Weeds - The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

With its fantastic comedy series Weeds, cable network Showtime finally gave up its also-ran status to HBO and found itself with a controversial, buzz-worthy show that was as hilarious as it was dark, one about a truly desperate housewife. A recent widow with two growing sons, Nancy Botwin (Golden Globe winner Mary-Louise Parker) looks like a typical resident of the affluent Southern California suburb of Agrestic. She keeps a clean, upscale house (with the help of a live-in maid), attends PTA meetings, goes to her kids' soccer games, makes frequent stops at the local coffee franchise.... and sells marijuana in order to make it all possible. Left with no way to support herself after her beloved husband's fatal heart attack, Nancy turns herself into the "suburban baroness of bud," dealing to her neighbors in the area, with the help of her supplier Heylia (Tonye Patano) and point man Conrad (Romany Malco). Nancy's clients run from the local councilman (Kevin Nealon) to the just-barely-legal students at the local community college, but many in Agrestic are still in the dark as to how she keeps her family afloat, including her best friend, the sardonic Celia (Elizabeth Perkins), a wife and mother whose blistering, withering put-downs could make Dorothy Parker cringe in fear. But like many small-business owners, Nancy yearns for more success and cash, and like her workaholic neighbors, finds keeping a balance between work life and home life to be extremely precarious at best.

While Desperate Housewives yearned to be a suburban satire with bite, Weeds was the real deal, skewering upper-middle class mores with a sharp eye, a keen wit, and a mostly forgiving heart. In episode after episode, the show's creative team (led by creator Jenji Kohan) pulled back the layers of Agrestic's superficiality to show what lies beneath the squeaky-clean exteriors and smiling faces; it turns out that hunger, fear, desire, and, yes, desperation aren't that far down. However, Weeds forsakes pulpiness and florid drama for biting yet affectionate humor--its heroine is a woman with sliding morals, but one you'll root for to the very end. The effervescent Parker, the only actress who can mix perkiness with morbidity in just the right amounts, anchored the show with her amazing turn as Nancy, who by the end of the first season had become a kind of soccer-mom version of Michael Corleone, entering a corrupt world with both trepidation and fascination--and totally enamored of the power it brought her. Also perfectly cast, Perkins found the role of a lifetime as the bitterly hilarious Celia, and entering the show in its fourth episode, Justin Kirk (Parker's co-star in Angels in America) proved to be a potent secret weapon as Nancy's brother-in-law Andy, a slacker who wasn't above peddling t-shirts to elementary school kids. As icky as these characters might appear on the surface, Weeds made them all immensely appealing and great company to be around. Don't say we didn't warn you: one hit and you'll be hooked on this show. The DVDs feature six episode commentaries with cast and crew, outtakes, original featurettes, a music video, and most enjoyably, Agrestic Herbal Recipes (for entertainment value only, we assume) and the "Smoke and Mirrors" marijuana mockumentary. --Mark Englehart
Customer Review: Great show, and a bargain price on Blu-ray
On the surface, Weeds is a satire on suburban life (this is evident from the opening credits, which show identical people leaving their identical houses in identical SUVs). On this level, the show works pretty well most of the time, but really, how hard is it to satirize suburbia? Tim Burton played most of the same cards as Weeds way back in Edward Scissorhands. There are some new complications here, and even if it is familiar territory, it's still pretty fun. But what makes Weeds truly great TV is its cast of characters, who all go beyond the easy suburbanite stereotypes and become people you truly care about (with the exception of the oldest son, Silas, who is pretty one-note). The writing is sharp and funny, and the acting is superb across the board. However, it should be said that if you are steadfastly opposed to drug use, you probably will not like this show. It's pretty blasé about marijuana use, and the only real dangers the show associates with dealing pot are getting caught with it and being targeted by other dealers. That being said, the show is definitely not simpleminded pothead humor (sorry "Half Baked" fans). I only mention this because I know people who are not willing to give the show a chance because of their own anti-drug position. If you don't have the same hang-up (I don't), then there is a lot of enjoyment to be had here.
Customer Review: My first scratched BD disc (Weeds S1)
This review is about the product itself, not the Weeds TV show because I still have not seen it due to the reasons mentioned next: I'm usually satisfied when I order dvds/blu-rays or pretty much anything else from here. But when I tried getting Weeds S1 to work, my PS3 couldn't read it, I popped in all my other BD discs and it read each and every one. I got suspicious so I checked under the disc. There I found scratches unlike any I had ever seen before, you could feel them running your fingers on them. they were really bad and deep. My guess is this is a factory flaw, because this disc came super sealed (sideways and up and down) and the disc was in it's place safe and secure. Little good that did since apparently it was damaged (defective) from the start. I just hope no one else had the same experience I did. Especially since I live in Kuwait and it's cheaper for me to buy another one than ship it back.

Shop Online for Cameras and Lenses

Compare Before Buying

Shopping online for a camera is the best way to locate detailed descriptions of all the camera and lens options available. Then you will be able to make your choices based on these descriptions. Whether you are an amateur or professional photographer, there are many places on the Web to look for the camera you want.

Some sites sell used products that have been gently used or refurbished. Purchasing these cameras would save you some money and will usually still come with a warranty. There are sites with online catalogs where you can look for the brand or style you want. They also provide search features so you can shop by key word or brand name.

When you have decided the type of camera you need, you are ready to shop online. To get started, you simply type in your key words on a search engine. Once you know what you are looking for the task will be much simpler. There are many sites that offer cameras at wholesale or discount prices. They usually offer all the well-known brands such as Leica, Minolta, Canon, Horizon, Contax, Olympus, Mamiya, Nikon, Hasselblad, Pentax, and Noblex.

The serious and professional photographers will want the best cameras with the features that suit their needs. This would include manual focus to give the clearest and sharpest pictures. Also, there are several different size lenses to get a good picture from a greater distance.

However, there are limitations with those cameras in the control of exposure and focusing. For someone who is more involved in amateur photography, added manual control may be beneficial. One of the biggest advantages is the ability to change lenses to get a better zoom picture. Sporting events and vacation photos will be more pleasing to look at when taken with the right types of lenses.

How to Find Quality Cameras and Lenses Online

What Camera Do You Need?

First of all, you must decide what type of camera will meet your needs. You may only need a simple point and shoot for family photos. These cameras will be less expensive and uncomplicated to operate. You can get automatic actions such as zoom and flash or automatic advancement in 35mm cameras. They are usually compact and simple to use, which makes it easy for anyone to take pictures.

It is a good idea to shop around and compare prices and shipping costs before buying a camera. Remember to include the shipping costs when calculating the total price of a camera or lenses. Don't buy a camera at a discount price just because it is a good deal. To be sure you are satisfied with your purchase, look for the key features and quality you want. Buy a camera based on your needs and you'll enjoy taking fabulous photographs with it for years to come!

Different Camera Styles