Crime Story - Season One
by Gary Sinise, Bill Duke, James A. Contner, Francis Delia, James Quinn
List Price:
Our Price: $39.99
You Save: $19.99 (33%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $23.79 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Patricia CharbonneauDirector: Bill Duke, Francis Delia, Gary Sinise, James A. Contner, James Quinn
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Unknown
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 1033 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-11-04
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Reviews of Crime Story - Season One
DVD Review: Crime Story Season One
Summary: 5 Stars
If I could give you more stars for this DVD, I would. When the program first aired in 1986, I enjoyed watching the 60's set in Chicago and Las Vegas. The music brought back great memories and the cars were those we used to dream about and wished we could have. (I wish I could have one of them to-day.) I was sorry when this "Classic" show ended but am happy to be able to enjoy it again. Reproduction is far greater to-day than it was when I first watched it and it's great to do without the commercials.DVD Review: Great Show - where's the music?
Summary: 4 Stars
Almost finished season 1 - what's the bottom line on the music? I watched these prime time and remember a really good soundtrack. Reviews are conflicting but my guess is most of the good tunes are gone.DVD Review: Original and best that started it all! Rey Luca Lives!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I can remember waiting a week to see the all new episode on Thursday nights. I'm glad to be able to see it anytime on dvd. This is The Godfather of all TV cop/mob series out there. I highly recommend this title for those who didn't get a chance to see it syndicated on air. DVD Review: Trailblazing Cult Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the most influential TV shows ever is also one of the most criminally underseen. 'Crime Story's' effect on film and TV is immense and it's influence of some today's classic's is vast and deep.
You'll be reminded of everything from 'The Sopranos' to 'LA Confidential' to Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino' and even 'Deadwood' plus many other great show's (even the dreadful film 'Mulholland Falls). All have drawn inspiration from 'Crime Story'.
Clever visuals, canny use of music and full story arcs for minor characters make 'Crime Story' a trendsetter. Creator Michael Mann would bring these styles and themes to full effect in his brilliant 1995 film 'Heat'. And there's the wonderful, often ironically black humour that courses through the series, again seen recently in both 'Sporanos' and 'Deadwood'.
'Crime Story' takes a few episodes to really find it's feet, but kicks into top gear with the 'Abrams for the Defense', a truly potent mix of social comment and slam bang crime, guest starring a young Ving Rhames. After that, the show is at it's best focusing on the endless struggle between Lt Mike Torello and the vicious, rising mobster Ray Luca.
The casting is magnificent and the performances are dynamite. Dennis Farina was born to play Lt Mike Torello and Anthony Denison has never been better as Torello's arch nemesis Ray Luca. Highlighting the show's great humour is the chemistry between Denison and John Santucci as his dim witted offsider, Paulie. It's a tribute to the actors and scriptwriters that Luca and Paulie can be have some hilarious moments-usually Luca berating Paulie's lack of brain cells- and be ruthless killers the next. Then there's strong work from Stephen Lang as lawyer David Abrams. No one quite does raging ethical and moral indignation like he does. And don't forget Ted Levine, whose almost supernaturally sleazey (he went onto be the killer in 'Silence of the Lambs') as another Luca henchman, Frank Holman, who's both comically pathetic and utterly deadly. Plus there's Andrew Dice Clay perfectly cast, Bill Smitrovich, Billy Campbell and many other familiar faces fill out the regular cast. Plus there's potent contributions from a stellar guest list from TV and film, everyone from Kevin Spacey, David Caruso, Gary Sinise and Julia Roberts, to perrenial bad guys Micheal Winncott and Stephen McHattie. And Dr No himself, Joeseph Wiseman is great as crime czar and Luca mentor Manny Wiseboard.
The show's a classic, but it gets woeful DVD treatment with no extras and some pretty ordinary transfers. That doesn't matter because 'Crime Story' is so enjoyable and so good that any shortcomings in the presentation are easily forgiven.
Ironically 'Crime Story' is much better than Exec. Producer Micheal Mann's big hit of the time 'Miami Vice'.
DVD Review: Memories
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered both Season one and two. It brings back very fond memories of that time period. It was a happy surprise to see it available. I am afraid I may wear the disks out from playing and re-playing. I still love the characters as much as I did when the series ran. Everything else since then has been just a poor imitation. Miami Vice, The Shield, etc. Drivers, eat your heart out when you see the price of gas @.25 per gallon. Being a Chicagoan, it's fun to identify the places, and remember how many I have visited and enjoyed.
