Tag: Dexter

TV Or Not TV: 12/13 – 12/19

Well another season of DEXTER has now come and gone. Although I’ve read mixed reviews about this season I have to say that I was really entertained by it. I’m also going to not hold anything back in talking about it so if you haven’t seen it yet and plan to then be forewarned that there be spoilers abound in these waters.

This season of DEXTER had the very large shoes of last season to try and fill. JOHN LITHGOW had a stellar performance as the TRINITY killer in an amazing story line that shocked, amazed, and hit us with a punch in the gutt on its way out the door with the unexpected murder in the final moments.

When viewing the season’s overall story arc I think the writers did a pretty good job of delivering us a season that wasn’t too over-the-top while still being a fufilling viewing experience. They started the season off slow, with DEXTER dealing with the fallout after RITA’s death. It isn’t until the middle of the second episode where we start to see some of the old DEXTER return. He also doesn’t fufill the cravings of his “dark passenger” until the end of the third episode, giving us as viewers enough time of mourning over the loss of RITA before moving on to the DEXTER that we all know and love.

The first few episodes of the season are the only ones that I have a complaint about because the pace and stories of the supporting characters in the show seemed drawn out. Yes some elements of the stories were necessary to allow for other characters to be introduced like the great PETER WELLER. These characters for the DEXTER fan, however, are a mixed bag since they help move the story along but even though they are his co-workers they are also his adversaries. I never want to get too involved in their stories because, as the second season taught us, they can become expendable.

The direction the show took with the introduction of LUMEN and the situation surrounding the BARREL GIRLS was a new type of terror that we haven’t really had to face. I understand why it was necessary but the simple shocking reality is that this type of thing may go on in our world which made it slightly difficult to endure. After you get over that shock it is very easy to see why the story had to unfold the way it did. In the third season it was very difficult to stomach JIMMY SMITS character committing the types of attrocities that DEXTER does because he didn’t live by “the Code” so he was just a psychopath. We can handle what DEXTER does because he acts out what the id feels when we learn what these people do. Unless it is to ensure his survival DEXTER doesn’t just kill someone that makes his life difficult. JORDAN CHASE and his BARREL GIRLS group gave this season two important things: something for DEXTER to focus on that involved protecting future innocent lives being taken away just like RITA and allowing someone to go down such a dark path we didn’t mind if they commited the same type of vigilante killings that DEXTER does.

In the season finale there was a season ripe with tension but for me it was also wrought with metaphor. DEXTER’s sister DEBORAH comes across the camp and the very room where DEXTER and LUMEN have dispatched the last person reponsible for her horrific ordeal. In this moment the pair are hidden by a murky sheet of plastic that divides the room. DEB can see that they are there but can’t see them completely. This moment also reflects, for me, the same way that DEB must view DEXTER. Other police officers in the Miami Metro Homicide division have been suspicious of DEXTER yet DEB never questions. She sees her brother every day but she must have a similar murky filter between her and her brother that belays any suspicions she must have. This has to be the case since at least two other detectives have had suspicions about DEXTER (speaking of which, don’t any of these cops wonder why their area attracks so many demented murderes? The Ice Truck Killer, The Bay Harbor Butcher, The Trinity Killer, Barrel Girl Killers… that’s a lot for one city isn’t it?).

The writers did a pretty good job as well of wrapping up this season in a manner that allows them a clean slate for the recently green lit sixth season. LUMEN is leaving in a non-fatal manner, one that given her story was a foregone conclusion for me the moment she and DEXTER were working together. DEXTER is still a father but has the perfect nanny and RITA’s children can conveniently be around during visits and then dispatched conveniently back to their grandparents home. After DEXTER clears QUINN of the crime that DEXTER knows he didn’t commit QUINN admits to owing DEXTER which will hopefully avoid any future suspicions of DEXTER’s “other” activities. DEXTER is once again free to just be DEXTER.

Now that I’ve said my piece on DEXTER let’s move on to the crime that is this week’s available viewing options.

MONDAY

CBS – 8:00 PM: Have you noticed yet that the only show on CBS I recommend on Monday’s is HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER? ’nuff said.

NBC – 8:00 PM: I don’t know why I can’t stop watching THE SING-OFF since it’s the exact same show as last year. There’s one group of older people,
several mediocre groups and then there’s the entertaining college kids (ON THE ROCKS) and the smaller but completely amazing ensemble that were the clear winners from day one (COMMITTED). Ah well, it’s not like anything else is really on.

