In the Flesh: The Complete Season Two DVD Review

     Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC

Language: English (Stereo)

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: October 7, 2014

Run Time: 342 minutes

 

 

        It is completely unfair to make even the slightest comparison of “In the Flesh” to “The Walking Dead,” although it is inevitable that this association will be made between the two zombie television events. For one thing, “In the Flesh” is not a post-apocalyptic storyline. We join the story after civilization has recovered almost entirely, and it instead becomes a story about integration and acceptance. The horror elements are all but removed and zombies instead become a symbol for diversity and a metaphor for homosexuality.

 

The Honorable Woman DVD Review

      Format: Multiple Formats, Box set, Color, NTSC

Language: English (Stereo)

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: Unrated

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: October 14, 2014

Run Time: 468 minutes

 

 

        There may be a brilliant storyline somewhere buried in “The Honorable Woman.” It’s just a shame that the writers didn’t feel the need to accommodate the audience in understanding what is going on until it is nearly finished. While this may work for a film which audiences are invested in once they buy the ticket and sit in the darkened theater, but an 8-episode television series provides too many opportunities to jump ship before revelations make the narrative comprehensible, much less enjoyable.

 

Silent Witness: Seasons One and Seventeen DVD Review

      Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC

Language: English (Stereo)

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: October 21, 2014

Run Time: 363 minutes

 

        Imagine the American television series, “Bones.” Now remove all humor, quirky characters, convenient plot twists and escapist entertainment. What you would have remaining is the long-running British pathology crime series, “Silent Witness.” Whether you would be happier with this than the mindless American show depends on how much accuracy you want from your programming, as opposed to entertainment. “Silent Witness” also has the benefit of TV-movie lengths for each of the mystery narratives, which allows for more detail and character development.

 

Two Broke Girls: The Complete Third Season DVD Review

     Actors: Kat Dennings, Beth Behrs, Garrett Morris, Jonathan Kite, Matthew Moy

Writers: Michael Patrick King, Whitney Cummings

Producer: Michael Patrick King

Format: Multiple Formats, NTSC, Subtitled

Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Release Date: October 14, 2014

Run Time: 528 minutes

 

        If sexual innuendo and jokes at the intelligence level of a fifteen-year-old boy are still humorous to you, or if you still are fifteen, “2 Broke Girls” will make you laugh. I watch the series with mild amusement, mostly because I have met girls like the foul-mouthed and sex-obsessed Max (Kat Denning), as well as the superficial and self-involved Caroline (Beth Behrs). I watch the show because I can turn it off after twenty minutes, reminded why I no longer date those girls. After three seasons, both have grown slightly. Max has her first real relationship and takes steps in achieving her dreams. Caroline is also humbled with time from wealth, though her disgustingly greedy side still emerges with any hint of wealth in men, even despising Max’s boyfriend when she thinks he is poor despite having no money herself.

 

The Mentalist: The Complete Sixth Season DVD Review

     Actors: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman, Amanda Righetti

Producers: Bruno Heller, Chris Long, Tom Szentgyorgyi, Daniel Cerone, Eoghan Mahony

Format: Multiple Formats, Box set, NTSC, Subtitled

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 5

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 927 minutes

 

        There are a dozen different ways that “The Mentalist” can be compared to other shows. You could easily compare it to the cable show “Psych,” but I tend to find similarities with this show and “Lie to Me.” Both use the study of human behavior in order to deduce the truth behind a crime. “Lie to Me” was about a man brilliantly able to detect lies, better than a polygraph. There is a sequence in “The Mentalist” in which a suspect says that he heard Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) could tell when anyone was lying. He is part Sherlock Holmes, but mostly just a con artist with extensive experience in the ways of human behavior.

 

Adventure Time: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Review

     Format: Multiple Formats, Animated, Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Studio: Cartoon Network

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Run Time: 286 minutes

 

       

        “Adventure Time” is in that new category of animation on the cartoon network which I find confounding, albeit remarkably entertaining. It seems as though this is a straightforward kid’s show, but it gets remarkably close to being edgy enough for adults at moments. There is always a ripcord to pull, quickly pulling the narrative back to safety in time for the episode’s close, but watching this show with children present often makes me nervous. Perhaps this is partly due to the high octane, bizarre, and often psychedelic nature of the show which makes me feel as though I’m on drugs.

