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$5 Blu-rays!! $10 Blu CABIN IN THE WOODS!! Cheapest Blu DOLLHOUSE & HOMELAND Ever!! Blu THRONES!! LUCK!! ATLANTIS!! SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN!! SPIDER-MAN!! SURVIVOR!! HercVault!!
Herc’s PostCyberMonday Pricing Pantry
The first and second seasons of “Chuck” are all $10 each!!
New This Week
“Luck,”
Its nine-episode first season followed the gamblers, trainers, jockeys and horse owners who inhabit Southern California’s Santa Anita racetrack. There was a lot to like (I loved the Jason Gedrick character’s repeated poker showdowns with Leo, a restaurateur played by “Big Trouble In Little China” icon Dennis Dun), but also a lot of characters that were hard to care about, and too many stories that didn’t really go anywhere. I judge it one of HBO’s lesser dramas.
... you're likely to feel a little lost at first, but, having seen seven of "Luck's" nine episodes, I can say that this impressively directed drama is very much worth sticking with. Not every aspect of "Luck" has the satisfying richness of the stories involving the trackside foursome and Nolte's quietly fascinating trainer; but the parts that do work possess the doom-laden yet strangely optimistic romanticism of Milch's best work. …
... It's a race involving [the Nolte character’s] horse in the show's fourth episode that brings the series together. Like a lot of HBO dramas — including the all-time great ones like "Deadwood," "The Wire" and "The Sopranos" — "Luck" takes a few hours to establish its world, characters and rules, and there are some stumbles in the early chapters. But when Gettin' Up Morning races in front of the small crowd, "Luck" — and its love of this dirty, obsolete, addictive world — comes to life. …
... not close to great. ... maddeningly and needlessly opaque, and so deferential to the rites and rituals of the track that the storytelling is labored and even joyless. It improves over time, but it’s not really until the finale that “Luck” quickens its pace and builds suspense and a sense of urgency. … One reason for all the mystification may be that deep down, past the color and drama of horse racing, there is not much mystery. Problems turn out not to be all that complicated. Characters who speak inscrutably don’t have that much to say. …
… I wondered at times if I was looking at a new rule-breaking version of the art form, a Monet perhaps, or a "Ulysses." Or I wondered if it was just a show drowning in pretension, the work of people hoping that novelty would disguise a lack of professional rigor. Having finished the nine-episode first season, I am inclined toward the former, though there is enough of the latter to make me appreciate the confines of more traditional television storytelling. Also, the value of network notes. ...
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... even attentive viewers who aren't familiar with the race track-gambling world may be confused. Mr. Milch does not spell out everything in his scripts; he drops viewers into the world and expects them to fend for themselves. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… "Deadwood" fans already know that Milch doesn't make it easy for viewers to get a purchase on his series, but for those willing to do the work, "Luck" pays off. …
… there is a limit. “Luck” is suffused with brilliant acting and amazing scenes, but in a few unfortunate ways, it remains impenetrable almost until its last hour. By that point, a lot of potential viewers will have wandered off. … There’s a lot to like in “Luck,” which is not the same as saying it’s entirely enjoyable. I’d call it tediously fascinating — however contradictory that may seem — and not required viewing. …
... As he did on the canceled-far-too-soon “Deadwood,” Milch sketches out eccentric characters and memorable dialogue. …
… Pretty good, yes; but great, no - or at least not great in that Sunday-night way HBO has led people to take for granted. …
... the action on the track so thrillingly photographed and edited you may not mind when the human drama so often feels stalled at the gate. ... the plot is as stubbornly slow-burning as Hoffman's sharply reined-in performance and ultimately far less inspired. …
If you want to have Luck, you'd better have patience. ... as much as Milch is clearly drawn to this world, he hasn't yet made it either a congenial or a particularly compelling place to visit. The smart money says he will. Whether you want to make that bet, though, is your call.
... addictive … I loved. Eventually. Yes, this is another critic flogging a cable drama by saying “It’s really good, but give it a few episodes.” And I’ll throw in another caveat—this is not a show for everyone, not even every fan of other HBO dramas. ...
... The cast is large and the show drops us into the stream of each character's life without much explanation. Go with the flow until it begins to make sense. It will. ...
... Like a lot of HBO series, Luck will require patience. It’s telling a dense story with nuanced characters and it doesn’t feel the need to rush in, like a network series, and hammer home the main themes. But each episode is more enriching, more engrossing than the last and there’s Hoffman’s superb turn at the forefront, even though his story unfolds with the least rush. Luck is a smart and ambitious series that looks to truly pay off in the home stretch. ...
