New Formatting For Reviews

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New Formatting For Reviews
Topic Started: Wednesday May 10 2006, 04:23 AM (225 Views)
Ingram	Wednesday May 10 2006, 04:23 AM Post #1
WHY SO SERIOUS! Posts: 8,830 Group: Administrators Member #1 Joined: February 9, 2005 XBL Gamer Tag Master Ingram	[doHTML] <table border="1" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000000" width="100%" id="AutoNumber1" bgcolor="#E6E6E6" bordercolorlight="#000000" bordercolordark="#000000" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse"> <tr> <td width="796"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber2" height="362" cellpadding="3"> <tr> <td width="100%" height="62"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="4">Deadwood - The Complete First Season</font></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2">Distributor:</font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b> </b>Paramount</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Year: </b> 2004</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Discs: </b>4</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Packaging: </b>Soft fold out cardboard</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Running Time: </b>640 Minutes</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Aspect Ratio: </b>1.78:1 16:9 Enhanced</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Audio: </b> Dolby Digital 5.1</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Special Features: </b>None - See below</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Release Date: </b>Tuesday, 02 August 2005</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Rating:</b> MA 15+</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" height="1"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Actors: </b> Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Jim Beaver, W. Earl Brown, Kim Dickens, Brad Dourif, Chase Ellison, John Hawkes Jeffrey Jones, Robin Weigert, Paula Malcomson, Leon Rippy, William Sanderson, Keith Carradine, Larry Cedar, Sean Bridgers, Peter Jason.</font></td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="186"> <p align="center"> <img border="0" src="http://www.users.on.net/~jmalthouse/deadwoods1cover.jpg" width="265" height="362"></td> </tr> </table> <p align="center"> </p> <table border="1" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="4">Introduction...</font></b></td> </tr> </table> <p><font face="Tahoma" size="2">In an age of plunder and greed, the richest gold strike in American History draws a throng of restless misfits to an outlaw settlement where everything — and everyone — has a price. From Executive Producer David Milch ("NYPD Blue") comes Deadwood, a new drama series that focuses on the birth of an American frontier town and the ruthless power struggle that exists in its lawless boundaries. <br> <br> The story begins two weeks after Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn, combining fictional and real-life characters and events in an epic morality tale. Located in the Black Hills Indian Cession, the "town" of Deadwood is an illegal settlement, a violent and uncivilized outpost that attracts a colorful array of characters looking to get rich — from outlaws and entrepreneurs to ex-soldiers and racketeers, Chinese laborers, prostitutes, city dudes and gunfighters.</font></p> <table border="1" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber4" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="4">Content...</font></b></td> </tr> </table> <p><font size="2" face="Tahoma">In January, 1876, the area around Black Hills, South Dakota, was unsettled by white man, but by June there were upwards of 10,000 people in the area. They were drawn to the area by the promise of gold, and lots of it. A camp was quickly set up, and their gold prospecting began. One of the first to the area was Al Swearengen; a wise businessman, he knew that the men in the camp would want to drink, and share the company of a woman. His establishment brought in thousands of dollars a day, which put him in a position of power in the newly formed camp. News of Deadwood spread to Montana where Seth Bullock was a sheriff. Bullock, and his friend Sol Star, set off to Deadwood to open a supply store, selling boots, pick-axes and pans to the miners. With the demand for supplies high, they stood to make a lot of money.<br> <br> The town of Deadwood was built on land owned by the Sioux Indians, so the rules governing the United States didn't apply. You could kill a man and walk away, but you may want to leave town. The lawlessness of the camp attracted unsavory fellows who would run scams, or kill to make a quick buck, but it was also the home of decent folks looking to make a new life. Wild Bill Hickok, one of the most feared men of the day, was drawn to the town by the promise of gold, but he was more interested in gambling than prospecting. He brought Charlie Utter with him, and Calamity Jane, one of the best-known figures in wild west history. This is the story of Deadwood, a mine camp with stories.