ABC – 9:00 PM: From the “We don’t give a crap file” I humbly submit to you MARIAH CAREY: MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU. Let me guess, she’s got a holiday album out this year?

TUESDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: I love the PEANUTS specials (Who can forget the touching story told in IT’S FLASH BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN) but I don’t think I’ve ever seen I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!

FOX – 8:00 PM: It’s a pop-star tribute GLEE-peat double header tonight with the MADONNA and BRITNEY SPEARS episodes. I’d make a joke about this but I think the show writers already did by making them.’

NBC – 9:00 PM: It’s the live season finale of THE BIGGEST LOSER where I’m rooting for PATRICK to win. This show is such a great motivator and reminder to ea… oh look, Christmas fudge!

WEDNESDAY

NBC – 8:00 PM: OK, if you actually watched THE SING-OFF along with me then be sure to remember there’s another episode on tonight.

USA – 8:00 PM: Oh, look! ELF is on USA tonight. There’s something you don’t see happen very often.

COMEDY CENTRAL – 8:00 PM: If you missed the first ever FUTURAMA HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR then here is another chance to catch it.

DISCOVERY – 9:00 PM: In tonight’s all new MYTHBUSTERS special it’s a special GREEN HORNET edition where SETH ROGEN drops in to help bust some myth’s. Which myth are they attacking, “You’re not off ’till you cough?”

THURSDAY

ABC FAMILY – 6:00 PM: On a night full of repeats ABC FAMILY gives us the gift of PIXAR with FINDING NEMO followed by THE INCREDIBLES.

FX – 10:00 PM: It’s the IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA holiday special! Need I say more?

TBS – 10:00 PM: If it weren’t for the fact that the “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” himself, ISAIAH MUSTAFA, is hosting I’d think sitting around watching the FUNNIEST COMMERCIALS OF THE YEAR was silly. Even sillier? If you DVR this you’re going to be skipping over the commercials to get to the commercials.

FRIDAY

CBS – 8:00 PM: CBS is offering up a large helping of holiday cheer with YES, VIRGINIA followed by FROSTY THE SNOWMAN and FROSTY RETURNS.

USA – 9:00 PM: Oh, look! ELF is on USA tonight. There’s something you don’t see happen very often.

ABC – 9:00 PM: In this PRIMETIME special WHAT WOULD YOU DO? the network uses hidden cameras to see how people react when tey think no one is watching. Does putting the PRIMETIME name on it class it up enough so that we don’t know it’s a classed up version of SCARE TACTICS?

CBS – 9:30 PM: Tonight special I GET THAT A LOT as they look back at some of the highlights (I use the term loosely) from past shows and some unseen footage. Come watch again as nobody believes that it isn’t PARIS HILTON pumping their gas.

SATURDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: Need a way to distract the kids for three hours? ABC rolls out another airing of I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN! followed by MADAGASCAR.

NBC – 8:00 PM: The Peacock offers up a retread as well as they re-run the Christmas party episode of THE OFFICE.

HALLMARK – 8:00 PM: BATTLE OF THE BULBS sure feels a lot like DECK THE HALLS when DANIEL STERN and MATT FREWER get ugly trying to one up each other’s holiday decorations.

NBC – 11:30 PM: I still haven’t watched last week’s episode of SNL with PAUL RUDD but this week is a no-miss as THE DUDE himself JEFF BRIDGES hosts the weekly train wreck.

SUNDAY

ABC – 7:00 PM: ABC puts forth no programming effort whatsoever with the airing of THE SANTA CLAUSE 2 and THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE.

CBS – 8:00 PM: It’s the season finale for SURIVOR: NICARAGUA and I’ve not watched a single moment of the show.

FOX – 9:00 PM: FAMILY GUY‘s retelling of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK airs tonight to serve as a warm up to all the people that will no doubt be watching…

ADULT SWIM – 11:30 PM: I completely missed the mark in neglecting to mention the amazing VENTURE BROTHERS season finale so I am making it a point to mention the ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE III special. Nothing says Happy Holidays like stop-motion Star Wars comedy.

December 13, 2010
TV News: Anticipation

Anticipation

I’ve heard a lot of folk say that this is their favourite time of the year. They like the fact that it’s still pretty warm out, the fact that the leaves are starting to turn a little bit brown, the fact that the nights are a little bit cooler and it’s easier to sleep but it still stays bright to a pretty reasonable hour so the days still feel a little bit longer. But me, I love this time of year for a slightly different reason.

