Product Details

• Actors: Richard Belzer, Melissa Leo, Clark Johnson, Andre Braugher, Kyle Secor
• Directors: Clark Johnson, Alan Taylor, Bruno Kirby, Darnell Martin, Don Scardino
• Format: Box set, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: March 30, 2004
• Run Time: 1034 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00018YCJ6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,352 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Season 4" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) was the rookie during Homicide’s first season. By the fourth, he's an experienced vet with a bad back (a degenerative disc, to be precise). Stan Bolander (Ned Beatty) and Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin) are gone, leaving Meldrick Lewis (Clark Johnson) and Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) without partners. Someone needs to come along to shake things up. Enter brash detective Mike Kellerman (Reed Diamond) from the arson unit. After impressing Lieutenant Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) with his sly interrogation of a shifty arson suspect in "Fire (Part One)," he’s invited to join Maryland's finest. The loquacious Lewis, on his own since the third-season departure of Steve Crosetti (Jon Polito), has finally found the perfect sparring partner, while Kellerman would add some redheaded sex appeal to the acclaimed drama (hey, it worked for NYPD Blue).

Another new character, naive crime-scene videographer James Brodie (Max Perlich), makes his (somewhat shambolic) entrance in "Autofocus." All the other old favorites are back: Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher) and wife Mary (Braugher’s real-life spouse Ami Brabson), for instance, are expecting a baby, and the much-married John Munch (Richard Beltzer) is dating the new medical examiner. Interesting developments are in store for the rest of the unit, as well, including a change in location (due to a gas leak) and command (Howard is promoted, but Isabella Hofman's Captain Russert is demoted).

Notable episodes include "A Doll's Eyes," a look at a murder case from the perspective of the victim's family (with Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden); "Heartbeat," inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart"; and "Thrill of the Kill," an eerie tale about a spree killer with a split personality. And keep an eye out for those always-surprising cameos, like Jay Leno in "Sniper (Part One)" and Reverend Horton Heat in "Full Moon." --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

HOMICIDE:LIFE ON THE STREET SEASON 4 - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Homicide: A Solid, Intense Season, April 2, 2004

By 

Ryan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Season 4 (DVD)

The fourth season of Homicide is packed with all the things that make it great television; intelligent writing, complex characters, top-flight acting and unique photography. However, the drama is ratcheted up a notch, removing it somewhat from its book-based, slower-moving roots in the first season. It is also the year of the Dynamic Duo (Pembleton and Bayliss, plus Lewis and Kellerman.) Meldrick Lewis has been without a partner since the suicide of his former partner, Crosetti, in the show's third season. Enter Mike Kellerman (Reed Diamond), a hotshot detective from the Arson Squad who impresses Giardello and is transferred into the unit. Lewis and Kellerman find that they are a good fit and their light and breezy chemistry is a breath of fresh air in an often dark atmosphere. The two bring a spark of fun into work, as evidenced by such episodes as, "Full Moon," "I've Got a Secret," and most notably, "The Hat," in which they allow a seemingly harmless suspect to escape from custody over a dish of rice pudding. But the two have their differences as shown in, "Scene of the Crime," when they clash over the role of a Muslim neighborhood patrol group in the murder of a drug-dealer. Lewis and Kellerman would also have their first encounter with ruthless drug lord, Luther Mahoney in, "The Damage Done." Mahoney would turn out to be a major villain and would start a running plot thread that would last throughout the following two seasons. Meanwhile, the more philosophical, serious pair of Frank Pembleton and Tim Bayliss would face their own difficulties throughout the year. Bayliss is haunted by the unsolved Adena Watson case from the first season in, "Requiem for Adena," when he finds himself working on another child murder. Pembleton also faces his personal demons in the Law & Order crossover, "For God and Country," when he confronts a domestic terrorist who bombed a black church several years before. Pembleton is burdened by the knowledge that he is about to become a father, but his problems only get worse when he is felled by a stroke in the season finale, "Work Related." Shift Commander Al Giardello is developed more fully in the intense episode, "Thrill of the Kill," as well as, "The Wedding." Unfortunately, while some characters get more camera time, others like Howard and Munch, are seen less. The departure of Stan Bolander and Beau Felton left them without partners. Kay Howard remedies her situation by taking the Sergeant's Exam. Her promotion restricts her to the squad room and she spends less time solving cases, which was always her strong suit. John Munch lands an unexpected partner when Megan Russert is demoted from Captain, but the two don't share the same interplay that afforded Munch so many of his verbal gems with Bolander. Luckily, one of Munch's finest episodes comes along in, "Heartbeat," when he matches wits with a poetic killer who is a fan of Edgar Allan Poe. This would be Russert's final year, as Isabella Hofmann would leave the series at the end of the season. We are also introduced to Brodie, a nerdish free-lance photographer who ends up taping crime scenes for the unit. Other notable episodes include, "A Doll's Eyes," in which two parents struggle through the grieving process after their 10-year-old son is shot at a mall and left on life support. Also, "Stake-out," a character-driven episode that is reminiscent of Homicide's first season, and the two-part, "Sniper," in which Baltimore is terrorized by a killer who plays a mysterious game with the police.