 

Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season Two DVD Review

     Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 2

Studio: Cartoon Network

DVD Release Date: October 14, 2014

Run Time: 286 minutes

 

 

        This Cartoon Network series from 1999 feels like a marriage of the classic Hanna-Barbera Productions style of animation with the irreverent and slightly dark narratives which have recently become popular in series such as “Adventure Time” and “Regular Show.” I would hardly call it a classic, but it seems to have enough of an oddly dedicated fanbase to account for the DVD release of the second season. I would assume a large percentage of those likely to buy this set are also adults, because some of the content in “Courage the Cowardly Dog” borders on being too frightening and bizarre for younger children.

 

Reign: The Complete First Season DVD Review

     Format: Multiple Formats, Box set, Color, NTSC, Subtitled

Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Thai, Spanish,     Portuguese, English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 5

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Release Date: September 23, 2014

Run Time: 916 minutes

 

 

        So many stations have tried to do the historical soap opera narratives recently, apparently in an attempt to cash in on the few that have worked. It should come as no surprise that CW has decided to follow in the footsteps of series such as “The Tudors” and “The White Queen,” and even less of a surprise that they have treated it the same as they did “Gossip Girl” or “Vampire Diaries.” With a cast of young attractive actors, the story quickly set up a love triangle, a narrative necessity of any CW series. While this is an inevitability that is irritating but forgivable, it is far more difficult to justify the typical CW inclusion of current pop music in the soundtrack.

 

Chef Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman

Director: Jon Favreau

Writer: Jon Favreau

Producers: Jon Favreau, Sergei Bespalov

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Ultraviolet, Color, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Universal Studios

Release Date: September 30, 2014 

Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2016

 

        There have been many similar films about fathers learning to spend more time with their sons, and possibly even more food-centric narratives such as the one in Chef. In some ways, this film feels like the plot of Real Steel, only with food replacing the fighting robots, directed by the same man whose directorial debut also had a touching scene of cooking for a sweet young girl in need of a parental figure. It is nice to see Jon Favreau return to his roots as a filmmaker, though it may have been more believable had he not cast Scarlett Johansson as his onscreen lover.

 

From Dusk till Dawn: Season One Blu-ray Review

     Actors: D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eliza Gonzalez, Wilmer Valderrama, Robert Patrick

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Entertainment One

Release Date: September 16, 2014

Run Time: 450 minutes

 

        With the constant reliance on remakes and sequels in the film industry, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see these habits spill over into television. This past year saw a large number of film-to-television adaptations in every imaginable genre, from romantic comedy (“About a Boy”) to dark crime films (“Fargo”) and serial killer narratives (“Hannibal”). When Robert Rodriguez decided to create his own station, it almost seemed inevitable he would dig into his past material for the original material. I am just shocked that it wasn’t from one of the longer-running franchises, such as El Mariachi or Machete. 

 

The Wonder Years: Season One DVD Review

      Actor: Fred Savage

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Time Life Entertainment

DVD Release Date: October 7, 2014

Run Time: 288 minutes

 

 

        “The Wonder Years” was one of those shows I thought would never make it to DVD, mostly because of how much great music from the show had copyright issues. Not only has it finally made its way onto DVD for the first time ever, it comes with the originally broadcast music, including Joe Cocker’s memorable rendition of The Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends. But this is a show that is much more than the fantastic soundtrack, though just as much of a classic as the hits that took so long to get copyrighting for.

 

American Muscle Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Nick Principe, George P. Wilbur, Todd Farmer

Director: Ravi Dhar

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

        American Muscle is a revenge film that is all style and absolutely no substance, from the acting to the asinine excuse of a screenplay. Logic and decency is thrown out, along with everything other than rusted metal, splattered blood, and bare breasts. It is basically an overly bad Grindhouse attempt at Faster, the Dwayne Johnson film nobody saw. Despite a surprisingly slick visual palette, director and cinematographer Ravi Dhar seems to have no clue what real humans behave like and no interest in relating to his audience.

 

Third Person Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Adrien Brody, James Franco, Liam Neeson

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 137 minutes

 

        The ability to enjoy Third Person relies entirely on the viewer’s level of patience and willingness to accept significance and meaning to outweigh any emotional attachment to the characters. Many of the storylines and the characters in the film are contrivances meant to hammer in the thematic points, which take on more significance than believability or being relatable. This isn’t for lack of effort from the cast, however, who all give dedicated performances to filmmaker Paul Haggis’ vision.