Anyone who’s been paying attention will know that San Diego Comic Con happened in the course of the last few weeks. And no matter how you feel about the ever increasing movie and media presence at this “Comic Con”, you can’t help but deny that the convention is a fantastic source of information and generator of anticipation for the TV shows and movies that will grace our screens later in the year.

Every year, Comic Con seems to mark that start of the overload of information about what we’ll be watching and reading in the year to come. In the last week or so, I’ve been eating up every morsel of information that I can get my greedy little hands on about my favourite shows. And there’s a part of me that loves the run up to the return of the shows more than the actual return itself, because this time of year holds the unspoiled promise of what has yet to come.

Comics are obviously still a huge part of what Comic Con does, but the comic book world already has a pretty well established promotion machine. Comic books are solicited at least two months ahead of their release dates. Other comic related good like statues or the forthcoming “Earth One” graphic novels are announced and hyped months ahead of the time that they’ll be realized onto the retail market for public consumption. I think that a part of the reason for this is that the world of comic books exists on a pretty long timeline as almost all of the regular titles are released on a monthly basis. TV shows live week to week and they tend to live or die on the spin of a dime so announcing too far ahead of time what’s going to be happening isn’t usually possible.

But just like Christmas there comes a time once a year when the American TV Networks pimp their shows for all they are worth, sometimes for even more than they are worth. So in that beautiful area of time in between the “media event” that Comic Con has become and the Season Premieres we get teased, we get small glimpses of what has yet to come, tacit promises are made and we build up hopes that may take twenty episodes to be fulfilled. I’ve seen trailers and read teasers and vainly tried to avoid spoilers for the shows that I love. Normally I try to avoid an overload of spoilers, but the news that we get bombarded with at this time of year tends to be general for the entirety of the next televisual year. In no particular order of chronology or importance, these are the shows that I’ve been looking forward to the most and the news that has me anticipating them all the more.

HOUSE

One of the main pieces of news that we’ve received about the new series of House is something that delights me and deeply saddens me all at the same time. We’ve been told that when House picks after the Season break, House and Cuddy will still be a couple. Think about all the shows you’ve seen where two characters who plainly love each other just can’t seem to find a way to make it happen. We’ve seen it in Star Trek: TNG with Picard and Crusher, we’ve seen it in Smallville with Clark and Lana, we’ve seen it in Firefly with Mal and Inara. Hell, we’ve even seen it with Jessica Fletcher and every gray haired guy within a thousand miles of Cabot Cove. The general wisdom is that romances don’t work for the main characters of a TV show. In fact one of the only times that I can think of a TV couple actually getting together was in the 90’s Superman show “Lois & Clark“. Despite the fact that the main focus was always supposed to be on the relationship between Lois and Clark more than Superman himself, the producers and writers of the show seemed to be unable to cope with the corner that they got painted in to by the fact that Lois and Clark got married in DC Comics’ continuity. Let’s just say that it didn’t end well. And the less we speak about “Myrtle Beach”, the better off we will all be.

But with the sixth Season of House which premieres at the end of September, I honestly believe we’ll see a relationship that can work. It won’t work because DC Comics says it has to, or because a focus group says that it should, it’ll work because five years of foundation has been written into this, because it’s what the viewers have wanted since day one, because it’s what the characters have wanted since before day one. But most of all, it’ll work because it has to.

In fact the only thing that I’ve seen about the next season that I don’t like is the fact that I’m already being presented with (sigh) “Huddy”. Mankind has done many amazing things in the past few million years. We’ve invented fire, we’ve conquered flight, and we’ve been to the stars. But for some reason we still cannot resist defining two people in a relationship with one reductive, insulting name. “Huddy” sounds like a sexist marketing device to sell Hummers to women who can’t drive.

Some casting news about the new Season also indicates that Olivia Wilde will be absent for part of the Season due to movie commitments and Jennifer Morrison’s character of Alison Cameron will be returning roughly around mid-season. And without spoiling too much….she won’t be alone.

There’s also a part of me that’s really curious as to whether or not House will be rocking a new cane this Season, and if he does, will it be as instantly identifiable as the flame cane he used in half of Season Three and through all of Season Four.

DEXTER

OK, there’s not one single person in the entire waking world who saw the close of the last Season of Dexter who isn’t frantically anticipating the start of the new Season. What intrigues me the most about the new Season is that it picks up immediately after the events of the most recent episode.

