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Summary: Nowadays, the word "event" is thrown around all too often when describing television programmes, but back in 1983 the debut of "V: The Mini Series" was a television event in the truest sense. The appearance of gigantic flying saucers over the world's largest cities heralds the arrival of aliens from a distant galaxy who look human and act benevolently. Of course, things aren't exactly what they seem, and when some suspicious humans start to question the visitors' intentions they uncover a vast alien conspiracy, along with some unusual culinary habits. Soon, the visitors have enslaved the Earth under their fascist rule, and small groups of human rebels are forced underground to fight for the freedom of their entire species. But with the future of the planet still in question the epic story comes to an abrupt end, forcing the viewer to wait for the resolution in "V: The Final Battle" and the on-going series.
That's not to say that the original "V" isn't worth the price of admission: in over three hours, it manages to capture the spirit of the great classic science fiction of the 1950s and 60s. The feeling of paranoia and insecurity that runs throughout the whole thing makes it feel, at times, like an expanded episode of "The Twilight Zone", only shinier (hey, it was the 1980s). The special effects were impressive for their day, inspiring similarly themed films in the 90s (the gigantic flying saucers were seen again in "Independence Day", and the storage area of the mothership turns up in "The X Files Movie" and "The Matrix"). What does irritate, however, is the utter lack of subtlety in the allegorical storyline. In fact, it could only have been made more obvious by demanding that the entire cast wear "This is how it was in 1930s' Germany" t-shirts. But if "V" occasionally doesn't live up to its own high standards, it's still a remarkably high-quality slice of epic television drama.
On the DVD: The picture is an impressive widescreen 1.85:1 ratio and the soundtrack is adequate Dolby stereo. The DVD boasts a feature-length commentary by writer and director Kenneth Johnson, as well as a 25-minute "Behind the Scenes" documentary. "--Robert Burrow"

Sound: AC-3

Summary: The Visitors are among us. In a single shared moment, they appear in every major city in the world, promoting a message of peace. They want to share their knowledge of technology; they want us to unite. And they are counting on a very important component of human nature: devotion. At first considered a threat, the Visitors -- or V's -- quickly become a fascination. But when FBI Counter Terrorist Agent Erica Evans discovers what lurks beneath the alarmingly human exterior of the V's, resisting this new world has never been more important -- and never has there been more at stake. It truly is the dawning of a new day.

Comments: Box set

Summary: Like a roller coaster ready to fly off its rails, "Van Helsing" rockets to maximum velocity and never slows down. Having earned blockbuster clout with "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns", writer-director Stephen Sommers once again plunders Universal's monster vault and pulls out all the stops for this mammoth $148-million action-adventure-horror-comedy, which opens ("sans" credits) with a terrific black-and-white prologue that pays homage to the Universal horror classics that inspired it. The plot pits legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) against Dracula (the deliciously campy Richard Roxburgh), his deadly blood-sucking brides, and the Wolfman (Will Kemp) in a two-hour parade of outstanding special effects (980 in all) that turn Sommers' juvenile plot into a triple-overtime bonus for CGI animators. In alliance with a Transylvanian princess (Kate Beckinsale) and the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley), Van Helsing must prevent Dracula from hatching his bat-winged progeny, and there's so much good-humored action that you're guaranteed to be thrilled and exhausted by the time the 10-minute end-credits roll. It's loud, obnoxious, filled with revisionist horror folklore, and aimed at addicted gamers and eight-year-olds, but this colossal monster mash (including Mr. Hyde, just for kicks) will never, ever bore you. A sequel is virtually guaranteed. --"Jeff Shannon"