As is the case with the previous seasons, the picture quality and sound are far superior to the reruns from TV. The folks who put together the box sets for The Sopranos could take a lesson from the song listings on each disk in this package, as they are a nice touch for those who enjoy the music in each episode. I was disappointed to find that A&E again excluded the previouslies, and they again did not incorporate chapter breaks in between episodes. They made a chronological slip when placing the episode, "Scene of the Crime," as it is out of story order. The events in, "Work Related," take place directly after, "The Wedding." New viewers may be a bit confused by this error. Some viewers will inevitably complain that only the second half of the Law & Order crossover is present. It would be nice to see the first half of the story, but it is not imperative to fully appreciate the events in the Homicide conclusion. Clark Johnson seems to have a good time with his commentary on, "The Hat," and the bonus documentary was a plus. Despite some technical blunders, the fourth season of Homicide is another solid television masterpiece that belongs in anyone's collection, fan or otherwise.

Episode List:
*Fire 1
*Fire 2
*Autofocus
*A Doll's Eyes (Guest Star Marcia Gay Harden)
*Heartbeat
*Hate Crimes
*Thrill of the Kill
*Sniper 1 (Cameo by Jay Leno)
*Sniper 2
*Full Moon
*For God and Country (Law & Order crossover)
*The Hat (Guest Star Lily Tomlin)
*I've Got a Secret
*Justice 1
*Justice 2
*Stake-out
*Map of the Heart
*Requiem for Adena (Guest Star Chris Rock)
*The Damage Done
*The Wedding
*Scene of the Crime
*Work Related

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Its Prime, February 2, 2004

By 

Jason A. Miller (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Season 4 (DVD)

"Homicide" season 4 preserved the show's unique trend of realistic murder mysteries mixed in with a decidedly non-soap-opera look at the lives of its detectives. This year featured the show's first true crossover with "Law & Order", and also featured three other two-part episodes, as well as some surprising guest turns.

Beau Felton and Stan Bolander are gone. That's the bad news. However, Mike Kellerman (Reed Diamond), a hot-shot arson detective, joined the squad in the season-opening two-parter ("FIre) and soon we're introduced to Brodie (Max Pehrlich), the oddball videographer hired by Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) and Russert to document the unit. Bayliss ("Requiem for Adena") and Pembleton ("Work Related") remained the show's signature detectives. Bad news was in store for Russert's (Isabella Hoffmann) rapid career advancement, shortly after Howard (Melissa Leo) got promoted to sergeant.

"Homicide" was also noteworthy for its guest stars. Names you'll recognize this season include Chris Rock, Lily Tomlin (nominated for an Emmy), Stephanie Romanov ("Angel"), Illeana Douglas, J.K. Simmons ("Law & Order"), Dean Winters ("Oz"; reprising a role from the previous season), and surprising glimpses of Mandy Patinkin and Jay Leno. Also appearing are Melissa Leo (doing double-duty playing Howard's sister) and Peter Gerety, as a uniform who'd go on to join the regular cast during the show's final seasons.

This season's episodes are:

* Fire (1 & 2)
* Autofocus
* Thrill of the Kill
* Hate Crimes
* A Doll's Eyes
* Heartbeat
* Sniper (1 & 2)
* The Hat
* I've Got a Secret
* For God and Country
* Justice (1 & 2)
* Stakeout
* Requiem for Adena
* Full Moon
* Scene of the Crime
* Map of the Heart
* The Damage Done
* The Wedding
* Work Related

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Last True Great Season of Homicide, February 4, 2004

By 

ChupacabraNJ "ChupacabraNJ" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homicide Life on the Street - The Complete Season 4 (DVD)

While Homicide would continue for three more seasons, season 4 was the last true great season of this marvelous show. This is thanks to NBC's tampering. This season includes the best episode of any television drama (a bold statement, but watch it and see), "A Doll's Eyes" a heartbreaking tale of a little boy shot in a mall, and the trauma his parents suffer. Other episodes of interest: Thrill of the Kill, Full Moon, and Stakeout. Homicide season 4: Buy it!