The series Burn Notice is one of the best shows currently on television. It has an outstanding cast, intelligent scripts (with snappy dialogue) and a great look. However, I hoped for more from this DVD edition in terms of extras. The scene specific commentaries were good, but there weren't enough of them. Bruce Campbell always makes for a great commentary track, so if you've got him, make the most of it. Campbell's commentaries always have the right balance of technical craft, one-liners, critique, anecdotes and personality that makes commentaries worth listening to. The same goes for the blooper reel. With the chemistry and affection that the cast seems to have between and for one another, I have to believe that there must have been more bloopers worth seeing. In addition, given the location, stunts and effects, Burn Notice would have been a great candidate for an in depth behind-the-scenes doc (hey, give one of the PAs a video cam and show us how it's done!). Burn Notice has a simple premise, but each hour is packed with visual, narrative, informational and interpersonal elements that make it so unique and habit-forming. The potential of the DVD format simply begs for more in terms of the same intelligent but entertaining elements as they are expanded and enhanced through that sub-medium we know and love as "DVD extras."Read full review
Led by an all-star cast–Bruce Campbell (Sam Axe), Jeffery Donovan (Michael Westen), Gabrielle Anwar (Fiona Glenanne), and Sharon Gless (Madeline Westen)—this action packed dramedy-thriller draws its audience into a rollercoaster ride that you never want to end! The tagline “Spies don’t get fired, they get burned,” explains everything you need to know. Michael Weston (Donovan) was fired from his job as a government spy in the typical fashion—his identity was erased. His new mission—find out who “burned” him. “Michael Westen: ‘Not bad for a man in his underwear.’ Sam Axe: ‘You think that's good, you should see me without them!’” From the dry, witty, sarcastic comedy… “Michael Westen: [voice-over] ‘Know what it's like being a spy? Like sitting in your dentist's reception area twenty-four hours a day. Read magazines, have coffee, and every so often, someone tries to kill you.’” To narration (mostly by Donovan) that is near perfection, and the "helpful tips" Westen provides along the way make this show a MUST see!! The sexual tension between Michael and Fiona, and Michael’s seemingly endless struggles with his nagging family (Mother played by Sharon Gless) make this show (in a sense) a thrill menagerie. Season 2 begins on USA July 10, 2008 at 10:00 pm est on the USA NETWORK. *Quotes Provided by IMDBRead full review
You must see Jeffrey Donovan in order to believe how great he really is, whether as Jared's (Michael Weiss's) brother in The Pretender (sadly only 1 episode each in seasons 1 & 2 (Dragon House and Red Rock Jared respectively, sadly being killed by Lyle in the latter)), or Burn Notice a few years later. Contrary to the modern delusion that "sexy" is the best thing to be said about an actor, he's the epitome of how he's far too great an actor to be reduced to the tawdry "sexy" label, sex being as cheap and worthless as any other drug for those who know reality. I've only seen a handful of early episodes and pray that like his "Pretender" "brother" Michael Weiss he's great enough to avoid being dragged down into the "sexy" cesspool into which most others have fallen, but even if he is, I'll always imagine the great potential of what he could have been. His costars are good too, and in the commentaries he's typically very gracious to them, but he's justly the leading man. He may have been "poor" as a child in terms of mere worldly belongings, but as is often the case in those situations, it only made his character deep and rich, as when in dry weather the trees roots go deeper, as is clearly the case with this dear brother I regret I never had.Read full review
Michael Westen: "Most people would be thrilled to be dumped in Miami. Sadly, I am not most people...I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit." When you're a spy, getting a burn notice means that you've been officially deemed unreliable by your covert brethren, and that you're no longer wanted in the cloak-and-dagger community. Always good at rubbing people the wrong way, international spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, TOUCHING EVIL) is in Nigeria brokering a deal with a terrorist when he learns of his burn notice over a cell phone. Barely skedaddling out of Nigeria with his life, Michael somehow finds himself stranded in his hometown of Miami, with his finances frozen, his options about nil, and former friends and colleagues keeping far, far away. Michael decides to lay low for a while and, because a man has just got to make a living somehow, becomes a makeshift private investigator and troubleshooter. But, even as he takes on the criminal elements in Miami, his overriding objective remains finding out why he was blacklisted. But it's hard going as, mysteriously, no one will tell him anything. Meanwhile, various spooks are monitoring his every move. So, somethings going on... Yup, I dig this show. The USA Network's BURN NOTICE proved to be one of the more pleasant surprises of 2007. Not having seen a lot of Jeffrey Donovan's work, I'm still quickly becoming a fan. He brings a wry, deadpan charm to the show, and he looks like there's stuff just churning underneath his character's self-contained exterior. And it's exactly because of this distant persona that I appreciate Michael Westen providing a very quotable, "been there, done that" voice-over narration. This device not only engages us further but also makes us privy to Westen's cynical inner musings, as well as giving us frequently amusing first hand advice on various stuff. No, it's not exactly life lessons that he's imparting. Rather, it's more of a tutorial on espionage and breaking heads. Y'know, the cool stuff. For example, Westen, on fighting: "You don't want to break the little bones in your hands, so you look for a bathroom, which has plenty of hard edges and surfaces." On guns: "Guns make you stupid. Better to fight your wars with duct tape. Duck tape makes you smart." Or on setting traps: "A good trap doesn't scare people, it makes them curious." And, so on and et cetera. Dude's often wry observations make my day. Someone should put together a quotation book, because I'd shell out. Chemistry rears its beautiful head. Donovan's supporting cast is very good, and two of them are very engaging. Westen's tiny circle of trust consists of three folks. There's his sexy and fiery Irish ex-girlfriend Fiona (gorgeous Brit, Gabrielle Anwar). Fi is an ex-IRA agent and into mayhem and violence, and, of her, Westen unequivocally states, "I am NOT hooking up with her. I need her for tactical support." (sure, sure). Slovenly Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell, who's casually let himself go) is Westen's long-time buddy and a semi-retired spy. Now Sam helps Westen out on cases, and vice versa. And then there's Westen's irritating dragon of a mother, Madeline (Sharon Gless, CAGNEY & LACEY), who is a champion emotional blackmailer. Gless is effective at channeling Doris Roberts from EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND. So if you're hating on Gless's character, then she's just being brilliant. BURN NOTICE, with its first season's 12 episodes, brings it with suspense and some action, and withRead full review
I stumbled upon this show on USA channel when it was already into Season 3. I was immediately hooked on the fast pace and intelligent story line. It is fresh, clever, fun, light and entertaining with plenty of action. Burn Notice is different from the usual action/drama genre shows. The writing is smart, well crafted, well acted and doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence. Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless make up a first-rate cast! Their interaction is witty and fun, and they are seasoned professionals. After watching one episode, I immediately ordered Season One from eBay. The box is mediocre but the DVDs are excellent, with some great special features. I am a little disappointed that there were not more episodes in the season -- as it only took me a few days to watch the entire season! I can't wait until Season 2 comes out on DVD. It is one of the best TV shows out there. When the other networks brought out more reality shows, CSI copies, and hospital dramas, USA chose a refreshing winner with this spy show. I highly recommend this series and give thanks to USA channel for having the intelligence to properly support it. Keep it coming!Read full review
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