If you’ve seen the last episode of the last Season, you know exactly what events I’m talking about. But what always fascinates me about shows that pick up immediately from the previous Season is the logistical issues involved. Yeah, I’m a nerd, but just humour me on this one.

Dexter has traditionally employed a “three months later” device when going from Season to Season. This allows for the actors to get new hairstyles, get tans etc. without having to explain why the characters suddenly look different. Back in the halcyon days before SDCC, one of the first things that I heard was that Julie Benz would be appearing in the new Season and that her appearance wouldn’t be in a flashback and that it wouldn’t be as a Harry-style ghost. If I’d put any amount of thought in to it, it would have made sense that Julie Benz would be appearing as the same character in the same time frame as before. The only other scenario that I could come up with was that she might be in a video journal with the kids of some description. Hey, nobody ever said that I was a creative genius.

But what I’m most excited and terrified about in the upcoming Season is the inclusion of the fantastically talented Irish singer and actor, Maria Doyle-Kennedy. Anyone who’s ever seen The Commitments knows that Doyle-Kennedy can act rings around most anyone and has a wonderful, natural Dublin accent (yeah I’m biased here). This is the reason that I’m excited, the reason that I’m terrified is that there’s a fierce tendency to use a stereotype when portraying the Irish on TV in America. I still weep when I think of the scenes in Heroes a few years ago that were set in Cork where Peter got involved with some gangsters who were looking for their stolen OiPods.

But keep your fingers crossed that the writers and producers will keep their wits about them and let Maria do what she does best. Also, if she happens to break into a rendition of “Son of a Preacher Man”, I won’t be overly upset either.

STARGATE: UNIVERSE

There was a time when I wasn’t sure if there actually would be a second Season of Stargate: Universe Don’t misunderstand me, I loved the show right from the start, but we live in a world where Firefly can get cancelled, so it’s best not to be overly cocky about the survival of any good science fiction show.

The first piece of news that came out about the new Season is that the Season’s recurring villain is going to be played by Robert Knepper who played T-Bag in Prison Break. The character that he’ll be playing is designed to butt heads with Louis Ferreira’s Colonel Young. Though that’s not to say that things between Young and Robert Carlysle’s Doctor Rush will get smoother any time soon. We learn pretty soon into the new Season that Rush has made a pretty huge discovery relating to control of The Destiny. But Rush keeps the discovery to himself and the eventual revelation brings major conflict between the two characters and leads to a scene that runs to eleven pages. That scene won’t be happening until the seventh episode of Season Two but it’s going to be worth the wait, that much is almost guaranteed.

Before the advent of SDCC this year, there was a half-news item what was released by the producers of Universe revealing that there would be a Universe / Atlantis crossover roughly mid-way through Season Two. There was no indication at that point as to exactly what cast members from Atlantis would be appearing on Universe or even in what capacity. At SDCC, it was announced that the two guest stars would be David Hewlett and Robert Picardo. Hewlett was sort of obvious, seeing as his character is the most loved character from Atlantis and has more in-series knowledge of the technology than anyone else in the world.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

I don’t think that there’s ever been a time when I wasn’t looking forward to the next episode of How I Met your Mother. But this year, the writers and producers basically went out in front of the world’s press and admitted that they screwed up on some things in the last Season. I’ve publicly declared my love for How I Met Your Mother, and it’ll take an awful lot for me to fall out of love with the show, but I will admit that there did seem to be an absence of forward momentum in the area of finding out who the Mother is in the last Season.

The producers have stated that there will be more forward momentum in the new Season, and they’ve also gone out of their way not to confirm or deny the possibility that the Mother will be introduced at some stage and that the show will keep running after the revelation and introduction.

But for my money, the biggest and best announcement about the new Season is that there will be a new future. Not an alternate future, just a look at a different timeframe in Ted’s future. This could potentially be amazing. We might get to see Future Barney, we might get to see Future Robin and if I’m at all correct, we might get to see that Future Barney and Future Robin are a couple. We still don’t know exactly how far in to the future the new scenes are going to be, but I have a feeling that they are going to give us answers to some old questions, answers to questions we didn’t even know that we had. Mostly though, we’ll be entertained and we’ll get to see that it doesn’t matter how you tell a story, and that sometimes different parts of a story need different details.

So what shows are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? What storylines? What guest stars? Let us know!