 

Sordid Lives Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Olivia Newton-John, Leslie Jordan

Director: Del Shores

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Surround Sound, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Wolfe Video

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 111 minutes

        With big personalities and an excess of somewhat pointless dialogue filling each of the scenes, all of which seem to take place indoors, it is not hard to imagine that Sordid Lives began as a stage play before it was adapted into this film. The characters are big and the plot is minimal, but the high camp value of the humor makes it easy to understand the film’s cult success. Being able to understand is not the same as to appreciate, however, and I found the endless southern ramblings to be a bit much to endure for 111-minutes.

 

Cold in July Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Don Johnson, Wyatt Russell

Director: Jim Mickle

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 110 minutes

 

 

        Filmmaker Jim Mickle may borrow in style from directors that he admires, but the narratives he chooses have an unpredictable edge to them. Cold in July is no exception, spiraling into a seedy noir that one would never imagine from the film’s beginning. Based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale, the story winds and weaves into unexpected territory after an exciting opening scene. Though it drags in the middle before providing a satisfyingly exciting climactic sequence, this is helped along with the three fantastic actors in the leading roles.

 

Hellion DVD Review

     Actors: Aaron Paul, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner, Dalton Sutton

Director: Kat Candler

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 99 minutes

 

 

        Hellion will likely soon blend into my memory alongside countless other coming-of-age independent films of its kind, but that doesn’t make it any less effective as a film. Never boring and rarely inauthentic, despite numerous sequences of contrived melodramatic events, Hellion is a solid film, however unnecessary it may be. I only wish that writer/director Kat Candler had put more depth into the narrative of the characters. They respond emotionally to situations in the narrative, but not enough background is given to understand why they are reacting. It becomes an exercise in acting, which may be successful but doesn’t make for a memorable narrative.

 

Lucky Them DVD Review

     Actors: Toni Collette, Thomas Haden Church

Director: Megan Griffiths

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 96 minutes

 

        The initial premise of Lucky Them promises a mystery that needs solving and an exploration into the way that music affects our lives. It delivers on neither of them in spades, instead letting plot and narrative give way to aimless scenes of character interaction. The saving grace of this choice only comes from the casting, with all roles filled to perfection and with the capability of engaging the audience enough to distract them from noticing that the plot is not developing. Insightful this film is not, but it does manage enjoyable for much of the run time.

 

Wolf DVD Review

     Actors: Chemseddine Amar, Mark Catuogno, Steef Cuijpers

Director: Jim Taihuttu

Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: Dutch

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: September 30, 2014

Run Time: 123 minutes

 

 

        For being overlong and often a familiar blend of successful gangster films from cinematic history, Wolf is a remarkably watchable entry into the genre from the Netherlands. With gritty black-and-white cinematographer and a main character who balances a life between crime and professional boxing, comparisons to Raging Bull are inevitable, but it has a raw energy that often remind me more of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Pusher trilogy. Though there are few surprises in the narrative, at least filmmaker Jim Taihuttu has good taste in what influences his work.

Sniper: Legacy DVD Review

    Actors: Chad Collins, Dominic Mafham

Format: Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: Chinese, English, Korean

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: September 30, 2014

 

 

        It is difficult to believe that the lineage of the 1990s action franchise, Sniper (1993), has remained alive and active. Though the franchise was revived in 2011 without Tom Berenger, the protagonist was the son of Thomas Beckett, leaving an opening for him to return. This is the film which joins the franchise’s original sniper, with the younger version in Sgt. Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins).

New BBC Mystery on DVD

     Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC

Language: English (Stereo)

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: September 16, 2014

Run Time: 270 minutes

 

 

DCI Banks: Season Two

 

        Based on the Inspector Banks novels by Peter Robinson, “DCI Banks” follows title character Detective Chief Inspector Banks (Stephen Tompkinson) in his pursuit of justice. This begins with a mystery involving Inspector Banks’ estranged brother and a murder, a case which he inadvertently becomes involved in. Using his no-nonsense methods of investigation, Banks sets out to prove his brother’s innocence in one of three two-part mysteries that make up season two.