Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > DVD Discussions > DVD Talk
Reload this Page >

Lonesome Dove TV series on DVD?

DVD Talk Talk about DVDs and Movies on DVD including Covers and Cases

Lonesome Dove TV series on DVD?

Old 02-12-05, 10:02 PM
  #1  
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: So. Illinois
Posts: 3,019
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Lonesome Dove TV series on DVD?

Upon browsing Amazon's Western genre section, I ran across two sets of Lonesome Dove. The '94-'95 season of what I guess was just called "The Series", and then the '95-'96 season of what was called "The Outlaw Years". Each has 21-22 episodes, presented in Fullframe.

I'd forgotten about this series. I thought I remember something about them, that Lonesome Dove was made into a series, but had totally forgotten about it. I have all 4 of the mini-series on DVD. I actually enjoyed the prequal mini "Dead Man's Walk", not so much of the original "Lonesome Dove", started to watch "Return to...", but quickly lost interest, haven't watched "Streets of Laredo" yet.

Wondering if I'd like these TV series. Anybody seen it?
Old 02-12-05, 10:40 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Honestly, if you didn't care much for the Original Mini-Series, I don't know how you'd like much of anything, since it's one of the best mini-series and best westerns ever produced.
Old 02-12-05, 11:07 PM
  #3  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Archives, Indiana
Posts: 1,758
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I thought the original mini-series was incredible.....something that has played a part in recreating the Western genre as we know it.
Old 02-13-05, 02:25 AM
  #4  
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I got the two seasons you are talking about at the last ddd 20% off sale. Both seasons revolve around the life of Newt Call. The first season starts off pretty slowly, introducing the main characters and some almost pointless relationship stuff that takes away too much time from the 1st season. For the most part I'd call it a pattern show, each week a new character or two appears and the show becomes how Newt or one of the other major characters interacts with the new guy. All the while Newt's romance to Hannah is getting the rest of the screen time. It's pretty low budget the first couple episodes but seems to get better as the season progresses. I'd almost call the first season a family show, but there is always some traces of foreboding evil that requires a shoot out and some bodies to keep things interesting. I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5.

Season 2, however, is excellent. The whole series took an incredible turn towards the darker side of things. Body counts go up, and all the romantic crap from the 1st season is gone. The family bonding and good morals and what not get chucked out and replaced with a sawed off shotgun as Newt becomes a renegade bounty hunter with a free license to kill people. Most of the characters that reappear from season 1, are now very flawed (drunks, depressives, etc). Production values went up tremendously...it feels like you are watching a movie on some of the episodes. Set designs, make-up (gunshots, blood, etc) and costumes are pretty good. There are also some new female characters that get introduced and by the end of the season they have you wanting to see more. There are a few letdown episodes, and the repetitive pattern is still there, but overall it's much more of a gritty, dark vision than the first season. The season's ending is perhaps the most unsatisfactory, it was very obvious they wanted a 3rd season and things are kind of just left open. 4 out of 5.

Last edited by Mistoffeleez; 02-13-05 at 02:28 AM.
Old 02-13-05, 01:42 PM
  #5  
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: So. Illinois
Posts: 3,019
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Admiral7
Honestly, if you didn't care much for the Original Mini-Series, I don't know how you'd like much of anything, since it's one of the best mini-series and best westerns ever produced.
Well honestly, some of that disappointment of the original mini was the lackluster transfer on the DVD accompanied with a pretty much DD 2.0 Mono soundtrack. I think watching the prequal mini, "Dead Man's Walk" may have spoiled me on the production values, because I thought that mini was pretty good, depsite David Arquette's performance as Call.
Old 02-13-05, 09:26 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree that the DVD transfer wasn't up to snuff, but the DD 2.0 mono soundtrack is the original soundtrack, something I THOUGHT was worshiped -- to a fault -- around here.
Old 02-13-05, 10:48 PM
  #7  
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: So. Illinois
Posts: 3,019
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Admiral7
I agree that the DVD transfer wasn't up to snuff, but the DD 2.0 mono soundtrack is the original soundtrack, something I THOUGHT was worshiped -- to a fault -- around here.
Well, not me. I'd rather have at least a 2.0 surround track than a 2.0 mono track. Maybe it has to do with my HT set-up. It just doesn't do mono all that well. And it really doesn't do 2.0 surround all that well either. It just has standard Pro-Logic decoding not Pro-Logic II. I use my 'normal' (Dolby Digital 5.1) setting most of the time which uses the center speaker so the bass doesn't come through all that well with just a 2.0 mix.

I really need a new receiver. Besides, I don't have DTS either. I've been looking at a Yamaha system with 6.1 DTS-ES and DD-EX for $400.
Old 02-14-05, 08:50 AM
  #8  
Moderator
 
Geofferson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: The Village Green
Posts: 39,745
Received 89 Likes on 75 Posts
I absolutely love this miniseries. However, the DVD leaves quite a bit of room for improvement.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.