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Six Feet Under - The Complete First Season

Six Feet Under - The Complete First Season

List Price: $99.98
Your Price: $79.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best TV script ever.
Review: Sorry my title mimics that of others, but that's what I've been saying about it for a long time.

Like the Sopranos, this is a series the hype for which I didn't give in to orginally. Then I saw some reviews by one of my favorite Washington Post critics that teased me. So I watched, probably close to half way through the first season. It hooked me instantly.

First, as others point out, the acting is incredible. My spouse and I are wondering each episode who's the best actor. In one of the DVD episodes tonight, I felt it was Frances Conroy (Ruth) who I usually do. I've always been in love with Lauren Ambrose (Claire). All right, I have many friends with daughters older than she. What I mean is, I envy the kid. She's got a great future with her acting talent (and her expressions which will break you up!) The others are all fabulous too. Jeremy Sisto (Billy Chenowith) really does convince you that he's absolutely nuts...a change from his portrayal of Jesus in a TV movie a few years ago! And I've never seen his sister Brenda (God help me, I can't think of the actress's name) slip into her New Zealand accent. Again, they all vie for best actor/actress each episode!

There is an uncannily good mix of humor and drama. That's why I say it beats anything else on the tube. If I thought of getting rid of HBO, it's this series...and maybe The Wire...that would keep me. For months in advance my wife and I talk about the coming season; we can't wait for it.

It's risque without being gross. The gay issue is intelligently handled. Oh, and I've always wondered if Peter C. Marshall (David) and Matthew St. Patrick (Keith) were straight in real life. Among the extra features of the DVD set is that you learn that they are.

Another feature of the DVD set is the discussion among all those responsible for the opening sequence and theme music. Then there's the discussion with cast members as to their favorite scenes. (My favorite is also Lauren Ambrose's, when she's lethargic about being in love. A gem!)

It's a fabulous series that can't be beat. Well, my inlaws wouldn't like it. And don't show it to any of your guests or relatives who are prudes. I got in trouble with some family members at the beginning of one in the second season. And some of the gay scenes while, again, not gross, are threatening to people not accustomed to gay scenes. But it covers oh so many subjects you don't normally see covered...too many to even mention here. The scripts are brilliant, the acting the best. And the added benefits of the DVD series are well worth the cost of the set, in addition to having those superb episodes to watch again and again. They'll never bore you, believe me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Death and drama starring the Fisher family
Review: "Six Feet Under" is truly one of the finest shows to ever grace the small screen. Its first season proved to be a very strong start for the provocative HBO series. Viewers immediately became intrigued with the Fishers, a Los Angeles family who own a funeral home. When patriarch Nathaniel is killed in an accident, wife Ruth, sons David and Nate, and daughter Claire are forced to suddenly deal with the loss of their beloved, but twisted family member. The plots center around the family moving on (slowly and emotionally) from their father's death, and then trudging through the issues of their separate lives.

Ruth (Frances Conroy) becomes riddled with guilt for cheating on her husband while he was alive. Nate (Peter Krause) begrudgingly rejoins his family after his rebellious escape to Seattle and begins a chaotic romance with bizarre Brenda. David (Michael C. Hall) suffers with the secrecy of his gay life and the responsibility of running the business in his father's absence. Claire (Lauren Ambrose) is caught up with a bad crowd in school, uses drugs, and has a volcanic relationship with her criminal boyfriend. They are not the perfect family, which always makes for great drama.

Other characters add depth as outsiders to the Fisher struggles. Freddy Rodriguez is excellent as Rico, a young embalmer who is trying to decide if staying with Fisher and Sons is the right thing to do. It goes without saying that Rachel Griffiths is a scene-stealer as Brenda, Nate's dysfunctional massage therapist lover. She's already won an Emmy and much critical acclaim. Keith, played by Matthew St. Patrick, is also a unique character. He is David's lover, but he's not the stereotypical gay man. He's a huge, authoritative, intimidating police officer.

