April 7, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II, III & IV • Page 23 Abbott & Costello’s television show now available by Dennis Seuling After a career that included vaudeville, radio, and motion pictures, the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello brought their unique brand of verbal and slapstick comedy to television in 1951 with a syndicated half-hour program. “The Abbott & Costello Show” (E1 Entertainment) is a nine-disc box set containing all 52 episodes of the show’s two-year run. Bud and Lou play two unemployed actors sharing an apartment in a rooming house run by Mr. Fields (Sid Fields), who was constantly hounding them for back rent. Lou’s girlfriend, Hillary (Hillary Brooke), lived across the hall. Another tenant, Stinky (Joe Besser), was a nasty kid who had a knack for getting under Lou’s skin. Besser, an adult dressed in a Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit, contributed one of the program’s ongoing sight gags. Other regulars were Mike the Cop (Gordon Jones) and Mr. Bacciagalupe (Joe Kirk), who was seen in assorted occupations depending on the episode. Plots were simple, and were initially wrapped around recreations of the comedy duo’s classic routines, including “Niagara Falls,” “Mustard,” “The Lemon Bit,” and “Who’s on First?” Each episode contained ridiculous situations, physical comedy, comic puns, and Bud taking advantage of Lou. With most of the duo’s famous routines having been incorporated into the first season’s episodes, more consistent story lines in Season 2 were established by series director Jean Yarborough, and Brooke, Kirk, and Besser were dropped. Bonus features in the box set include a 44-page book, the 1978 TV special “Hey, Abbott!” and Lou Costello’s home movies, interviews with Chris and Paddy Costello (Lou’s daughters), the 1948 short film “10,000 Kids and a Cop,” and collectible photo postcards. “The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy” (Warner Home Video), available in Blu-ray for the first time, contains not only the three feature-length movies, but more than seven hours of extras including featurettes on Middle Earth languages and music; making-of shorts; FOX TV, this part of the universe and new races are discovered, particularly the Wraith -- vampire-like creatures who suck the life essence out of their victims. The struggle between humans and the Wraith is the primary conflict driving “Stargate Atlantis.” The program is well-produced, with great visuals and makeup. Unfortunately, the series was beset with several cast upheavals, and this is a detriment, since viewers have to learn about new characters from square one rather than knowing them and understanding why they act in certain ways. “Stargate Atlantis” has pretty good writing and performances, ranking among the better TV sci-fi series. However, the complete collection is $200, and it may be more economical to buy the episodes by individual season. There is a serious problem with the collection’s packaging. Several of the discs were scratched in a factory-sealed set. The discs were poorly stored in cardboard sleeves held in place by a piece of rubber through the center hole, and it is difficult to place the disc back the way it was originally stored. The potential group of buyers for any complete collection is the fan base of the show. These loyal purchasers should not be shortchanged by inferior packaging that can harm the discs before the set is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello National Geographic, and Sci-Fi Channel specials; trailers and TV spots; cast profiles; character profiles; and music videos. This is a must-have for fans of the Tolkien books and movies. Warner has loaded the box set with a vast array of background material that will be devoured by “Rings” enthusiasts. Three bonus discs contain digital copies of all three adventures, bringing the total number of discs to six. The re-mastered animated version of “Lord of the Rings” (Warner Home Video), directed by Ralph Bakshi and originally released in 1978, is available in Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD, and digital) and regular DVD editions. Bakshi’s animation brings to life Tolkien’s characters in a fast-paced film that consolidates the plot considerably. A never-before-seen 30minute in-depth interview with Bakshi is the sole extra. “Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Collection” (MGM Home Entertainment) is a 25-disc box set containing the complete five seasons of the sci-fi show that was spun off from “Stargate SG-1.” The show deals with the discovery of a way to travel to the far ends of the universe to the City of Atlantis. Through the course of several seasons, even opened. “Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) is a collection of thrillers from the studio that made a name for itself with its lush horror movies. “These Are the Damned” (1963), starring Macdonald Carey, Viveca Lindfors, and Oliver Reed, uses the theme of justified and unjustified law breaking. An American tourist with a boat is robbed by a gang of teenage boys, but the sister of the leader jumps into the victim’s boat to escape her brother’s incestuous jealousy. The film switches gears and become a futuristic scifi adventure when the escapees and their pursuers enter high-security military territory, discovering gruesome, top-secret Cold War experimentation. In “Cash on Demand” (1961), starring Peter Cushing, a crook abducts the wife and child of a bank manager, masquerades as an insurance company detective, and schemes to rob the bank. “Maniac” (1963) stars Kerwin Matthews as drifter Paul Farrell who, when stranded at a sleazy bar in France, encounters two femmes fatales and becomes entwined in a plot to free a homicidal maniac from an institution for the criminally insane. 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