Description of Crime Story - Season One
Following the phenomenal success of MIAMI VICE, Executive Producer Michael Mann returned to television with a new kind of gritty crime drama, one that talked tougher and hit harder than anything the small screen had ever seen before. For two explosive seasons, CRIME STORY told the hard-boiled saga of hair-trigger cop Lieutenant Mike Torello (Dennis Farina) and his obsessive pursuit of ruthless gangster Ray Luca (Anthony Denison) from the mean streets of early '60s Chicago to the neon nights of mob-run Las Vegas. Today, CRIME STORY is considered a true cult classic as well as one of the most startling series in television history. featuring a stellar supporting cast that includes Stephen Lang, Bill Campbell, Ted Levine, Darlanne Fluegel and Joseph Wiseman, and such guest stars as David Caruso, Michael Madsen, Pam Grier, Ving Rhames, Lorraine Bracco, Gary Sinise, Deborah Harry, Vincent Gallo and Julia Roberts.Conceived as a "22-hour movie for television," the incendiary first season of Crime Story (1986-87, on NBC) marked a controversial milestone in TV history, and its lasting influence can be seen in such better-known series and films as The Sopranos, Homicide: Life on the Street, Donnie Brasco, Casino and elsewhere. The season-long story arc followed Chicago Police detective Lt. Mike Torello (Dennis Farina) and his tireless pursuit of fast-rising mob boss Ray Luca (Anthony Denison) from Chicago to Las Vegas, circa 1963-64. Heading the Major Crimes Unit (MCU) with his hand-picked team of detectives (including fresh-faced Bill Campbell, long before Once and Again) and passionate public defender David Abrams (Stephen Lang), Torello moves from city to federal jurisdiction as Crime Story unfolds its post-Kennedy scenario with stark, often brutal authenticity, pausing for stand-alone episodes that propelled the Torello/Luca rivalry while showcasing such up-and-coming guest stars as David Caruso (in the electrifying pilot), Gary Sinise (who also directed two episodes), Ving Rhames, Lorraine Bracco, and 19-year-old Julia Roberts, who shows early promise as a sexually abused teenager in "The Survivor," a typical example of the show's emphasis on character depth and gritty, hard-hitting plotlines.
Riding high on the success of Miami Vice, executive producer Michael Mann (who helmed the penultimate episode "Top of the World") had several aces up his sleeve: Cocreator Chuck Adamson had been a legendary Chicago detective; Farina was an 18-year veteran of the Chicago Police before he switched to acting; and Luca's dim-witted Mafia sidekick, Pauli Taglia, was played by John Santucci, who had been one of Chicago's most notorious criminals in the 1960s. All of this--along with James A. Contner's color-saturated, mostly nocturnal cinematography--guaranteed that Crime Story would be unique for its time, earning controversy (over its rugged depiction of violent cops) and just enough ratings against ABC's Moonlighting to win a second-season reprieve. Unfortunately, Anchor Bay's budget-conscious DVDs represent a missed opportunity: Crammed onto four discs with five episodes each (with the pilot on a separate disc), the transfers barely rival VHS quality, and costly music rights resulted in song replacements that loyal viewers will regret. Lack of chapter indexing and a perfunctory background essay do little justice to a landmark TV series that deserved a full-featured release on DVD. Those caveats aside, Crime Story can be appreciated as an ambitious American epic that still packs a wallop. --Jeff Shannon
General DVDs
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in General DVDs
The Nightmare Before Christmas (2-Disc Collector's Edition + Digital Copy)Release date: 2008-08-26; DVD
Best price: $20.90
Price in other shops:
Incredible Hulk (Widescreen Edition)Release date: 2008-10-21; DVD
Best price: $15.99
Price in other shops:
The Dark Knight (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $16.99
Price in other shops:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Single Disc)INDIANA JONES & KINGDOM OF CRYSTAL SKULL (DVD; Release date: 2008-10-14; DVD
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops:
Iron Man (Two-Disc Special Collectors' Edition)IRON MAN-ULTIMATE EDITION (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $18.10
Price in other shops:
The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $22.99
Price in other shops:
Iron Man (Single-Disc Edition)IRON MAN (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $10.98
Price in other shops:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Two-Disc Special Edition)INDIANA JONES & KINGDOM OF CRYSTAL SKULL (DVD; Release date: 2008-10-14; DVD
Best price: $19.58
Price in other shops:
![Iron Man (Ultimate Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray] Image](/images/Iron-Man-Ultimate-Two-Disc-Edition-Blu-ray-B001GAPC1K-X.jpg)
Iron Man (Ultimate Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]Release date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $24.75
Price in other shops:
![The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray] Image](/images/The-Dark-Knight-Digital-Copy-and-BD-Live-Blu-ray-B001GZ6QEC-X.jpg)
The Dark Knight (+ Digital Copy and BD Live) [Blu-ray]Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $24.95
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Heroes: Season 2Universal; Release date: 2008-08-26; DVD
Best price: $23.99
Price in other shops:
Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2A&E; Release date: 2003-05-27; DVD
Best price: $20.99
Price in other shops:
The Wire - The Complete Fifth SeasonWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-08-12; DVD
Best price: $36.50
Price in other shops:
Hill Street Blues - Season 1HILL STREET BLUES; Release date: 2006-01-31; DVD
Best price: $17.12
Price in other shops:
Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First SeasonWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-08-19; DVD
Best price: $18.98
Price in other shops:
Burn Notice - Season OneTwentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2008-06-17; DVD
Best price: $21.99
Price in other shops:
Profit - The Complete SeriesMUNKSGAARD,FRODE; Release date: 2005-08-09; DVD
Best price: $12.74
Price in other shops:
Hill Street Blues - Season 2TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2006-05-16; DVD
Best price: $16.85
Price in other shops:
Crime Story (Pilot Episode)Release date: 2000-09-19; DVD
Best price: $55.99
Crime Story - Season TwoRelease date: 2005-09-20; DVD
Best price: $17.13
Price in other shops: