|  | Actors: Anne Francis, John Ericson, Bruce the Ocelot
Studio: Vci Entertainment
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $19.84
as of 11/21/2009 07:54 CST details
You Save: $20.15 (50%)
New (31) Used (8) Collectible (2) from $19.84
Seller: deep_discount_dvd_cd
Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 12685
Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 4
Running Time: 900 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 8515
UPC: 089859851520
EAN: 0089859851520
ASIN: B001B0H7DG
Release Date: September 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Five Star Seller!!! New, factory sealed US Region 1 DVD. Item is 100% guaranteed not to be a bootleg or import. Item is shipped directly from our warehouse. Easy exchange if item defective or damaged in shipped.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 16-20 of 72
 Trip down memory lane October 28, 2008
Danny M. Hobbs (Tigard, OR United States)
9 out of 15 found this review helpful
I imagine myself, on a break from Calculus homework on - what evening of the week was that? - watching Anne Francis upon the screen . . . Not quite the visual bliss of "Forbidden Planet," but . . .
. . . sorry, folks, it just doesn't work anymore. The awkward fight scenes, Sam's ineffectual rants at Honey's independence, Honey in action while Sam listens in via her wired earrings or (aargh!) those folding glasses . . . well, be honest now. It's forced, isn't it? And TV acting and production standards have changed over the years, thank heavens. Plus, you know exactly what will happen next time, and next time, and . . .
But all that would be fine - we'd just have good, predictable, outdated, 60s-style Anne Francis-sexy fun - except that with commercials, we've got about 23 minutes to set up the crime, create a complication, get Honey knocked down once or twice, have Sam yell at her, and watch them figure it out and catch the crook. It's just not enough time to create a compelling mystery story. All we're left with, really, is Anne and the ocelot, and it's just not enough.
Still, I imagine this show in the mid-60s, the heavy scent of sex hanging in the air as Anne Francis sashays across the screen, the exotic undertone of Bruce - an ocelot named Bruce!? So, even if it no longer works, you gotta cheer for what it tried to be. Hey! At least it wasn't The Brady Bunch! I mean, it **was** Anne Francis, after all!
Anne Francis is Honey to the DVD World October 23, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Honey West was a breakthrough series as it not only was an action series with a female lead but it was also an early attempt at syndication.
Anne Francis starred as Honey West. Honey inherited her father's detective agency and ran it with Sam Bolt. Since the episodes were only 25 minutes long, there was not a lot of room for red herrings and plot twists. This is probably what lead the show to its one season run. But Anne Francis is incandesent as the lead.
PS. Other manufactures should look at the packaging. 4 discs in a hardcase not much bigger than a 1 disc hardcase.
Aaron Spelling's Sweet Series: Honey West. October 23, 2008
The Matrix Fan
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Honey West? I'd never heard the name before. I didn't know there was a whole series of novels, and I definitely didn't know that Anne Francis was a groundbreaker for future leading ladies. As I popped in the discs one by one, I was on the fast track to visit 1965 and find out all about The Swingin' Mrs. Jones.
The Episodes:
Truth be told, I didn't even blink at the episodes being in black & white, because I grew up with re-runs of other shows without color, but it took me a little while to get used to the show being only 30 minutes long.
Most of the episodes were pretty formulaic, but I could see the redefined gender roles: Honey would typically do all the investigating, and Sam would do more of the menial tasks like surveillance in the "H.W. Bolt & Co. TV Repairing" van. Honey would save the day with martial arts, while Sam would typically get knocked out from behind. Honey West got to change outfits about 2-3 times per episode: whether it was a bikini, an evening gown or a black catsuit, they only served to accentuate her drop-dead-gorgeous looks (yes, I am biased).
I never knew if I'd see a pair of glasses with a hidden microphone, a bottle of sun tan lotion as a homing device, or a garter belt as a gas mask.
One frequent technique I enjoyed were the quick cuts for humor. One minute Sam would be yelling at Honey saying "You are not gonna do any more crazy things! THAT'S THE..." and the scene immediately cuts to Honey at a movie theater with an usher saying "Ticket, please..."
Cameo roles? Well, I noticed Joe Don Baker, Richard Kiel, Dick Clark, Alan Reed (the voice of Fred Flintstone!), a very young Maureen McCormick, a.k.a. Marcia Brady, George Burns in a few cigar commercials, even a robot which appeared in a Gilligan's Island episode one year later!
Okay, how about the box set itself?
(1) First off, this is a space-saver's dream come true. All 4 discs come in a single DVD case so there's no worrying about finding shelf space for this series.
(2) Vintage Commercials:
I was pleased to find over 40 commercials in this box set. From Sylvania's Flash Cubes to Dippity-Do, each of them had me in stitches. The one for Sucrets relieving sore throat pain enough to smoke a cigarette never ceased to make me laugh!
(3) Glamour Shots: This feature is found on the first two discs of the set, showing promotional pictures of the cast as well as a few caricatures.
(4) Hidden Trailers: On the first disc there are trailers for "Next week's exciting episode of Honey West" - These are only accessible at the end of the credits of the first 3 episodes.
I can't go on with this review without a little recognition for some people behind the scenes:
(1) Honey's gowns were designed by Nolan Miller, a television costume designer who did work on the 1980s series "Dynasty", and "The Colbys".
(2) John Ericson's wardrobe was done by Botany 500, a men's apparel line which provided the wardrobe for Don Adams in "Get Smart", and several game show hosts such as Bob Barker and Dick Clark.
(3) Joseph Mullendore did the music for the episodes, and his unique dramatic music was also found in the original Star Trek series.
Are there any cons to this box set? There are but a few:
(1) The Vintage Commercials are not listed on any of the discs. Since there were over 40 advertisements, finding just one is impossible - we also have to fast-forward to the commercials we want, they do not have individual chapters.
(2) There is no Closed-Captioning on the episodes. Other shows from the 1960's have captions in their re-runs; I'm not sure why that wasn't done here.
Even with said drawbacks, I enjoyed this series very much. Honey West was a few years before my time, so I never knew Anne Francis paved the way for roles like Jennifer Garner in Alias or shows like Charlie's Angels. If you're a fan of retro television shows like The Avengers, You will definitely enjoy this.
With 30 episodes and the extra features, Honey West is a sweet deal.
For Fans Of The Show, Or Even New Viewers October 22, 2008
Jim M. (Springfield MA)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I have to be honest, I wasn't familiar with HONEY WEST before the recent DVD release. It was sort of the 1960's version of ALIAS. Anne Francis is a private detective, on a different mission every week.
The show is highly entertaining. It is fast paced with Anne Francis just wonderful in the lead.
The DVD is very good. There are four discs containing all thirty episodes of the series. The black and white episodes look good. There are all sorts of fun extras as well, including vintage commercials for products from the mid 60's.
If you were a fan of the show, you will definitely want this. Even if you never saw it, and enjoy the genre, it is worth picking up.
It is great to see shows like this make it to DVD.
 Honey West Complete Series October 21, 2008
M. F. Lane (Hockessin, DE United States)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I have to confess that I was only 9 years old when this series first aired. But I do recall my family and I watching it each week and enjoying every inch of the show. I was unable to remember any one particular show, but was excited to see it was going to be released on DVD. How happy I am that I made the purchase as the show stands up against time. The prints are nice and clear. The sound is excellent and the plots, great. I recommend this wonderful set to anyone interested in vintage TV shows.
Showing reviews 16-20 of 72
|
|
|
