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Nominated for five Academy Awards (most of them related to effects and visuals), and winner of the Oscar for Special Visual Effects, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a true Hollywood blockbuster. Long before the star-studded, over-hyped Disney film Pearl Harbor, film creators gave us a much better depiction of the events surrounding December 7, 1941. Often shown on the History Channel, Tora! Tora! Tora! almost fits the definition of a documentary. The film doesn’t employ sideshow tricks such as love triangles (i.e. Pearl Harbor) in order to create audience interest. In fact, few of the actors stand out on their own. Instead, each character plays his part as it most likely unfolded in real life - and the real life version of Pearl Harbor is interesting enough on its own…

Tora! Tora! Tora! originates as the Japanese call sign for a full-fledged attack on the American naval installation at Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese Empire continues its expansion throughout the Asian-Pacific realm, the United States institutes economic sanctions. As further divisions threaten to bring about war between the two nations, Japanese admirals convene in order to plan a surprise preemptive attack on the United States Navy in the event that war becomes inevitable.

Among those present is Admiral Yamamoto (So Yamamura) who agrees to carry out the plan, but as a man who studied extensively in the United States, he believes his fellow countrymen underestimate the resolve and the industrial might of the American people. Nonetheless, the Japanese continue their surveillance of Pearl Harbor with a plan to annihilate the US Navy and its vital fleet of aircraft carriers.

Meanwhile, certain people in Washington are intercepting coded messages between the island of Japan and its ambassador to the United States. As the rumor of a Japanese attack begins to take hold, officials attempt to convince the top leaders in the chain of command. But the idea of such a bold and unprovoked attack is difficult to comprehend.

When the Japanese arrive at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, they realize their plan has worked well. They achieve total surprise, and the call of Tora! Tora! Tora! goes out to the fleet, launching a second wave of attack planes. The Japanese attacks sink several battleships, but not a single carrier (the carriers unexpectedly left the harbor to practice maneuvers). Threatening to annihilate Pearl Harbor, the Japanese are unexpectedly called back by a conservative admiral, leaving the scene before than can inflict maximum damage. The mistake is eloquently expressed by Admiral Yamamoto who fears that his countrymen have “only managed to awaken a sleeping giant”…

Despite its 1970 release date, Tora! Tora! Tora! remains a wonderful film that can hold its own in the special effects department with any modern day blockbuster. In fact, the older camera technology makes the scenes subconsciously feel more realistic than modern day films such Pearl Harbor. If you’re looking for a good, suspenseful movie (and one which teaches history too), then you’ll be hard pressed to find a better option than Tora! Tora! Tora! One of the best war films of all time, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a definite must see film…

About the Author

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

In the Fall of 1961, CBS first aired The Dick Van Dyke Show, one of funniest sitcoms in television history. Similar to I Love Lucy, but featuring more docile and less eccentric characters, the show became a mainstay in the top 10 Nielsen ratings for its first four seasons. When the show’s ratings slipped in the fifth season, the network cancelled the show. But in the four decades since, The Dick Van Dyke Show has continued to entertain its fans and their children (and their children’s children) via syndicated re-runs…

The Dick Van Dyke Show is centered around the life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), a family man living in suburban New York. As the head writer for the fictional “Alan Brady Show,” he works with co-writers Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie). Rob’s work life is always interesting given Buddy’s constant wisecracks, Sally’s never-ending search for a husband, and the trio’s unified harassment of Alan Brady’s brother-in-law, Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). At home, Rob’s loving yet overly-nervous wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) stays at home with the couple’s son Ritchie (Larry Mathews). Surrounded by all these unique characters, Rob is always embroiled in someone’s scheme, fantasy, or shenanigan…

The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “That’s My Boy???” in which Rob recounts the story of Ritchie’s birth. When he and Laura brought Ritchie home from the hospital, they thought he looked different so they began to believe they brought home the wrong baby. After putting their heads together with another couple, they determine that the baby they brought home is theirs after all… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “The Third One from the Left” in which Rob tries to prevent a guest star from falling in love with him, and “My Part-Time Wife” in which Laura drives Rob crazy while filling in at his office…

