Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Seabiscuit is based on the inspirational true story of an underdog who rises to victory and wins the hearts and minds of a nation. Directed by Gary Ross, creator of such hit films as Big (1988), Dave (1993), and Pleasantville (1998), the film is a family-oriented form of entertainment guaranteed to spike your adrenaline level. With narration by two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough, Seabiscuit combines the best of dramatic storytelling with the historical significance of a History Channel documentary. Based on the bestselling book by Laura Hillenbrand, it’s set in Depression-era America where an unorthodox racehorse named Seabiscuit captures the popular imagination of underdogs everywhere

Seabiscuit follows the life of wealthy automobile magnate Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) whose personal life disintegrates following the death of his son. Divorced, he meets his soul mate Marcela (Elizabeth Banks). The two get married, and Howard is soon infected with her love for horses. Searching for a new challenge, the Howards decide to purchase a racehorse. Immediately, Howard encounters Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), a man with an unusual talent for dealing with horses. Impressed with Tom’s expertise, Howard hires him to train a racehorse.

Letting Tom guide the search for the best horse, the two settle on Seabiscuit, a defiant and untamed free spirit dismissed by others as a lost cause. Soon thereafter, Howard hires the only jockey with the grit and moxie to handle Seabiscuit, Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire). With an undersized horse, an oversized jockey, and an unproven trainer, the three men combine to form the best race teams on the West Coast. In race after race, they capture the imagination of local thoroughbred racing aficionados. As the wins mount up, Howard decides to launch Seabiscuit on a cross country tour. His goal is to have Seabiscuit facedown the best racehorses on the East Coast, and one horse in particular - the undefeated reigning champion and Triple Crown winner, War Admiral.

Leveraging the media, Howard maneuvers to create a Seabiscuit/War Admiral one-on-one showdown. But as the race nears, injuries to both Seabiscuit and Red force both man and horse to overcome the greatest of odds. Reaching deep within, each must summon the courage to rise to their respective challenges. And what they achieve is nothing short of legendary

An inspiring tale of unyielding perseverance and tremendous courage, Seabiscuit is certain to stir emotions in every viewer. Knowing the film is a catalogue of actual events forces the audience to its feet in fanatical support of characters who, like each of us, may not always be the best or fanciest specimen in the race, but nevertheless press on with a “never quit” attitude. A story that embodies the best and most noble qualities of the human spirit, Seabiscuit is great entertainment certain to be loved by idealists from age one to one-hundred and one

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Seabiscuit (DVD).

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Nominated for 52 Emmys since its 1990 premiere, including 11 for Outstanding Drama Series, Law & Order is one of the most popular television shows in modern day history. With an additional 4 Golden Globe nominations for Best TV Series (Drama), Law & Order is more than a TV show, it’s a lucrative franchise for host network NBC, spawning popular spin-offs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), and (the now cancelled) Law & Order: Trial By Jury (2005). Filmed on location in New York City, the show is the brainchild of creator Dick Wolf, a longtime writer for successful TV series such as Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice. With sixteen successful seasons already on the books, and more on the way, Law & Order remains one of the best drama series available on any network

Law & Order centers around the New York City criminal justice system, where “the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups - the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders”. The first half of each one-hour episode is dedicated to the initial revelation of a crime and the police investigation that subsequently takes place. This usually involves interviewing witnesses, following leads, testing evidence, and/or hammering out a confession. Once sufficient evidence has been gathered to charge a suspect, the remainder of the show revolves around the district attorney’s office and their attempts to prosecute the offenders. Oftentimes, the audience will be witness to unexpected plot twists, unorthodox media-driven cases, or last minute, Perry Mason-like confessions or brokered deals. Given its long TV run, the cast of Law & Order has frequently changed over the years - with only a handful of characters experiencing lengthy runs, characters such as Det. Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), and EADA John “Jack” McCoy (Sam Waterston)

The Law & Order DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the series premiere “Prescription for Death” in which a young woman turns up dead following a late-night visit to the emergency room. When her father claims negligence on behalf of the hospital, his accusations lead to an in-depth investigation that prompts detectives to believe that the attending physician was drunk at the time of treatment Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “Poison Ivy” in which the police shooting (and subsequent cover-up) of a black honors student amplifies the city’s racial tensions, and “The Serpent’s Tooth” in which two brothers become the prime suspects in the murder of their wealthy parents

Below is a list of episodes included on the Law & Order (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Prescription for Death) Air Date: 09-13-1990
Episode 2 (Subterranean Homeboy Blues) Air Date: 09-20-1990
Episode 3 (The Reaper’s Helper) Air Date: 10-04-1990
Episode 4 (Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die) Air Date: 10-11-1990
Episode 5 (Happily Ever After) Air Date: 10-23-1990
Episode 6 (Everybody’s Favorite Bagman) Air Date: 10-30-1990
Episode 7 (By Hooker, By Crook) Air Date: 11-13-1990
Episode 8 (Poison Ivy) Air Date: 11-20-1990
Episode 9 (Indifference) Air Date: 11-27-1990
Episode 10 (Prisoner of Love) Air Date: 12-04-1990
Episode 11 (Out of the Half-Light) Air Date: 12-11-1990
Episode 12 (Life Choice) Air Date: 01-08-1991
Episode 13 (A Death in the Family) Air Date: 01-15-1991
Episode 14 (The Violence of Summer) Air Date: 02-05-1991
Episode 15 (The Torrents of Greed: Part 1) Air Date: 02-12-1991
Episode 16 (The Torrents of Greed: Part 2) Air Date: 02-19-1991
Episode 17 (Mushrooms) Air Date: 02-26-1991
Episode 18 (The Secret Sharers) Air Date: 03-12-1991
Episode 19 (The Serpent’s Tooth) Air Date: 03-19-1991
Episode 20 (The Troubles) Air Date: 03-26-1991
Episode 21 (Sonata for a Solo Organ) Air Date: 04-02-1991
Episode 22 (The Blue Wall) Air Date: 06-09-1991

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Law & Order (DVD).

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The exceptionally talented smooth jazz sax man Gerald Albright has released his own greatest hits CD entitled The Very best of Gerald Albright.

I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Albright fans, and smooth jazz fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of this best of CD Albright’s artistic excellence is on full display as he delivers a brilliant collection of his best tracks to date.

The first five tracks mirror the rise of the smooth jazz radio phenomenon. So Amazing, Bermuda Nights, In the Mood, My, My, My, and Anniversary were, and still are staples of the smooth jazz radio format. All were released between 1987 and 1990, and all except Bermuda Nights are covers of popular R&B tunes. Each track still sounds fresh even today. These five alone make this an outstanding smooth jazz collection.

These days it’s a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs.

Contributors on the project includes a whole host of talented musicians like Lee Ritenour on track 7, G & Lee, along with Rodney Franklin, Pete Escovedo, Joe Sample and Chuckii Booker just to name a few.

Overall The Very Best of Gerald Albright is an outstanding release. Definitely must have music for anyone who fancy’s themselves a smooth jazz fan. I give it two thumbs up as this is a CD even the casual music fan can and will appreciate Albright’s smooth polished style.

While this entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes and SmoothJazz247.com favorites are So Amazing [track 1], Georgia On My Mind [track 6], and Boss Of Nova [track 8]. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 4, My, My, My. Very nice!

Release Notes:

Gerald Albright originally released The Very Best of Gerald Albright on June 19, 2001 on the Atlantic record label.

CD track list follows:

1. So Amazing
2. Bermuda Nights
3. In The Mood
4. My, My, My
5. Anniversary
6. Georgia On My Mind
7. G & Lee
8. Boss Of Nova
9. Sooki Sooki
10. When Morning Comes 2001
11. New Girl On The Block

To listen to samples of each song on The Very Best of Gerald Albright by Gerald Albright go to:
Gerald Albright CD - The Very Best of Gerald Albright Samples

Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. “SmoothLee” is an AVID music fan, smooth jazz in particular, and in addition to writing CD Reviews for I Love Smooth Jazz.com can also be heard during his radio show which airs online daily at Smooth Jazz 24/7

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