Deadwood: The Complete Series

Genre : DVD ( DVD )
Release : 2008/12/09
Price : $121.49

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Deadwood represents one of those periodic, wholesale reinventions of the Western that is as different from, say, Lonesome Dove as that miniseries is from Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo or the latter is from Anthony Mann's The Naked Spur. In many ways, HBO's Deadwood embraces the Western's unambiguous morality during the cinema's silent era through the 1930s while also blazing trails through a post-NYPD Blue, post-The West Wing television age exalting dense and customized dialogue. On top of that, Deadwood has managed an original look and texture for a familiar genre: gritty, chaotic, and surging with both dark and hopeful energy. Yet the show's creator, erstwhile NYPD Blue head writer David Milch, never ridicules or condescends to his more grasping, futile characters or overstates the virtues of his heroic ones.

Set in an ungoverned stretch of South Dakota soon after the 1876 Custer massacre, Deadwood concerns a lawless, evolving town attracting fortune-seekers, drifters, tyrants, and burned-out adventurers searching for a card game and a place to die. Others, particularly women trapped in prostitution, sundry do-gooders, and hangers-on have nowhere else to go. Into this pool of aspiration and nightmare arrive former Montana lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and his friend Sol Starr (John Hawkes), determined to open a lucrative hardware business. Over time, their paths cross with a weary but still formidable Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine) and his doting companion, the coarse angel Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert); an aristocratic, drug-addicted widow (Molly Parker) trying to salvage a gold mining claim; and a despondent hooker (Paula Malcomson) who cares, briefly, for an orphaned girl. Casting a giant shadow over all is a blood-soaked king, Gem Saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), possibly the best, most complex, and mesmerizing villain seen on TV in years. Each of these characters, and many others, will forge alliances and feuds, cope with disasters (such as smallpox), and move--almost invisibly but inexorably--toward some semblance of order and common cause. Making it all worthwhile is Milch's masterful dialogue--often profane, sometimes courtly and civilized, never perfunctory--and the brilliant acting of the aforementioned performers plus others. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Deadwood (Click for larger image)

The good reviews convinced me to purchase this series. Do not let your children watch this product. I do not believe that miners in the late 1800's would use this much excess profanity. People were more religious in the past than they are today. They were even too victorian to undress in front of each other. The scripts are filled with profanity, which begins and ends every sentence. I didn't even recognize a lot of the words. (Which is amazing considering I grew up in a household with a cussing Hillbilly from World War 2) The sex is explicit. Violence is frequent.

The sets and costumes are well done. The actors and actresses are believable.

We liked it a lot. Are they planning to add more to the story line? It seems to beg for more, and that would be a welcome extention.

Outstanding series with the only disappointment being HBO's decision to end it prematurely. It is not often that such a large cast of relatively unknown actors and actresses can produce such a worthy product. This will go down as a classic and establish a mark that others can only strive for.

This set made my husband's day! He loves Deadwood and was thrilled to get this. Super GOLD BOX deal and a great price! Thanks AMAZON.

We couldn't stop watching this series. I think I gained 5 lbs. from being glued to the couch. Wonderful adult entertainment (make VERY SURE the kids can't get to this). The only disappointment is the fact that the series was terminated by HBO before it should have been.

You will love it.