<br> <br> I find <i>Deadwood</i> intriguing because it's part fact, part fiction, and very entertaining. David Milch, co-creator of <i>NYPD Blue</i>, has created a wonderful show that blends historical characters and events with his unique storytelling. Many characters in the show are real, and he stays true to the events that transpired in the early years of Deadwood, but he also adds characters to make the show more interesting. I was hooked on <i>Deadwood</i> when it first aired, and it was one of a handful of shows that I looked forward to watching on TV.<br> <br> Many viewers have a hard time getting past the profane language used in the series, something Milch maintains is historically correct. Here a fluffy, there a fluffy, everywhere a fluffy, fluffy... if that annoys you then you shouldn't watch the show because they use that word, in all its meanings, countless times in an episode. If you were to take a shot every time someone said "fluffy," I doubt you'd ever get through an episode. The language can also inject humor into the series, such as the exchange between Swearengen and Mr. Wu that consisted of "cocksucker!" repeated over and over.</font></p> <table border="1" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber5" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="4">Video...</font></b></td> </tr> </table> <p><font face="Tahoma" size="2">HBO has provided a wonderful transfer for this DVD set; it blows away what I watched on TV. The show is very dirty; the streets, the characters, and the environment, and the transfer helps to capture this. The show uses an earthy color palette; lots of browns, tans and grays, which look good on DVD. Don't expect to see many bright colors in the show; a few women wear bright clothes, but that's the exception. The shadow detail is great, which is needed because there are many poorly lit scenes. It's presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1), the original aspect ratio. There are chapters after the opening of the episodes, but a "play all" option is missing.<br> <br> I didn't realize this, but the show uses a lot of CGI. It's shot outside LA, so they add hills into a number of the shots. It's done so seamlessly that I never would have guessed it used CGI.</font></p> <table border="1" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber6" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="4">Audio...</font></b></td> </tr> </table> <p><font face="Tahoma" size="2">The English Dolby Digital 5.1 is not a very aggressive mix, but it sounds decent. There are some nice instances of panning effects, but the rear speakers are lacking any real use. I'd say that 95% of the audio comes from the center channel. There's very little separation, though it works given the content. There are English subtitles, and the episodes are closed captioned.</font></p> <table border="1" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber7" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><font size="4" face="Tahoma">Extra's...</font></b></td> </tr> </table> <p><font face="Tahoma" size="2">Unfortunately the R4 version of this series has had the extra's removed. But if you were to import the R1 release this is what you would have got.</font></p> <p><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>Commentary</b><br> There are some great comments that come out of these tracks. I liked the pairings of actors, and I wish they had put someone else with Milch. His commentary is better than the one he did on <i>NYPD Blue</i>, but there are so many dead spots. These are worth listening to.<br> Episode 1 - David Milch<br> Episode 4 - Molly Parker and Keith Carradine<br> Episode 5 - Brad Dourif and Robin Weigert<br> Episode 12 - Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant<br> <br> <b>Making Deadwood</b> (13:31)<br> The show behind the show, and the characters that make the show. David Milch (creator/writer/executive producer), Gregg Fienberg (executive producer), Davis Guggenheim (director/producer), Scott Stephens (producer), Timothy Olyphant (Seth Bullock), Sol Star (John Hawkes), Ian McShane (Al Swearengen), W. Earl Brown (Dan Dority), Paula Malcomson (Trixie), Keith Carradine (Wild Bill Hickok), Robin Weigert (Calamity Jane), Molly Parker (Alma Garret), Brad Dourif (Doc Cochran), Powers Boothe (Cy Tolliver), Leon Rippy (Tom Nuttall), William Sanderson (E.B. Farnum), Maria Caso (production designer), Katherine Jane Bryant (costume designer), John Rizzo (make-up) and James Glennon (director of photography) are interviewed for the pice.<br> <br> <b>The Real Deadwood</b> (25:26)<br> A wonderful documentary on the real city of Deadwood. Elizabeth Cook-Lynn (Prof. Emerita of Native American Studies, Eastern Washington University at Cheney), David Wolff (historian, Black Hills State University), Jerry Bryant (resident historical archeologist, Adams Museum & House), David Milch, Mary A. Kopco (director, Adams Museum & House), Keith Carradine, John Hawks, Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Paula Malcomson and Robin Weigert discuss the town, and the various characters that populated it. The audio gets messed up during some of the interviews (comes from all the speakers instead of just the center).<br> <br> <b>The New Language of the Old West</b> (29:47)<br> Keith Carradine (looking nothing like his Wild Bill character) interviews David Milch about the show, and the language used. The language, both obscene and complicated, sets this show apart from anything else on TV. Don't let the title of this featurette mislead you; it's not just about the language of the show.<br> <br> <b>An Imaginative Reality</b> (27:49)<br> A discussion about the melding of historical and fictional characters in the show. Keith Carradine interviews Milch again for this piece.</font></p> <table border="1" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber8" bgcolor="#E6E6E6"> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="4">Conclusion...</font></b></td> </tr> </table> <p><font face="Tahoma" size="2">I've often slagged HBO for releasing extremely high-priced set with weak extras. <i>Deadwood</i> is expensive ($100 SRP), and only contains 12 episodes, but they have quality, original bonus material. At least this time they're helping justify the price by providing worthy bonus features. I doubt HBO will revise their pricing anytime soon, so at least we can enjoy the features. The commentary tracks are excellent, though Milch's is rather odd. At one point he comments "I could watch people fed to animals pretty much 24 hours a day. Someone ought to start a channel with that." That's some weird shit, David!!<br> <br> I really enjoyed this show, I just wish the language was toned down for those who may be offended by it. My mom asked me to record the show for her when it premiered, and I was surprised because this isn't a mom-friendly show. I gave her the first episode, and she couldn't get through it because of the profanity. It's a shame that she'll miss out on a good show, but I understand where she's coming from.<br> <br> I found the characters and events in the show so interesting that I decided to do some research online. There are a number of excellent Deadwood websites with historical information you can check out. One of the best is the <a href="http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/" target="Adams">Adams Museum and House</a>. They have information on all the major characters in the show, and other background information on Deadwood, and how it grew to become the city of today. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of the show. I was amazed by how closely Milch stuck to the events, though he takes some creative liberties here and there. Reading the bios of the people will also give you an idea where the show could go in the second season, and beyond.<br> <br> If you can handle the price then you'll be rewarded with a wonderful, and awesome special features. If the price is too steep for your blood then I'd recommend you rent the set; it's worth watching. There are some brilliant performances, especially Keith Carradine as Wild Bill.</font></p> [/doHTML] Note: This review was not written by me. Full credit goes to the author found here. This is merely a test review to set an example of how a review can be done with HTML tags Please comment on the layout ect!



Chiasmata	Wednesday May 10 2006, 08:16 AM Post #2
Sense is not common. Posts: 2,144 Group: Moderators Member #486 Joined: November 25, 2005	Very nice layout indeed. :) Love all the subheadings.
	I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.- Robert McCloskey


FreakyLime	Wednesday May 10 2006, 09:52 AM Post #3
The tasty citrus™ Posts: 7,016 Group: Members Member #128 Joined: March 12, 2005	Can you post the pure html? I CBF'ed going View > Source.
	Here they're gonna steal my soul Ghost Train Waiting out until I know Ghost Train Trying not to feel like you did Ghost Train Moving up until I go go home.. Ghost Train


Ingram	Wednesday May 10 2006, 10:09 AM Post #4
WHY SO SERIOUS! Posts: 8,830 Group: Administrators Member #1 Joined: February 9, 2005 XBL Gamer Tag Master Ingram	Already have. Eyes = open! http://dsaustralia.com/index.php?showtopic=1546



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