Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed. Shame on Anchor Bay
Review: I was so looking forward to this release. I love Crime Story, and have not seen it in many years. But this DVD is terrible. The transfer is muddy and grainy, the packaging is terrible, NO CHAPTER BREAKS!! and the original music has been replaced with generic music!. I was going to purchase the second season, but I am going to pass. Anchor Bay should be ashamed.I rate the series 5+ stars, the DVD rates a zero.
Rating: 
Summary: Please release them all!
Review: I'd love to be able to purchase season two for my collection. Maybe if enough of us fans show some interest, this might become possible! Its was an underrated series that will probable never be matched!
Rating:
Summary: The Untouchables were wimps!
Review: It was ahead of it's time,like most cult classics.Had it come out during the 70's when "Chinatown" was released or in the 90's when "L.A. Confidential" came out,it might've been on for at least for five seasons.As it is,it's a rare gem that is exciting,hard hitting,and carries the force of a baseball bat being wielded by a mafia hood!
On the heels of his success in creating "Miami Vice",Michael Mann created this retro crime saga set in the early 1960's(pre-Kennedy assassination) and revolving around Chicago's elite "M.C.U." unit (sort of like the police department's own Untouchables) and their war against an up in coming mafia hood named Ray Luca.
What makes Crime Story so interesting is not only it's retro style(classic cars,Luca's Elvis hairstyle,and early rock-n-roll) but the fact that much of the first season's stories are grounded in reality.
First Off: The leader of the MCU,Lt. Michael Torrello,is based upon a real-life detective named Chuck Adamson(Who also is a script writer and consultant).Adding further weight is the fact that Torrello is played by Dennis Farina,who himself is a retired Chicago detective.
Second: Ray Luca,played by Anthony Denison,is based upon real-life mafia hood Tony Spliroto,who also inspired the character of Nicki Santoro,played by Joe Pesci,in "Casino".By the same token,Ray's Las Vegas partner,Max Goldman,played by Andrew "Dice" Clay(!),was based upon Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal,who also inspired Robert DeNiro's Sam "Ace" Rothstien in "Casino".Indeed,as Luca rises to power from the streets of Chicago to Las Vegas,it is the story of Tony Spliroto.Additionally,Luca's mentor,Manny Weissborn,played by Joseph Wiseman(best remembered as the James Bond villan "Dr. No"),is based upon one of the founding fathers of Organized Crime,Meyer Lansky.
With it's roots in true crime,and with an great supporting cast that includes Ted Levine("Buffalo Bill" in "Silence of the Lambs"),William Campbell(TV's "Once and Again" and "The Rocketeer"),John Stanucci(A real life "reformed hoodlum" who plays Luca's side-kick),and Stephen Lang("Ike Clanton" in "Tombstone" as crusading attorney David Abrahms),and a great guest cast that includes Ving Rhames,Pam Greir,Deborah Harry(70's super-group "Blondie"),and a very,very young Julia Roberts(playing a teen-aged victim of child molestation),"Crime Story" is a kick butt series that blends hard hitting drama with exciting action,and well placed humor and a must have for any fan of the crime genre
Rating:
Summary: I cannot believe it ! - A dream come true!
Review: Miami Vice fans will know that this was a definitive series. Made by Michael Mann, and featuring some characters that appeared in various Miami Vice episodes. This is truly amazing, and goes more in depth with story line that Miami Vice did - the main point being that the series concentrates on one main villain's rise to the top. It is gripping and will have you yearning for more. Please release series 2 as well. For those that are not aware of the ins and outs of this series, this stars Dennis Farina (a well known TV & Movie actor), as a lieutenant hell-bent on catching a low time turned high profile villain - Ray Luca. With his team, they attempt to track down the villain and his team. The story starts in Chicago for the first series, and moves on to Las Vegas for the second series as they try and home in on the movements of Ray's unstoppable rise. Along the way, cops, informants, and innocent people get killed. I would say that despite having the mood of Miami Vice and a similar direction, there is plenty for all-round cop show fans too. You will notice appearances from people that have recently starred in other cop shows - for example the guy that plays Manni Wiseman appeared recently on Law & Order (shown last week in the UK). The acting is superb, and the storyline gripping.
