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Frasier - Season 8

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: John Mahoney, Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin

February 04, 2008
Season 8 is the first season of Frasier that didn't quite reach perfection. Daphne and Niles are now together and although the show handles it very well in general it does take an edge of their characters. Jane Leeves who plays Daphne fell pregnant during this series and an overeating story line develops until about half way through when Daphne goes to the "fat farm" to seek help. While in real life Jane Leeves gave birth and she returns later in the season. We don't have the wonderful character of Bulldog anymore but instead we have the return of Lana. A lover of Frasier in the previous series and now a friend who has you in stitches the same way Bulldog did.

I would rate seasons 1-7 at 10/10. However, season 8 drops to 9/10. ... Read More:

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The 4400 - Series 4 - Complete

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Jacqueline McKenzie, Joel Gretsch, Laura Allen

June 30, 2008
I am addicted to this show. The more I am in pain to learn that there will be no further seasons showed in the US. TV giant USA decided to not further continue the show. Mass protests from fans all over the states were unsuccessful. So season 4 ends with an open end and we all will never learn about the true ending of this spectacular TV series.

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The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Edition Box Set)

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin
directed by: Peter Jackson

December 10, 2004
This Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition Trilogy DVD set is the litmus test for which all future DVD sets should be compared to. As well as the longer versions of each film, there are literally dozens of hours of extras, from historical accounts of Tolkien's life, to production design, to story drafts, actor interviews, special effects, art design, you name it, it's here. This set is as epic as the movies.

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Far From The Madding Crowd [1998]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Nathanial Parker, Nigel Terry, Jonathan Firth, Paloma Baeza
directed by: Nicholas Renton

February 19, 2007
This is really a great adaptation of the novel - true to not only the plot but as often as possible to Hardy's very conversations. The actors are uniformly excellent, assisted by the subtle, well-paced script, gorgeous scenery and involving plot. I don't think a better version of FFTMC will ever be made and absolutely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Hardy - or of just sitting in front of an absorbing, fascinating, passionate and sexy costume drama for a few hours!

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Monsters Inc. [2002]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Mary Gibbs, Jennifer Tilly
directed by: Peter Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich

September 07, 2002
This has got to be one of the best Disney movies by far. This is a great family movie for young & old. My kids never tire of the adventures of Mike & Sully!!

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Charlie Wilson's War [2007]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ned Beatty
directed by: Mike Nichols

May 05, 2008
I sat, I watched and went away with no emotion, no feelings and no opinion on this film. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are two of my favourite actors and both act their roles very well indeed but the story seems very condensed and while I understand the cold war is big topic to tell in a film perhaps a little more depth would have made me understand and enjoy this film a little more.
However I have to mention something another reviewer talked about and that's the awful charity advert with Gwyneth Paltrow in it. Every time you watch the dvd you must endure a five minute charity advert. You can not skip it ever nor fast forward it and I accidentally pressed root instead of menu when I needed to pause the film and I had to watch the entire five minute ad again! I wonder ... Read More:

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House - Series 1-3 - Complete

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Hugh Laurie

November 19, 2007
House is one of those shows that you miss when it has run its first season and you missed it, yet you constantly hear your friends talk about it. You think that because it's so popular, it must be terrible, as that's simply the way it goes sometimes as TV shows that have such a massive mainstream popularity tend to be shallow and generally not very good. House is different, so different in fact that they have a great British comic actor play a genius M.D. by the name of Gregory House.

Medical shows through the history of television tend to be quite cliché and something that isn't too gripping. House is different. It brings the American medical drama into a completely new direction and revives the whole genre. House specialises is mystery cases and most of the time the simplest ... Read More:

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Battlestar Galactica : Complete Seasons 1-3 (16 Disc Box Set) [2004]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis

October 22, 2007
I was never a fan of the original, but this re imagined version hooked me right form the start. Its structured as a complete story with lots of strong and flawed characters and plenty of action. There are interesting relationships and B5 fans will undoubtedly appreciate the who-you-are / what-you-are implications of the story.

Acting, CGI special effects, and production are all excellent.

Highly recommended.

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The Inbetweeners [2008]

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
starring: Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Emily Head
directed by: Gordon Anderson

June 02, 2008
This is what Channel 4, E4, comedy used to be about. With Peep Show starting to lose its edge (only just) and off the wall stuff like Father Ted a fond memory it desperately needed something and this is it.

I hated Skins, Hollyoaks for grown ups, and could never get away with the 'thumbs up to the drug culture' idea behind Shameless; Also after the terrible Blunder, hang your head channel 4 (and David Mitchell for being involved) for ever releasing such rubbish I was not expecting anything, especially as it had been condemned to E4 anonymity, so much so that I missed all but the 5th episode.
I have to say it was brilliant, a breath of fresh air in sit-coms. Yes there is swearing and sexual innuendo, I'm not a fan of too much swearing on TV but this just seemed right, realistic without ... Read More:

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Cars (2006 - Disney/Pixar)

Childrens Toy Shop > DVD > DVD
directed by: John Lasseter

November 27, 2006


Cars has been out for a while now and it has accrued some critical baggage with many reviews saying that this is the moment when Pixar jumps the shark. The company's 7th film is the first directed by guiding light and Toy Story creator Lassetter since Toy Story 2 and it is, almost unquestionably, their worst film. However this is Pixar, their worst is better than a lot of people's best. The story is simple. Racecar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) falls from the truck transporting him across country to his big race and ends up in a backwater town called radiator springs. There he meets cars that are at first suspicious of him but become his friends. Lets begin with the problems. There are, unusually, for a Pixar film, many of them. The film takes a long time to really kick into gear, in fact we've ... Read More: