Product Description

It's a new year and Emerald City's got a brand-new look. The walls are cleaner the cafeteria is bigger and everything is fresher...everything on the outside that is. Inside the hearts and minds of the prisoners Oz is just as dark and raw as ever. The renovations may be complete but the mayhem is starting all over again.Running Time: 480 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 026359901621 Manufacturer No: 99016

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2118 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2005-06-21
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .55 pounds
• Running time: 480 minutes

Amazon.com
Raw, uncompromising, and brutal, the fifth season of Oz represents a turning point for the series, tying up loose ends and preparing for the closure of season 6. As with all previous seasons of HBO's hard-edged prison series, the outbreaks of violence, racial tensions, emotional bleakness, and full-frontal male nudity ensure that Oz is decidedly not for the weak of heart. Simmering animosity between the Aryans, Muslims, Sicilians, and Latinos continues unabated; these eight episodes include numerous shankings and slashings, a severed arm, strangulation, a stabbing with a crucifix, and the death (among others) of one of the series' most prominent characters. As Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) and his skinheaded Aryans exploit a naive pair of new inmates, tensions mount between the weak-willed Omar (Michael Wright, in a standout performance) and his prone-to-rage Muslim mentor Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker, also excellent); Ryan O'Reily (Dean Winters) continues to protect his volatile brother Cyril (Scott William Winters) and reunites with his mother (Betty Lynn Buckley) who's in Oz doing community service; McManus (Terry Kinney) locks horns with his ex-wife over prison policy; Alvarez (Kirk Acevado) seeks partial redemption by training a guide-dog for the guard he blinded; and Keller (Christopher Meloni) returns to the "Em City" cellblock, to the relief of his bisexual lover Beecher (Lee Tergesen) who attends "interaction" sessions with Sister Pete (Rita Moreno) to encourage tenuous peace among inmates.

With subplots involving guest stars Luke Perry, Peter Criss (from Kiss), Malachy McCourt, and others, the fifth season of Oz is weak at times, but series creator and primary writer Tom Fontana keeps a lot of characters in steady play, covering impressive dramatic territory after the relatively generous allotment of 16 episodes in Season 4. The series is clearly winding down here (the semi-musical episode "Variety" is a curious attempt to broaden the show's creative horizons, and works surprisingly well), and the outbreaks of violence now have a rather predictable and oppressive frequency. Anyone looking for "feel good" entertainment should stay away, but Fontana and the uniformly excellent cast maintain admirable depth of character and incident, including a tragic loss (in "Visitation") that resonates throughout the season. Extras are slim: commentary by Fontana and Dean Winters accompanies episode 8 (aptly titled "Impotence"), and like the fifth season itself, it's recommended primarily for devoted Oz viewers who've enjoyed seasons 1-4. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Oz - This Is One Yellow Brick Road You Won't Want to Travel On
Emerald City is supposed to be some sort of experiment in rehabilitating inmates of Oz Penitentiary. It doesn't seem to work very well. The death rate in this prison is higher than it ever could be in real life. People get out only to come back in. Of course, if they left, they'd be off the show too and we wouldn't want that! This show is raucous, crazy ride with plenty of violence and nudity and people who barely make sense. It is the lower depths of human existence. Everybody seems to be having fun as actors though. Variety features singing and dancing. There are always fight scenes. Wild and crazy stuff to do. Many of the show's actors have gone on to other shows now, namely Lost and Dexter. The show had a wealth of talent.

Happy/Good Price
I am very happy about the price I paid for three boxes of OZ, but I must admit I will not order on Amazon US again.Why?
- 5 weeks for the delivery (I didn't choose the cheapest shippment) but fortunately I am very patient!
- 15 euros for the customs duty! Waoow what a pain in the a....
Thanks anyway.

Oz, Fifth Season
Oz keeps getting better and better, and this season is utterly fantastic. Worth every cent.