Below is a list of episodes included on The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 64 (That’s My Boy???) Air Date: 09-25-1963
Episode 65 (The Masterpiece) Air Date: 10-02-1963
Episode 66 (Laura’s Little Lie) Air Date: 10-09-1963
Episode 67 (Very Old Shoes, Very Old Rice) Air Date: 10-16-1963
Episode 68 (Uncle George) Air Date: 10-23-1963
Episode 69 (Too Many Stars) Air Date: 10-30-1963
Episode 70 (Who and Where Was Antonio Stradivarius?) Air Date: 11-06-1963
Episode 71 (Big Max Calvada) Air Date: 11-20-1963
Episode 72 (The Ballad of the Betty Lou) Air Date: 11-27-1963
Episode 73 (Turtles, Ties, and Toreadors) Air Date: 12-04-1963
Episode 74 (The Sound of Trumpets of Conscience Falls Deafly on a Brain That Holds Its Ears) Air Date: 12-11-1963
Episode 75 (The Third One from the Left) Air Date: 12-18-1963
Episode 76 (The Alan Brady Show Presents) Air Date: 01-01-1964
Episode 77 (My Husband is the Best One) Air Date: 01-08-1964
Episode 78 (Happy Birthday and Too Many More) Air Date: 02-05-1964
Episode 79 (The Lady and the Tiger and the Lawyer) Air Date: 01-15-1964
Episode 80 (The Life and Love of Joe Coogan) Air Date: 01-22-1964
Episode 81 (A Nice, Friendly Game of Cards) Air Date: 01-29-1964
Episode 82 (The Brave and the Backache) Air Date: 02-12-1964
Episode 83 (The Pen is Mightier Than the Mouth) Air Date: 02-19-1964
Episode 84 (My Part-Time Wife) Air Date: 02-26-1964
Episode 85 (Honeymoons are for the Lucky) Air Date: 03-04-1964
Episode 86 (How to Spank a Star) Air Date: 03-11-1964
Episode 87 (The Plots Thicken) Air Date: 03-18-1964
Episode 88 (Scratch My Car and Die) Air Date: 03-25-1964
Episode 89 (The Return of Edwin Carp) Air Date: 04-01-1964
Episode 90 (October Eve) Air Date: 04-08-1964
Episode 91 (Dear Mrs. Petrie, Your Husband is in Jail) Air Date: 04-15-1964
Episode 92 (My Neighbor’s Husband’s Other Life) Air Date: 04-22-1964
Episode 93 (I’d Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head At All) Air Date: 04-29-1964
Episode 94 (Teacher’s Petrie) Air Date: 05-13-1964

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 3) DVD.

Jim Carrey’s breakout role, Ace Ventura is one of the funniest films of the 1990s. Written by the former In Living Color writer himself, the film centers around an oddball kook of a lead character who investigates missing pets. If you enjoy Jim Carrey’s brand of humor (and it’s not for everyone), then you’ll love Ace Ventura. A bit more mainstream than Dumb And Dumber, it’s less ridiculous in concept (with the exception of a man employed as a pet detective). If you know how to laugh, then you’ll be hard-pressed to avoid doing so while watching Ace Ventura: Pet Detective…

Jim Carrey stars in the role of Ace Ventura, a Miami-based “pet detective” who has an unusual ability to relate to animals of every kind. For the most part, Carrey spends his days searching for lost and stolen pets. But when the Miami Dolphin mascot turns up missing, the Dolphin front office enlists Ventura’s aid in finding the culprit.

With the help of Dolphins employee Melissa Robinson (Courteney Cox) and law enforcement buddy Emilio (Tone Loc), Ace searches the whole of Miami in an effort to recapture the kidnapped dolphin. But along the way, he butts heads with Miami PD Lt. Lois Einhorn (Sean Young). When Ace discovers that the master criminal is a former member of the last Dolphins championship team, he must uncover the person’s identity if he hopes to find the mascot (leading to one of the more hilarious sequences in the film, when Carrey follows around the former players, searching for a ring with a missing stone). However, the stakes of the investigation are raised when the same perpetrator kidnaps Dan Marino before the Super Bowl. Now, it’s up to Ace Ventura to save the football season for the Miami Dolphins…

Long before his other starring roles, Jim Carrey burst onto the Hollywood radar with this cult classic smash hit. Ace Ventura is utterly ridiculous, but the movie thrives on the back of Carrey’s unique talents. Not since Robin Williams has a comedian of such limitless energy and ability hit the big screen. Ace Ventura showcases the best of Carrey’s talents and accurately embodies (he wrote it) his realm of humor. The constant antics of the film’s hero make for good comedic exchange between Carrey and Young as their two characters battle against each other.

Strange and over-the-top, Ace Ventura hit the big screen as a unique oddity that many have since attempted to replicate. But few actors have the multi-faceted talents of Jim Carrey, and that makes Ace Ventura a rare film indeed. Unlike Wayne’s World, this is one 1990s comedy that hasn’t lost its comedic luster with the passing of time. It’s just as funny today as when first released - if not more hilarious. It’s this timeless quality of its comedy that makes Ace Ventura: Pet Detective a definite must-see film…

About the Author

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