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Hart to Hart No. 3 review: "Rent it" according to DVD Talk (1 Viewer)

bmasters9

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http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/65553/hart-to-hart-season-3/

Just saw this a few seconds ago from DVD Talk, and the recommendation, according to the reviewer, was to "rent it." Personally, I was surprised to hear that, as I finished seeing that release recently and really enjoyed it, so that's why I'm surprised to hear this reviewer say "rent it." I thought it was a pretty good purchase myself and well worth the money.
 

jimmyjet

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i do not value a reviewer's judgment any more than any other individual, with that regard.

and to be honest, i wish they would not include it, as if that opinion has any more merit, because he is a reviewer.

stick to the stuff that can be measured tangibly - picture quality, etc.
 

MaxMorrow

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People are going to like what they like, whether they're a reviewer or a consumer. Opinions and reviews are never one-size-fits-all gospel, just potential guidelines. I'm glad you're enjoying your set!
 

Dave Lawrence

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The only DVD reviews I find useful are those that focus on the DVD itself - picture quality, sound quality, aspect ratio, possible edits, extras, etc. If I'm considering the purchase, I already know I like the show or, in the case of blind buys, have already decided I'm willing to take a chance on the unknown. So a reviewer's personal thoughts on whether a movie or TV show is any good mean very little. That's not to say that film (and television) criticism can't be interesting, but I don't think these reviews are trying to serve as criticism. These are merely Amazon reviews with a couple of extra paragraphs.

That said, I knew not to take this particular reviewer seriously when he called the writing lazy...one sentence after he proved he was too lazy a writer to fact check and catch that the show's creator is Sidney Sheldon and not Sydney Sheldon.
 

BobO'Link

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Dave Lawrence said:
The only DVD reviews I find useful are those that focus on the DVD itself - picture quality, sound quality, aspect ratio, possible edits, extras, etc. If I'm considering the purchase, I already know I like the show or, in the case of blind buys, have already decided I'm willing to take a chance on the unknown. So a reviewer's personal thoughts on whether a movie or TV show is any good mean very little. That's not to say that film (and television) criticism can't be interesting, but I don't think these reviews are trying to serve as criticism. These are merely Amazon reviews with a couple of extra paragraphs.

That said, I knew not to take this particular reviewer seriously when he called the writing lazy...one sentence after he proved he was too lazy a writer to fact check and catch that the show's creator is Sidney Sheldon and not Sydney Sheldon.
I mostly agree for most reviewers, but there *are* a very select few reviewers whose opinions and tastes tend to mirror my own. In those cases I'll give their opinion of a series more weight in my purchase decision if it's a blind buy. Other than that, like you, all I'm really after is audio/video quality, possible edits, and the way something is packaged. On a *rare* occasion I may be interested in what, if any, "bonus" features/extras are part of a release.
 

MattHR

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I just started disc five last night, after binge watching the set since Monday. The show doesn't really lend itself to binge watching, but I had been waiting for this release, after such a loooong dry spell since Season 2, that I couldn't help myself. I hadn't seen any of these episodes since originally broadcast, but (so far) they have been noticeably weaker than those from Seasons 1 and 2, yet I'm still enjoying them. The first episode of Season 3, "Harts and Flowers" (about a florist out to kill the contestants of a "best rose" contest) has to be the worst in the entire series.

My enjoyment of the show comes from the actors and their chemistry, not the silly murder-of-the-week plot in which the Harts always find themselves involved. Other shows from the same era with similar setups, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Remington Steele and Moonlighting, also have a special place in my heart. With the exception of Moonlighting, none of them were ever critics' favorites or major award winners.

Part of my enjoyment with this release (as with Seasons 1 and 2), are the fantastic transfers that have been utilized. Other than the occasional stock footage shot, the image is outstanding. The colors are vibrant and fleshtones are accurate throughout. Chapter breaks have been appropriately placed after the opening titles, each commercial breakpoint, and before the closing credits. I'm also pleased that Shout has kept the episode count to no more than four-per-disc, something that has become quite rare these days with most studios cutting costs by cramming more content-per-disc than is generally acceptable.

Today, shows like Bones and Castle, with their slick productions and higher budgets, are still nothing but recycled murder-of-the-week mysteries. Just like their "rom-com-mys-venture" predecessors of the 80s, it's the high-likability and chemistry of their leads (and often scene-stealing co-stars) that hook the audience as life-long fans.

So, Shout! Factory, bring on Seasons 4 and 5! And please...a reasonably-priced set of the eight reunion movies would be great. Sony's $25-per-movie pricepoint for each MOD disc is just insane. I'd even double-dip for a complete series + movies set, if that was the only other way to get the movies.
 

bmasters9

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Dave Lawrence said:
The only DVD reviews I find useful are those that focus on the DVD itself - picture quality, sound quality, aspect ratio, possible edits, extras, etc. If I'm considering the purchase, I already know I like the show or, in the case of blind buys, have already decided I'm willing to take a chance on the unknown. So a reviewer's personal thoughts on whether a movie or TV show is any good mean very little. That's not to say that film (and television) criticism can't be interesting, but I don't think these reviews are trying to serve as criticism. These are merely Amazon reviews with a couple of extra paragraphs.

That said, I knew not to take this particular reviewer seriously when he called the writing lazy...one sentence after he proved he was too lazy a writer to fact check and catch that the show's creator is Sidney Sheldon and not Sydney Sheldon.
Some good points there! About the part concerning the consideration of blind buys: I hadn't seen that much of Barney Miller prior to purchasing Shout!'s full-series release of it (I remember catching a few minutes of the odd rerun from WGN now and then, and also caught some when I was a boy from WHNS-21 [now FOX Carolina]). I then read DVD Talk's review of that full release of Barney, and it convinced me that perhaps this release would be a good purchase. I put in the $100 or so and purchased it from Amazon (don't recall exactly how much I spent), and over time, watched the entire series through. I finished the series, and I thought (and still think now) that Barney is one of the greatest series of the past, especially based on how Hal Linden played that title character (very well, IMO). Of course, No. 1 of the Fish spinoff is another story; I'm kind of leery of that one. But the main event was Barney Miller, and I'm still enjoying watching an episode from that series every now and then, and that's the mark of a great release.
 

Dan*T

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I could give two hoots what a reviewer thinks of a show that I loved watching as a kid, and still enjoy now.
Like someone mentioned earlier, the review should be on the DVD quality itself (picture transfer, menu option,etc) and not on someone's personal opinion on whether they like the show or not.
Just like every other spelling show from that era, I can't wait to complete my series set
 

bronson

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I don´t care what the reviewer of DVDtalk has said. I like Season 3 and 4 as well. Season 5 is weaker, I admit.
 

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