The plots thicken after the family mourns Nathaniel. Everything from a monopolizing company's threats to shut Fisher and Sons down to Nate discovering the twisted nature of Brenda's relationship with brother Billy (Jeremy Sisto) lend some soap-opera moments to keep viewers glued to their sets. One thing you might not expect from such a dark series is all of the humor. There are many dry jokes and embarassing situations; it's not all death and depression. Need proof? Watch the episode involving the foot. Or simply watch for appearances by the ghost of Nathaniel, who loves commenting on his family's ups and downs.

Overall, this show is a great mix of macabre and humanity. You'll cry, you'll laugh, and you'll be endlessly fascinated. This is the most realistic fictional series on television.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another diamond series on HBO
Review: Six Feet Under is one of those shows that will suck you in and become highly addictive by the end of the first episode. The show revolves around the Fishers who operate a family owned funeral home. All of the characters stand out and develop greatly on this show. Sometimes you will watch this show and you will laugh up a storm other times you will watch it and the emotion makes you want to cry.

Six Feet Under is written by Alan Ball and he directed American Beauty. American Beauty is one of my favorite movies and there are a few similarities in between both. When I say similarities I mean that both American Beauty have a great sense of dark humor and great drama. I found both of Alan Ball's works to be one that make you sit back and reflect on life. After watching American Beauty you look around for the beauty of things on earth and in life. The same applies with Six Feet Under but questions are brought up like "Why do we have to die". I liked American Beauty and I felt right at home with Six Feet Under.

The characters in this show are relatable and even though they have a different way of making a living I still found them relatable. The main characters I would say are Nate, David, Ruth, Claire, & Nate Sr. Of course they are the Fisher family who own the funeral home. Another few huge character on this show are Brenda and her brother Billy. Of course there are other big characters but I can't name everyone.

In the pilot episode the Nate Sr. dies in a horrible bus accident and he has to hand over the funeral home to his two sons Nate and David Fisher. Even though he his dead Nate Sr. watches over his family and communicates with his family. Alot of the scenes he appears in are hilarious. Oh ya did I mention he is dead! His sons both have good developing characters who are very different in their own ways. David Fisher is a cool character who is very businesslike and is also gay. He has a boyfriend named Keith is a cop. You will find there relationship evolve as the season goes on. The other brother Nate, has never worked a day in the funeral business because he left for Seattle to pursue his own life. Nate is a pretty cool character but his world is in a blender with the passing of his father and his relationship with his newly met girlfriend Brenda. His girlfrend Brenda in my opinion is the star of the show. She is full of crazy/cool energy and always has an appetite for sex. You never know what to expect with her character. The mother, Ruth Fisher is kinda of a control freak who seems very depressed, worn out, and saddened over the loss over her husband. She snaps very quickly and she is too a memorable character. Finally the Claire Fisher is another cool character. She is the youngest of the bunch and she is a teenager in high school. She is somewhat of a loner but she has alot of character and she is far from ordinary. She drives a freakin hearse to school!!! Enough about the characters I can't spill everything out or I will spoil the season for you.

I know what your thinking. Your like well ok thats great Adam but you know what, if I come home with this the wife will have my head on a platter. I will admit it is pricey but I think Six Feet Under is a great enough show to where the quality over shadows the price. It is on HBO so there is alot swearing, sex and other stuff you would never see on regular television. I think HBO produces great television shows. Just watch The Sopranos, Sex & The City, Oz or many of there other series. You know it is quality and they are great television. Well guess what Six Feet Under plays on that same field. I find it to be my 3rd favorite television show behind 24 and the Sopranos.

Well let me conclude by saying you will be satisfied with Season One of Six feet Under. I haven't seen the other seasons of this show but I will definetly be buying Season 2 when it is released in June. If you like quality acting, drama, and dark humor give this show a shot.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The last public service to get a make over
Review: Alan Ball's series has been refreshing and compulsive in equal measures. Taking its inspiration from Dennis Potter's Pennies From Heaven and Ingmar Bergman with a dash of J.D. Salinger he's scored a major hit. It's nice to see intelligent normal middle class human beings presented on T.V. I'm sick of lowest common denominator television aimed at lowest common denominator people.
Hollywood's patronising cabal must be collectively scratching their heads at the success of this one. No car chases, no bombs, no screaming people with nothing to say. I found American Beauty to be totally awful; badly acted and scripted, but this makes up for it. Well done HBO and Alan Ball.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: More than a winner.
Review: This compelling drama production is simply fascinating, highly addictive as Mark Englehart puts it. I couldn't get my eyes away from the box when I started to watch the DVD and I finished the complete 13 episodes in 1 day!

