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Special Features
- 24 episodes on 4 discs
- 20 minutes of deleted scenes
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Steven Spielberg's mid-'80s foray into television, Steven Spielberg Presents Amazing Stories, was based loosely on a pulpy sci-fi magazine from the '40s and '50s--much as his rollicking hit Raiders of the Lost Ark had been based on movie action serials of the same era. Yet despite the retro concept, Amazing Stories brought high gloss and state-of-the-art production values to their yarns of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. The boxed set of the first season (which debuted in 1985), contains all 24 episodes, as well as more than 20 minutes of deleted footage. Spielberg himself was very hands-on in the series, and directed many episodes and wrote most, and some themes from his later films show up here. In The Mission, a special hourlong episode (most are half an hour), stars Kevin Costner and Kiefer Sutherland play World War II bombers whose plane is hit during a routine mission, and who face a dire choice, with one young colleague's life hanging in the balance. Spielberg's visceral direction of the wartime violence, camaraderie, and anxiety is pitch-perfect, and presages some of the most moving moments in Saving Private Ryan. Part of the fun of this collection is seeing the stars and guest directors Spielberg cajoled into service, including Martin Scorsese, Sam Waterston (with a head of bushy '80s hair), Tim Robbins, Clint Eastwood, Harvey Keitel, and John Lithgow. The storytelling is crackerjack, and the trip down TV memory lane priceless. --A.T. Hurley
Product Description
A very anticipated release - Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology TV series featured well written stories directed by some of the best in the business, with an array of actors that were pretty amazing, too. Season One featured fan favorites "The Mission," "Mummy, Daddy," "Ghost Train," "The Doll" and more. This should do very well - wide press coverage is a sure thing. (PS For the Tim Burton fans, "Family Dog" was in Season Two.)
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
169 of 187 people found the following review helpful
For those wondering, the hilarious "Family Dog" episode aired as part of this show's SECOND season, and therefore is not part of this particular collection. Presumably it will be on the Season 2 DVD box set when the time comes.
Here are the first season episode titles in air date order, all of which will be on this box set:
1 Ghost Train
2 The Main Attraction
3 Alamo Jobe
4 Mummy, Daddy
5 The Mission
6 The Amazing Falsworth
7 Fine Tuning
8 Mr. Magic
9 Guilt Trip
10 Remote Control Man
11 Santa '85
12 Vanessa in the Garden
13 The Sitter
14 No Day at the Beach
15 One For the Road
16 Gather Ye Acorns
17 Boo!
18 Dorothy and Ben
19 Mirror, Mirror
20 Secret Cinema
21 Hell Toupee
22 The Doll
23 One For the Books
24 Grandpa's Ghost
Here are the first season episode titles in air date order, all of which will be on this box set:
1 Ghost Train
2 The Main Attraction
3 Alamo Jobe
4 Mummy, Daddy
5 The Mission
6 The Amazing Falsworth
7 Fine Tuning
8 Mr. Magic
9 Guilt Trip
10 Remote Control Man
11 Santa '85
12 Vanessa in the Garden
13 The Sitter
14 No Day at the Beach
15 One For the Road
16 Gather Ye Acorns
17 Boo!
18 Dorothy and Ben
19 Mirror, Mirror
20 Secret Cinema
21 Hell Toupee
22 The Doll
23 One For the Books
24 Grandpa's Ghost
115 of 127 people found the following review helpful
There are some things that are just special. Special things or moments that are benchmarks for a certain period in your life. Well, this show was one of them for me. Along with the likes of "The Goonies", "Stand By Me", and any John Hughes film of the 80's, this show was one of those treasures from my childhood that makes me look back fondly on it with such great nostalgia. I loved this show. I watched it regularly, and was always looking forward to seeing what strange trip Spielberg and crew were going to take us on this week. Of course, at this time Spielberg could do no wrong, so it was obvious to me that I was going to be right there for this show. I had already seen "E.T." and I had gone to the theaters with my dad to see "Temple Of Doom" 11 times. Spielberg wanted a show every week that he had described to the network would be like campfire tales. It's too bad that in it's time, the show was never really appreciated for what it was. It was not a big hit, but Spielberg was already promised a two season pick up. I have no idea why the show was not regarded very highly by people back then, and it still seems to fight for respect and recognition today. It doesn't make sense to me. Anyways, this was a wonderful and fantastic show that delivered the goods every week. Sure, not all of the episdoes were huge winners, but they never disappointed in creativity and were always fun to watch. So, what does season one have to deliver?. The premiere episode, "Ghost Train", is a pretty good one, but the first real classic of season one is the episode, "Mummy, Daddy". This is one of many that I always remember. It's about an actor named Harold who is playing a mummy in a movie. He goes to his wife who is going into labor, and doesn't know that a real mummy has come to life. Classic episode. Then there is "The Mission". Starring Kevin Costner, this has to be one of the most remembered episodes. A world wat II crew's belly gunner is stuck in his seat in the bottom of the plane and it appears that he will be crushed upon landing...until a miracle happens. A brilliant and magical episode. "Fine Tuning" is kind of a silly, but fun, episode about a teen who picks up an outer space signal that aliens are coming, and the aliens come to Hollywood and want to take people back with them. "Mr. Magic" has the great Sid Caesar playing an aging and fading magician who gets a new shot at his career with the help of a magical deck of cards. "Remote Control Man" is another favorite of mine. A harried man with a horrible family life is able to bring TV images to life. One episode that will always be cherished by moi is "Santa '85", a charming ep about a boy who helps Santa after he's jailed while delivering presents. Another top ep I remember quite fondly. Shot in black and white, "No Day At The Beach" finds a put upon GI try to save the lives of his comrades in World War II. Charlie Sheen appears in this one. John Lithgow stars in "The Doll", a finely written piece about a man's obsession with a doll he got for his niece. These eps are the best of the bunch. Not that the others are bad. The show got top notch talent behind the scenes with people like Richard Matheson, Martin Scorsesse, Paul Bartel, Joe Dante, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Bob Balaban, Mick Garris, and of course, Steve Spielberg. The first season also had an array of great guest stars like Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Costner, Gregory Hines, Milton Berle, Charles Durning, Sid Caesar, Charles Nelson Reilly, Harvey Keitel, Beau Bridges, Seth Green, James Cromwell, Joe Pantoliano, Forest Whitaker, Sam Waterston, Tim Robbins, Eve Arden, Griffin Dunne, and others. The show was amazing shot and filmed, and even when the stories went to the extremely goofy and silly, I think it was meant to be that way. Some were quite cheesy and hammy, but I believe that it was the show's intent to be kind of slapsticky in the old school ways. Hopefully, the show will finally get the respect it deserves. It is a fine, fine show that was wonderfully designed and brings back so many fond memories. Who knows what more Spielberg could of given us if the show had continued. Seasn two contained more of my absolute favorites, and I hope that DVD is soon on it's way. Do yourself a favor and get this DVD to rediscover the magic of this wonderful show.
44 of 49 people found the following review helpful
I remember watching Amazing Stories every week when I was a kid. Rewatching the episodes again on DVD brought back many fond memories for me.
Season 1 is overall a clear winner. There were a few episodes I found quite boring but there were many more I absolutely loved. My personal ratings on the episodes of season 1 are:
1 Ghost Train 9/10~ Great series opener. It had Steven Spiellberg's magical touch throughout it.
2 The Main Attraction~ 8/10 Pretty clever episode.
3 Alamo Jobe 6/10 ~ ok episode. A bit boring
4 Mummy, Daddy 10/10 ~ This was the first masterpiece, IMHO. Great, hilarious episode!
5 The Mission 10/10 ~ if Mummy Daddy was the first comic masterpiece, The Mission was the frist dramatic masterpiece.
6 The Amazing Falsworth 8/10 ~ very good, suspenseful episode
7 Fine Tuning 7/10 ~ kinda cute and kooky, but not top notch
8 Mr. Magic 7/10 ~another pretty good episode but not top notch
9 Guilt Trip 5/10 ~not one of my favorites, I was quite bored with it.
10 Remote Control Man 5/10 ~another below average episode for me
11 Santa '85 8/10 ~considering there are too many Santa themed episodes on tv to count, this one was very enjoyable
12 Vanessa in the Garden 10/10 ~beautiful episode. Exquisite.
13 The Sitter 8/10 ~I found this episode quite funny.
14 No Day at the Beach 8/10 ~this is the second "War" themed episode (The Mission was the first), and although not as excellent as The Mission, it was still very good
15 One For the Road 5/10 another below average.
16 Gather Ye Acorns 3/10 I really didn't like this one at all. I suppose I'm being generous by giving it a 3.
17 Boo! 8/10 ~ Cute episode. Reminded me of Beetlejuice (Ghost's living in attic trying to get rid of new tennants)
18 Dorothy and Ben 10/10 ~ another beautiful episode.
19 Mirror, Mirror 10/10 ~absolutely top notch and the first episode to scare me silly. Better than some of the "horror" movies of the modern era.
20 Secret Cinema 6/10 ~ Ok episode, reminded me of The Truman Show
21 Hell Toupee 1/10 ~this is by far the worst episode, IMHO. Comparing HT to an episode like "The Mission" is quite laughable.
22 The Doll 10/10 ~ Another beautiful, exquiste episode. John Lithgow probably gave one of the finest performances of the entire first sesason.
23 One For the Books 4/10 ~ what a let down after "The Doll".
24 Grandpa's Ghost 9/10 ~ wonderful ending to Season 1
With the exception of a few, I thought most of the episodes were definitely above average. Also the impressive roster of guest stars: Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Gregory Hines, Sam Waterson, Harvey Kitel, and of course, John Lithgow, to name a few, gave the audience the feeling they were watching a mini-movie each week.
Also for me, I find Amazing Stories so appealing because it is a show that the entire family can watch and enjoy together, which is getting rarer and rarer these days. I highly recommend Amazing Stories for your dvd collection.
Season 1 is overall a clear winner. There were a few episodes I found quite boring but there were many more I absolutely loved. My personal ratings on the episodes of season 1 are:
1 Ghost Train 9/10~ Great series opener. It had Steven Spiellberg's magical touch throughout it.
2 The Main Attraction~ 8/10 Pretty clever episode.
3 Alamo Jobe 6/10 ~ ok episode. A bit boring
4 Mummy, Daddy 10/10 ~ This was the first masterpiece, IMHO. Great, hilarious episode!
5 The Mission 10/10 ~ if Mummy Daddy was the first comic masterpiece, The Mission was the frist dramatic masterpiece.
6 The Amazing Falsworth 8/10 ~ very good, suspenseful episode
7 Fine Tuning 7/10 ~ kinda cute and kooky, but not top notch
8 Mr. Magic 7/10 ~another pretty good episode but not top notch
9 Guilt Trip 5/10 ~not one of my favorites, I was quite bored with it.
10 Remote Control Man 5/10 ~another below average episode for me
11 Santa '85 8/10 ~considering there are too many Santa themed episodes on tv to count, this one was very enjoyable
12 Vanessa in the Garden 10/10 ~beautiful episode. Exquisite.
13 The Sitter 8/10 ~I found this episode quite funny.
14 No Day at the Beach 8/10 ~this is the second "War" themed episode (The Mission was the first), and although not as excellent as The Mission, it was still very good
15 One For the Road 5/10 another below average.
16 Gather Ye Acorns 3/10 I really didn't like this one at all. I suppose I'm being generous by giving it a 3.
17 Boo! 8/10 ~ Cute episode. Reminded me of Beetlejuice (Ghost's living in attic trying to get rid of new tennants)
18 Dorothy and Ben 10/10 ~ another beautiful episode.
19 Mirror, Mirror 10/10 ~absolutely top notch and the first episode to scare me silly. Better than some of the "horror" movies of the modern era.
20 Secret Cinema 6/10 ~ Ok episode, reminded me of The Truman Show
21 Hell Toupee 1/10 ~this is by far the worst episode, IMHO. Comparing HT to an episode like "The Mission" is quite laughable.
22 The Doll 10/10 ~ Another beautiful, exquiste episode. John Lithgow probably gave one of the finest performances of the entire first sesason.
23 One For the Books 4/10 ~ what a let down after "The Doll".
24 Grandpa's Ghost 9/10 ~ wonderful ending to Season 1
With the exception of a few, I thought most of the episodes were definitely above average. Also the impressive roster of guest stars: Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Gregory Hines, Sam Waterson, Harvey Kitel, and of course, John Lithgow, to name a few, gave the audience the feeling they were watching a mini-movie each week.
Also for me, I find Amazing Stories so appealing because it is a show that the entire family can watch and enjoy together, which is getting rarer and rarer these days. I highly recommend Amazing Stories for your dvd collection.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
"Amazing" is right
This series should have run longer - 2 seasons was way too short. This is the most brilliant TV series I've ever seen, particularly "Gathering Ye Acorns", which had a profound... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mark Oribello
Unsurpassed!
In a word; this movie is stupendous! It's like you have an urging to see it again and again. You just want to light your fireplace, curl up with a soft blanket, some popcorn and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Safford
One of the best and last anthology series on television
It was no surprise that Steven Spielberg would be the guiding force behind this remarkable series from the mid-80's. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Reginald D. Garrard
Amszing indeed!
Back in the mid 80's I used to catch this show every so often when it was a weekly series. Steven Spielberg was the driving force behind this episodic show and you can tell he... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Hunter777
Just as good the 2nd time around
The last time I saw these stories was during the 80s. I'm now enjoying them with my family. My college age sons enjoy the excellent writing and directing. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dangerous Dan
Mummy Daddy
Mummy daddy was the BEST episode ever and alone was worth the full cost of these DVD's. I'll never tire of watching it and recently shared it with my 10 year old who also LOVED it.
Published 5 months ago by DogBert
Great Stories
Great to watch, especially with children. All of the episodes are great. I don't think they ever had a Season 2. Spielberg production and many famous actors in the show/directing. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Michael L. Sweet
Amazing Stories stll amaze
Loved the series in the 80s and still love it.
My favorite is 'Gather Ye Acorns...", makes me think of those Captain Marvel comics my dad thru out and the baseball cards... Read more
My favorite is 'Gather Ye Acorns...", makes me think of those Captain Marvel comics my dad thru out and the baseball cards... Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. NORRIS
horrible audio
The audio is terrible. I have to turn up the volume on the television to the maximum to be able to hear it.
Published 10 months ago by jf
Nice blast from the past
I watched these shows when I was a kid and as an adult had wondered if I would still enjoy the series. I still find the shows enjoyable, and the stories are creative. Read more
Published 10 months ago by benjaminw
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