murder. Meanwhile, a depraved inhuman medieval Knight with a taste for torture and human sacrifice has been accidently resurected. When both monsters descend on our group of gorgeous girls, it's a fight that holds the future of mankind in the balance! Overflowing with sex and violence, Knight of the Peeper is a must for fans of erotic horror!

Customer Reviews:

Only because there isn't a 0 stars choice........2007-08-01

Decent enough plot idea, but the follow through isn't there. Campy...even campy for a film I wanted to be campy.

Basically, a guy, a hand held video camera, and a few hundred bucks to pay strippers to fondle. Fun for him.. not so much for us viewers.

Jeepers, Creepers where'd you get those peepers.......2006-12-03

EXCELLENT! Just what you want in this type of low budget production, a film where the director/producer actually shows loads of full frontal female nudity just for the sake of showing it!!!!!! It is actually quite a good campy schlock movie played for laughs in the right dosages and even has a bit of decent gore. The plot is as shown as in the Amazon review and is certainly one of those great classics movies to watch after a fill of beer and curry.

Trading Spaces - Creative Home Decor with Designer Doug Wilson

Average customer rating:

Trading Spaces DVD

Trading Spaces - Creative Home Decor with Designer Doug Wilson
Starring: Paige Davis , Alex McLeod , Ty Pennington , Vern Yip , and Richard Whiteford II
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Television | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0007SMGTS
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Description

Four friends. Two designers. One Carpenter. It's TRADING SPACES, where two sets of neighbors have just 48 hours to completely redecorate one room in each other's house. In this fun-filled celebration of his greatest home makeovers, superstar interior designer, Doug Wilson ("Moving Up") brings his creative genius to five average American households, where with just $1000 worth of paint, plaster, and found objects, he magically transforms ordinary kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms into innovative showplaces of inspired imagination. This fabulous DVD collection features five complete episodes from the highest-rated show on The Learning Channel.

Customer Reviews:

Trading Spaces DVD.......2007-06-10

If you want to watch the show six times, this ones for you. I enjoyed watching the new ideas unfold. Six shows for ten bucks! What a deal!

Average customer rating:

not enough train wrecks
my wife like this dvd.
For all of us who wondered!
More like "They had a tepid reaction!"
Sweet Revenge for Husbands

Trading Spaces - They Hated It!
Starring: Paige Davis , Alex McLeod , Ty Pennington , Vern Yip , and Richard Whiteford II
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Television | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000096IAU
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Customer Reviews:

not enough train wrecks.......2006-03-23

One of my favorite things about the early Trading Spaces, is how the expert designers would completely ignore the requests of the decoratees. (Please keep the carpet, it is only a year old. The decorator, "The carpet must go.") I hoped to see more of those in clips, like a highlights reel. This was not the case. This is just two episodes, although the second one when the woman is crying off camera after she just needs to be alone for a minute in the reveal made this CD worthwhile. I don't mean to sound uncharitable, but in the great scheme of life, bad interiordecoration is not a tragedy of overwhelming proportions, and it is part of the risk that makes the program enjoyable. If you are a huge Trading Spaces fan, purchase this, otherwise let it pass.

my wife like this dvd........2005-08-10

But I no like so much. Is too much the same thing.

For all of us who wondered!.......2005-01-21

We love Paige Davis and we love the designers, but sometimes we don't love what they do, and wonder how those homeowners can be so poised (with the exception of a few whose names we all know) in the face of Decor ala Disaster. Even if you've seen the episodes, this one is still fun to watch....to see what happened later!

More like "They had a tepid reaction!".......2005-01-04

Thank goodness we checked this out from the library. We'd never seen Trading Spaces, but I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. Surely the extremely negative reactions that the cover blurb seemed to promise would provide us with the best encapsulation of the appeal of this show, right? WRONG. Nobody bursts into tears, nobody retches and runs from the room with their hand over their mouth, nobody threatens to firebomb their neighbors' homes in retaliation, nobody clenches their fists, throws back their head and bellows "WHYYYYYYYYY?!?" to an aloof and uncaring deity. In fact, pretty much every reaction is along the lines of, "Oh. Well. Maybe I'll get used to it..." If you love the idea of watching someone else's boring tract home being redecorated in order to view the homeowners' stoic, listless demeanors upon viewing the finished product, by all means, proceed. All others, steer clear of this dud.

Sweet Revenge for Husbands.......2004-11-30

If you are a Trading Spaces widower, this is the DVD for you. You get to see who are the absolute worst designers, see people wretch, cry, throw their microphone off in disgust, gosh it is wonderful. Get it for your wife and re-bond your relationship together, as you watch the know-it-alls go down in flames, as you realize your home, your life is really not so bad after all. They should make this into a long running series - the most outrageous or ridiculous designer efforts. For once, my wife and I both truly enjoyed Trading Spaces episodes. I didn't even read the paper or look at my laptop. What a God send!!

Trading Spaces - Great Kitchen Designs and More

Average customer rating:

Trading Spaces

Trading Spaces - Great Kitchen Designs and More
Starring: Paige Davis , Alex McLeod , Ty Pennington , Vern Yip , and Richard Whiteford II
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Television | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0007SMGU2
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Customer Reviews:

Trading Spaces.......2007-06-10

If you want to watch the show six times, this ones for you. I enjoyed watching the new ideas unfold. Six shows for ten bucks! What a deal!

DVD:

DVD

DVD