… the fruits of all that thoroughbred talent are less than satisfying, luxuriating in a seamy array of desperate characters that Milch, an experienced horse owner and gambler, perhaps knows a little too well. Milch's mastery of language creates a distinctive world, and the show will surely have its admirers. That said, one suspects the payout to HBO audience-wise will be limited, with some apt to drift away short of the finish line.…
TV-on-Disc Calendar
Last Week
Ancient Aliens 4.x
Ancient Aliens 4.x (Blu-ray)
Christmas With Danny Kaye
Diff'rent Strokes 4.x
Doctor Who 5.x
Doctor Who: Six Seasons
Dragons: Four Episodes
The Dust Bowl: The Complete Miniseries
The Dust Bowl: The Complete Miniseries (Blu-ray)
Game of Thrones 1.x Collector's Edition (Blu-ray)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Complete Series
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 1.x Vol. 2
Susskind/Berle
Transformers Prime 2.x
This Week
Cagney & Lacey: The Complete Series
In Search Of ... The Complete Series
McMillan & Wife: The Complete Series
Stargate Atlantis 1.x (Blu-ray)
Stargate Atlantis 2.x (Blu-ray)
Stargate Atlantis 3.x (Blu-ray)
Stargate Atlantis 4.x (Blu-ray)
Stargate Atlantis 5.x (Blu-ray)
Transformers Prime 2.x (Blu-ray)
Next Week
Ancient Aliens: Collector’s Edition
Angry Boys: The Complete Series
Angry Boys: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Bridget Loves Bernie: The Complete Series
Cagney & Lacey 2.x
Comic Strip Presents: Bad News
Comic Strip Presents: Five Go Mad
The Donna Reed Show 5.x
Eastbound & Down 3.x
Eastbound & Down 3.x (Blu-ray)
The Game 5.x
The Game 5-Season Pack
Hell's Kitchen 8.x
Hell's Kitchen: 8-Season Set
Mannix 8.x
Mannix: The Complete Series
My Little Pony: Adventures In The Crystal Empire
My Little Pony 1.x
Mystery Science Theater 3000 XXV
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, Vol.2
Power Rangers Super Samurai: The Complete Season
Power Rangers Super Samurai: The Complete Season (Blu-ray)
The Simpsons 15.x
The Simpsons 15.x (Blu-ray)
Star Trek: The Next Generation 2.x (Blu-ray)
Titanic: Blood & Steel
We Can Be Heroes: The Complete Series
World Without End
World Without End (Blu-ray)
December 11
Bordertown: The Complete Series
Chiller: The Complete Series
Futurama Vol. 7
Futurama Vol.7 (Blu-ray)
Girls 1.x
Gordon Ramsay Cookalong Live
Gunsmoke 7.x Vol. 1
Hazel 4.x
History Detectives 10.x
JAG: The Complete Series
Law & Order: Criminal Intent 9.x
Mission Impossible: All Nine Seasons
Ninjago 3.x Vol. 1
Survivor 13.x
Survivor 14.x
UltraSeven: The Complete Series
December 18
Army Wives 6.x Vol. 2
Californication 5.x
Californication 5-Season Pack
Funny Or Die Presents 2.x
Here's Lucy 6.x
House of Lies 1.x
The Jerry Lewis Show: Best Of
The Life and Times Of Tim 3.x
Masters of the Universe: 30th Anniversary Edition
Quincy M.E. 4.x
The Sarah Silverman Program 3.x
Shameless 2.x
Shameless 2.x (Blu-ray)
Wyatt Earp: Three Episodes
December 25
Gabriel Iglesias: Stand-Up Revolution 2.x
Tosh.O - Deep V's (Blu-ray)
December 31
Justified 3.x
Justified 3.x (Blu-ray)
January 1
Trial & Retribution Set 6
January 8
Archer 3.x
Archer 3.x (Blu-ray)
Buck Rogers 2.x
Dallas (TNT) 1.x
Dance Moms 2.x
Darth Maul Returns
Dinotopia & Journey to the Center of the Earth
Doctor Who: Shada
Enlightened 1.x
Enlightened 1.x (Blu-ray)
Episodes 1.x/2.x
Fury: The Lost Episodes
The Goode Family: The Complete Series
Hearts Afire: The Complete Series
The Hour 2.x
The Hour 2.x (Blu-ray)
An Idiot Abroad 2.x
Naked City: 40 Best
Red Dwarf 10.x (Blu-ray)
Red Dwarf 10.x (Blu-ray)
Smash 1.x
3rd Rock From The Sun 5.x ($9.98)
3rd Rock From The Sun 6.x ($9.98)
Tiny Toon Adventures Vol. 3
VR Troopers 1.x Vol. 2
January 15
Amazing World of Gumball: The Mystery
Being Human 4.x
Being Human 4.x (Blu-ray)
Jackson Five: The Complete Series
Jackson Five: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 1997
Life's Too Short 1.x
The Littlest Pet Shop: Little Pets, Big Adventures
Men Of A Certain Age 2.x
Men Of A Certain Age 2.x (Blu-ray)
Merlin 4.x
Merlin 4.x (Blu-ray)
Perry Mason 8.x Vol. 2
Power Rangers Samurai 1.x Vol. 3
Power Rangers Super Samurai 2.x Vol. 3
Spongebob Squarepants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay
Twenty Twelve: The Complete Series
VR Troopers 1.x Vol. 2
Waking The Dead 7.x
January 22
Iron Man Armored Adventures 2.x Vol. 3
Kendra 4.x
The Scarecrow and Mrs. King 4.x
Young Justice 2.x Vol. 1
January 29
Downton Abbey 3.x
Downton Abbey 3.x (Blu-ray)
Femme Fatales 1.x
Misfits 2.x
Pan Am: The Complete Series
February 5
Animaniacs Vol. 4
Avenging Spider-Man
Ben 10: Omniverse - A New Beginning Vol. 1
Gunsmoke 7.x Vol. 2
Gunsmoke: 7-Season Pack
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour Vol. 3