Rating:
Summary: NBC's Ode To The Untouchables
Review: Producer Michael Mann struck ratings gold for NBC with his police drama Miami Vice, and thusly made another attempt for the gold by launching Crime Story. The series was a complete contrast to Miami Vice with it's dark and gritty tone, as opposed to the trendy, bright, neon-flash of Miami Vice. In Miami Vice, the two lead cops were purposely designed to be hip and trendy--"MTV Cops"--as then-NBC President Brandon Tartikoff demanded. In Crime Story, the cops always wore black and drove dark cars with fins set against a dark 60s Chicago backdrop reminiscent of the pulp crime noir of the original 60s Untouchables series starring Robert Stack. Ironically, during the show's second (and final) season, the Brian DePalma Untouchables remake hit theaters, going on to become the hit movie of that year. Although NBC gave Crime Story two seasons, it failed to attract a large audience, leaving only a handful of loyal viewers who tuned in each week to follow the exploits of police Lieutenant Mike Torello (played by a younger Dennis Farina--a former real life Chicago cop) and his Major Crime Unit (MCU) squad's two season (1963 Chicago to Las Vegas) pursuit of crime boss, Ray Luca (Anthony Dennison), and his "loyal" henchman, Paul 'Paulie' Taglia, who was played by John Santucci--a former real life criminal. In addition to great good guys-bad guys interplay, the first season offers the involving plot of Torello's shaky marriage to his wife, Julie--played with "can't take your eyes off of her" appeal by a bewitching Darlanne Flugel. By midseason, Torello's life takes a dramatic turn, both personally, and professionally, culminating towards a "killer" season one finale that should NOT be missed! I originally taped the Crime Story pilot from TV in '86, then got it again when it was first released on VHS a year or two later, ultimately, passing on the DVD pilot, cuz I knew, eventually, somebody would release a box set. I am still [pleasantly] surprised that the pilot was also included in this set, considering it was previously released as a stand-alone DVD. Thank you, Anchor Bay Entertainment!
Rating:
Summary: FINALLY WE GET THE DVD
Review: Speaking as a huge fan of both this show and Michael Mann's work in general I could not be happier for this DVD set. I own the vhs set and shopped all over for a couple of years to complete it. The Quality of those tapes is horrendous as they scrimped to put it on ten tapes for both seasons. None the less I was damn glad to have it even as poor as it is. I just hope all who loved this series buy the first season so we will be fortunate enough to be offered a second season. The quality of the DVD's is on a par with the origional broadcasts and the sound is much better than the tapes as well. I do think they are holding back on producing season two untill they hit a quota on the first set. n
Rating: 
Summary: Knowing The Whole Story...
Review: Thanks to the shortsightedness of studios, many shows are lost or not properly archived so it's unfair to blame DVD companies for the condition of materials they use. It's often all they've got to work with. The same could be said for supplementals, as so much material often times gets through away. I just wanted to correct someone who lives in the same zip code as I do, since this is a company committed to excellence.
Rating:
Summary: Great box set from Anchor Bay!!!
Review: This is one great DVD box set!!! Anchor Bay does another top notch reissue!!! This is of the most underrated TV shows ever made, but it has gained a cult following!!! This one of the most addictive shows and one you start watching you won't want to stop!!! The action is non-stop!!! The friction between Mike Torello(Dennis Farina)and Ray Luca(Anthony Denison) is intense!!! This show contains some of the quirkiest casting out there,Dennis Farina was a former cop in real life,John Santucci who plays Pauli Taglia was a former jewel theif in real life,Ted Levine(a few years before his Slience Of The Lambs role),Bill Campbell,Joseph(Dr. No)Wiseman,Stephen Lang(Manhunter)Paul Butler,Bill Smitrovich,Darlanne Fleugel,Jon Polito,Andrew Dice Clay,Julia Roberts,Ray Sharkey,Deborah Harry,Vincent Gallo,Ving Rhames,Pam Grier,Michael Madsen,David Caruso,Lorraine Bracco,Miles Davis,Michael Rooker,Ron Dean,Jay O.Sanders,Gary Sinise and many more!!! And thats for Season One!!! i cant wait for the second season to come out on DVD!!! This DVD megaset looks so much better than the ten tape VHS set that was released bt Starmaker years ago!!! If you like this classic TV show you'll love this DVD box set!!! And unlike most box sets, this one is very compact(a little larger than a single VHS box,and looks nice on any bookshelf!!!) The people who have'nt yet seen the show are in for a real treat!!! A TRUE CLASSIC!!! Five Stars!!! A+
Rating:
Summary: When can I get the Second Season?!
Review: This is probably the best network TV series ever produced. Gritty and hard-edged, brilliantly scripted with high production values, Crime Story is wired from the first episode to the last. I can't wait for the Second (and final) season to come out on DVD...
Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: This set is the absolute best! Wonderful acting! Riveting! Let's hope Anchor Bay Entertainment comes through with Season Two very soon! I don't suppose it would hurt to email them and ask.
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