Life is six feet under when afterlife is beyond death.

The entire casting crews are incredibly perfect. Peter Krause and Rachel Griffith (Nate Fisher and Brenda Chenowith) are visually compatible to be convinced as an inseparatable item. Frances Conroy and Lauren Ambrose (Ruth and Claire Fisher) look exactly like mother and daughter. Jeremy Sisto (Billy Chenowith) is the indulgent but psychiatric self-made artist and, again, looks exactly like the twin brother of Griffith (Brenda). Michael C. Hall (David Fisher)'s profile strove far beyond realistic as a split personality underneath a typical uptight workaholic. Freddy Rodriguez (David's petite sized assistant Federico Diaz) is blessed with the finest Latino boyish charm that steals the side stream of the show more than anything else. And Richard Jenkins (dad Nathaniel Fisher) is, what can I say, absolutely brilliant for his role.

Thanks to the ever edgy but classic Allan Ball (American Beauty). This first season of the HBO original programme deserves more than winnings and nominations in Golden Globe, GLADD, Grammys etc year 2002.

Grab it now don't even think twice.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Heart wrenching drama ...
Review: "Why do people have to die?"
"To make life important."
Wow, so simple, yet so profound. This show is just full of stuff like this. The show begins traumatically with the death of the father right before a family reunion/Christmas dinner. We then follow the sons, Nate and David, the daughter Claire an the widow Ruth, try to restart their lives after such a loss. Each person has their own faults and try to work through everything. All of this takes place in the middle of the family business, a funeral parlor. Periodically they will have visitors who seem like ghosts, but who are not. Like the other great HBO drama, the Sopranos, this show is equal parts comedy and tragedy. Sometimes you laugh sometimes you cry. But is always enthralling.

About the DVD: Nothing too special about the special features. A few interviews and commentary tracks. The greatness of the show itself makes is so these little extras are not necessary.

T

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Please vote to have Season 2 on DVD!!!
Review: I won't waste your time telling you how great this series is, I'll just use this space to urge fans of the show to search Amazon for "six feet under" and click on Season 2, then vote to have the next season available on DVD by entering your email address in the "email me when available" box. Amazon will let the studio know that there are a million of us out here waiting impatiently for the next season! If you refuse to vote, I'll put a gun to my head and blow my brains out, see if I don't!!! So do it now, do now delay!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best HBO productions
Review: I have to say that the first and second seasons of Six Feet Under are on the top of my list for creative story lines and are both well worth every penny for the DVD, however the third season was horrible and is only worth watching for the first and last episodes of the season. HBO productions like OZ and Six Feet Under are well ahead of anything the networks have done and I hope that AOL Time Warner and Alan Ball get back to making a quality product.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I had never seen the series on HBO - I actually borrowed this set from my mother, and I have to say - IT WAS INCREDIBLE! I can't wait for the second, third and fourth sets to come out on DVDs, I am totally hooked. It seems like a small fortune, but you get 12 episodes on the first set, you will find yourself watching hours just so you don't have to wait a week!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best show on TV
Review: I had heard tons of good things about this show, so when Showcase (here in Canada) started showing the first season of Six Feet Under every Sunday night at 11 from August, I watched it religiously and got caught in its sticky web of plot, great dialoge, amazing character development and even better acting. This is also one of the bravest shows on the air. While many TV shows are content to waste hours doing nothing or blowing things up, this show tackles difficult topics with an unbiased eye: homosexuality, religion, death, and life itself. The DVD packaging is also worthy of mention: although it's bulky, it is a cool concept and looks nice on the shelf when it fits.
While we're on the topic of SFU's brilliance, when is the SECOND season to be released?? I saw the book at the bookstore, and although I was intrigued (Rico becomes a partner), I haven't seen the second season yet (no HBO) and I would much rather drop money on the SECOND SEASON DVD, not a coffee-table book. So come on, get on the ball and release it already! The finest show on TV in years cannot become bogged down in underexposure.


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