Something old, something new, something boxed, something blue: spanning 94 years, from 1909 to 2003, there are DVDs that will appeal to collectors and movie fans alike - Entertainment - Product/Service Evaluation - Buyers Guide

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2003 by Robert S. Rothenberg

Oz: The Complete Second Season (HBO Video, 467 minutes, $64.98) drags viewers back into the hellhole that is Emerald City, the experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary, in the aftermath of the bloody riot that ended season one. Without question the most-brutal series on television, "Oz" sometimes takes a strong stomach to get through the torture, homosexual rape, murder, and vicious racism the show revolves around. Nevertheless, it is impossible to turn away from once you become involved with the characters, on both the law enforcement and convict sides. In season two, the ongoing fight for dominion over the cellblock between the Aryan Brotherhood and the Muslims continues unabated, the latter also squeezing the Mafia out of control of the drug and contraband business. Terry Kinney, Ernie Hudson, Rita Moreno, and Edie Falco maintain their often-losing attempts to keep the lid on Emerald City and even institute reforms and rehabilitation, but it is the seething villainy of J.K. Simmons, Eamonn Walker, Dean Winters, and Lee Tergesen that captures most of the attention. The DVD includes a roundtable discussion among members of the cast and series creator Tom Fontana; a featurette spotlighting guest stars such as LL Cool J and Kathy Bates; a summary of the first season; and a preview of season three.

Six Feet Under: The Complete First Season (HBO Video, 780 minutes, $99.98) introduces the dysfunctional Fisher family in the cable TV series about the funeral industry that swept six Emmy Awards in its initial year, earning a place next to "The Sopranos" in HBO's showcase. Although ostensibly starring Peter Krause as Nate, the prodigal son; Rachel Griffiths as Brenda, his neurotic girlfriend; and Michael C. Hall as David, his gay brother, the show's success rides on the ability of the entire ensemble company to drag viewers into the Sturm und Drang of the various relationships. Frances Conroy (somewhat ditzy mother Ruth), Lauren Ambrose (confused sister Claire), Richard Jenkins (dead father Nathan, who has a disconcerting habit of reappearing to kibbitz from the sidelines), Freddy Rodriguez (the funeral parlor's cosmetic restorer), and Mathew St. Patrick (David's black police officer lover) keep the often-bizarre storylines spinning, and the opening corpse-du-jour sequences are morbidly enthralling. If you're not yet familiar with the goings on at Fisher & Sons, here's your chances to jump on the bandwagon--or hearse, as the case may be. Special features include audio commentaries by Alan Ball, the show's creator; a "Making of ..." featurette and one on the production of the program's title; interviews with the cast; and a deleted scene from the pilot.

Band of Brothers (HBO Video, 705 minutes, $119.99), the stirring 10-episode epic series following an American rifle company from D-Day through the end of the European campaign of World War II, won six Emmy Awards and captured the Golden Globe prize for best miniseries. It is quite easy to determine why. Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and based on the book by Steven E. Ambrose, it is grittingly real and both triumphant and tragic. While viewers come to know the company members and get involved in their lives, they realize that this is no Hollywood production where the good guys always win. As they did during the war, some of the soldiers die, others are wounded and sent home, and raw replacements arrive, sometimes to be killed even before they can make an impact on the veterans. All of this is brilliantly counterpointed with testimony by the real-life survivors of Easy Company. At a time when American forces are once more in harm's way on the battlefield, this is a video that merits viewing and collecting, a sobering lesson that achieving peace is never a simple affair. The DVD is enhanced by a "Making of ..." featurette; an 80-minute documentary, "We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company"; and video diaries by Ron Livingston, one of the series' leads.