Romance - Page 51

Manufacturer: PBS Brand: PBS

Downton Abbeya sprawling, lavish Edwardian mansion nestled in the Yorkshire landscapeneeds an heir. Dame Maggie Smith stars as Violet, the stubborn Dowager Countess of Grantham, matriarch of Downton. Hugh Bonneville stars as her son, the stoic, unflappable Lord Crawley; Elizabeth McGovern is his far-sighted American wife, Cora. From Academy Award®-winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park). An addictive blend of suds and social commentary, ITV's Downton Abbey brings a microcosm of Edwardian society together under one roof. Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and his family live a life of leisure, while a fleet of servants, including butler Carson (Jim Carter), attend to their every need, but two events conspire to shake things up: the sinking of the Titanic, which claims Crawley's heirs, and the return of his valet, Bates (Brendan Coyle). Since Crawley and Lady Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) have three daughters, his distant solicitor cousin, Matthew (Dan Stevens), becomes heir to the estate. With that, the scheming begins, since Thomas the footman (Rob James-Collier) views Bates as an interloper and Crawley's mother, Violet (Maggie Smith), feels the same way about Matthew's mother, Isobel (Penelope Wilton). In the tradition of the BBC's Upstairs Downstairs and Robert Altman's Gosford Park, for which writer-creator Julian Fellowes received an Academy Award, the royals, servants, and middle-class relations struggle to get along. Sniffs uptight maid Miss O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran), "Gentlemen don't work," but that doesn't stop Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Edith Crawley (Laura Carmichael) from competing for Matthew's affections. Though it takes awhile to warm up to the tightest-wound characters, most everyone reveals their more vulnerable side before the first season comes to an end, and a new small-screen classic is born. The entire sprawling cast is quite wonderful, particularly Bonneville, Carter, and James-Collier, who provide a fascinating study in contrasts (the latter is downright dastardly). Unlike the version tha...

Manufacturer: PBS (Direct) Brand: PBS Model: PBSDMST6410BR Color: color

A star-studded cast (Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle, Dan Stevens) round out the glittering, gossipy, and beguiling men and women of this epic tale! After a tragedy at sea claims the life of the presumed heir, Lord Crawley is faced with the possibility that the house he's loved his whole life might someday belong to a distant cousin he's never met. But before that can happen he must deal with his scandalous daughter, Lady Mary - considered by many to be the rightful heir to Downton. Even the staff has opinions on the family's affairs. And while most are devoted to the Crawleys, there are others whose selfishness and scheming do more than simply disrupt the well-oiled inner workings of the estate. As the servants' mischief escalates, even the most faithful employees begin to imagine a different life. Pitting hundreds of years of British aristocracy against the tides of social upheaval and technical progress, under the looming shadow of World War I, will the fate of Downton and its family - above and below stairs - be resolved? Or will life be altered so dramatically that its master no longer matters?

Manufacturer: Anchor Bay Entertainment Brand: Anchor Bay Entertainment

The House of Batiatus has towered above the city of Capua for many years. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena will explore its deadly history before the arrival of Spartacus, and the death he carried with him. Loyalties will be tested, lives shattered, and battles waged in this thrilling prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The title is misleading--there is no Spartacus to be found here--but little matter, as Gods of the Arena is a prime example of making lemonade from lemons. Faced with the unavailability of Andy Whitfield, star of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, due to a recurrence of cancer, the folks at Starz chose to go ahead without him and create a prequel, a resourceful way of buying some time until a new Spartacus could be found while employing several actors already under contract. The focus throughout these six episodes is on the house of Batiatus. It is there that gladiators hone their skills as they prepare for glory and/or death in the arena under the evil eye of Quintus Batiatus (John Hannah), whom Blood and Sand viewers will recognize as the principal villain of that series. The younger Batiatus, already blindly ambitious, wants to make his mark in the gladiator biz, aided by his sexy, scheming wife, Lucretia (Lucy Lawless), and her licentious friend Gaia (Jaime Murray)--and they have just the warrior to do it with in Gannicus (Dustin Clare), a preening stud described by one show exec as "Han Solo meets Achilles." There are, of course, numerous obstacles, ranging from Batiatus's own father to various rival gladiatorial operations. But really, who cares about plotting when a show has as much sex and violence, usually directly juxtaposed, as this one? True to the Blood and Sand precedent, every episode offers a steady parade of gratuitous, risibly over-the-top beheadings and other mayhem, much of it lovingly shot in slow motion, along with ample nudity (some of it full-frontal) and sex (all of it soft-core). With drugs, torture, and constant profanity also in the mix (who knew the ancient Romans dropped so man...

Manufacturer: Paramount Brand: Paramount Color: color

Top Gun takes a look at the danger and excitement that awaits every pilot at the Navy's prestigious fighter weapons school. Tom Cruise is superb as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a daring young flyer who's out to become the best of the best. And Kelly McGillis sizzles as the civilian instructor who teaches Maverick a few things you can't learn in a classroom.

Manufacturer: Warner Brand: Warner Manufacturing

Gossip Girl: The Complete Fifth SeasonEveryone's favorite socialites are back to their wicked ways as GOSSIP GIRL returns for its hotly anticipated season five. Opening in Los Angeles, a suntanned Serena has found the perfect summer job when Chuck and Nate, who are still on their posh trip around the globe, decide to pay her a visit. Meanwhile, back on the Upper East Side, Blair is still dealing with the fallout from her impossible choice between Prince Louis and Chuck, and Dan's world is suddenly shattered when he discovers that someone has gone behind his back and found an editor to anonymously publish one of his stories. Terrified of his friends and family reading his brilliant-but-honest critique of New York high society, Dan might not be able to refuse the fame and fortune of a published author. Finally, the surprise return of Serena's cousin Charlie (Kaylee DeFer) will threaten to destroy the van der Woodsen family from within. Watch out Upper East Siders, this season, nobody's safe and everybody's going to be sorry!]]>

Manufacturer: Warner Brand: Warner Manufacturing Model: 883929221929

The vampire brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore, eternal adolescents, having been leading 'normal' lives and hiding their bloodthirsty condition for centuries, moving on before their non-aging is noticed. Now they are back in the Virginia town where they became vampires. Stefan is noble, denying himself blood to avoid killing, and he tries to control his evil brother Damon. Stefan falls in love with schoolgirl Elena, whose best friend is a witch, like her grandma. Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley star in this dramatic vampire TV series from Warner Home Video. This package contains season three of The Vampire Diaries in a five-disc box set.