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour Vol. 4
Southland 2.x/3.x/4.x
The Virginian 7.x
February 12
Big Bad Beetleborgs 1.x Vol. 2
Bonanza 5.x
Doctor Who: Reign of Terror
Family Matters 3.x
The Hardy Boys 3.x
Loretta Young: 100th Birthday Edition - Best Of
Matlock 8.x
SlugTerra: Return Of The Shane Gang
February 19
Adventure Time Vol. 4
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (Blu-ray)
Duck Dodgers 1.x
Game of Thrones 2.x
Game of Thrones 2.x (Blu-ray)
Gossip Girl 6.x
Gossip Girl: The Complete Series
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams 2.x
The Six Million Dollar Man 3.x
Top Gear 2.x
February 26
Law & Order 12.x
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2.x Vol. 1
West Point
March 5
Dalziel & Pascoe 7.x
Tom & Jerry: Pint Sized Pals
March 12
Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp 2.x
Ripper Street
Ripper Street (Blu-ray)
April 23
The Restless Gun: The Complete Series
Readers Talkback
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You missed this one: the In Search Of... DVD box set has been delayed yet again. No word as to what the delay is, but Amazon USA shows the release date as Dec 13, 2013. (I can only hope this is just a placeholder, or someone typed 2013 instead of 2012). Here's hoping this comes out soon!
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Amazon Canada is still showing Dec 4th 2012.... Which is where I bought it from (For half the cost for anyone who lives near the border and wants it cheaper). My concern is I bundled my beard shaver with it... I can't wait a year to shave... I'll look like that Google dude form Revolution!
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Nov. 27, 2012, 7:44 p.m. CST
@lothos_zero I wonder if that's why the U.S. version was delayed. The price difference between the U.S. and Canadian versions was HUGE! I wonder if Amazon's U.S. operations pulled the plug until they could get a better deal from VCI.
by AlienFanatic
I also ordered from Amazon.ca once I saw the difference. I kind of wonder if Amazon.com's preorders evaporated. Then again, there could also be a delay in the Amazon.ca version and it just hasn't been adjusted yet. *fingers crossed for no delay*
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Nov. 27, 2012, 7:47 p.m. CST
Hrm. Interesting factoid. The manufacturer (VEI, not VCI) has an order page up that SPECIFICALLY mentions Canada, with no mention of a U.S. preorder
by AlienFanatic
https://visual-entertainment-inc.myshopify.com/products/in-search-of-with-leonard-nimoy. Looks like there are no current plans to produce it in the U.S. after all.
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I went to the Visual Entertainment Inc. 's website and if you click on "in search of" it lists the price in Canadian dollars but says at the bottom they will NOT ship the item to Canada. Anyways I sent an e-mail to their sales department earlier today asking for confirmation it's still supposed to hit the street on the 4th... If I get a response I'll post it here.
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Did I miss it???
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Having enjoyed Deadwood and John from Cincinnati with only minimum confusion, I was hoping to get into Luck as well, but it lost me after 3 episodes. It got to be too much effort just to understand a single sentence anyone was saying. Shakespeare throws me off, and so did this. I'm tempted to get the Blu-Ray just to watch it with subtitles, that might be the crutch a doofus like me needs to follow it.
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I couldn't understand a damn word anyone was saying on that show either.
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Timelife has the entire series in a huge box set.
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Nov. 29, 2012, 10:06 p.m. CST
No love for Larry Hagman??? You have no credibility now- none whatsoever...
by Dan
You write about television and do not even mention a television icon, the biggest of the last 30 fucking years.... idiots!
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I agree with you zod. Mr. Hagman was iconic. One of the very best and he will be missed. On another note, I really think the credibility thing with these guys really doesn't matter. I had an issue with 'HERC' posting that the BOND 50 Collection was $99 all day Saturday, November 24 from Amazon and I come home to order it and come to find out that it was only on sale for like an hour or while supplies lasted. When I wrote them an email about it they didn't even bother to reply. So much for doing the right thing.
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