– Simon Fitzgerald

August 20, 2010
Soapbox: America’s Serial Killing Sweetheart

Dexter Morgan: America’s Serial Killing Sweetheart

Since it’s premiere in December 2007, the hit Showtime series Dexter has been immensely popular – and immensely controversial. I have no desire to debate the merits and drawbacks of viewers identifying with or even liking a character who is, in fact, a serial killer – but I feel I must address why Dexter and his Dark Passenger are so captivating to so many.

Many of the greatest characters of all time have been evil, murderous and generally horrific people. Though they may be fascinating, Hannibal Lecter and the Wicked Witch of the West are not the most relatable characters out there, and the same holds true for most villains in popular culture. Dexter however, minus the occasional slicing and dicing of evildoers, is very relatable to anybody who has ever felt less than comfortable in society. We are all guilty of faking certain human interactions at some point or another during our lives, and Dexter’s character takes this to the utmost extreme. He’s a better faker than any of us could hope to be, because he fakes everything.

Fantastic writing is the key ingredient in the fabulous formula which is Dexter. Though the Dexter book series differs immensely from the television series (which is based solely on the first book, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, and the character Dexter himself) they are both fantastic. Since I have managed to keep this article spoiler-free in terms of the television series, I may as well keep the book spoilers out of it as well. Suffice it to say that if you liked the show, you will like the books ( I have just started the fourth novel in the series, and I promise to write a full review of the Dexter series when I am finished). But be warned: the books are a bit more unsettling than the series, in a number of ways.

A big part of Dexter’s charm also comes from Michael C Hall’s immense acting talent, which was obvious from his portrayal of David Fisher in HBO’s Six Feet Under – a faker in his own right, just in a much different context. The talent of the entire cast is not to be taken for granted, either – just look at John Lithgow’s stunning (and award winning) performance as the Trinity killer, or Jennifer Carpenter’s always amusing portrayal of Dexter’s foul mouthed sister Deb.

The next ingredient? Humor. Though upon first glance Dexter will not strike most folks as a comedic show, Dexter’s inner observations are not only quite often very humorous but also very astute. All aspects of the show are extremely well written, but Dexter’s inner observations steal the show in terms of laugh out loud moments as well as biting social commentary.

I have seen many different reactions to Dexter (and no, none of them have resulted in murder, fortunately) but the one that always surprises me is when people say that this show glamorizes or even encourages murder and vigilantism – not just folks giving a shallow read of what they think the show is about, but people who have actually watched the entire series. Yes, we all know Dexter only kills “bad guys” – but not for one second do I feel like this show has ever glamorized killing. If anything, this show illustrates just how difficult it is to successfully get away with it – especially if you look at characters other than Dexter. Dexter is never presented as anything other than an anomaly – because of Harry’s influence. Dexter would be just another killer, no different from one of his victims without the introduction of “Harry’s code” into his life.

The much anticipated 5th season of Dexter begins airing September 26, 2010 on Showcase. (Click here to view the trailer) Until then, check out the Dexter: Early Cuts Webisodes available here.

– Mary Hoffman

August 9, 2010
Weekend Shopping Guide 8/21/09: I Am Iron Man

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases – it helps to keep us going…)

Yeah, so, one of my absolute favorite Disney films I their live-action/animated hybrid musical Pete’s Dragon (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP), which has languished for years on home video in sort of a 70’s bastard child status. Thankfully, the studio has finally seen fit to give it a nice special edition treatment, giving it a behind-the-scenes featurette, a deleted storyboard sequence, demo recordings, a quartet of promotional pop recordings, and more.

This week’s Thinkgeek recommendation is a piece of cool kit that always seems to be out of stock. It’s just that popular. However long it lasts, it’s now back in stock, so run and pick up your very own Cocktail Chemistry Set ($39.99). As then name implies, this is a cocktail set containing a quartet of shot-and-swig-worthy test tubes, an Erlenmeyer flask, a shaker, a glass mixing rod, and a metal bottle rack. Because yes – mixology is a recognized science, and now you have the kit to prove it.

Seeing as how my nephews are addicted to Nickelodeon (particularly the yellow crack that is Spongebob), it’s inevitable that I’d have to see the programming on offer. One of the shows that I actually enjoy quite a bit – and believe is just as well-scripted as the sitcoms on network TV, better even – is a favorite of my 5-year-old nephew, iCarly (Nickelodeon, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). I’m sure that the Season 2, Volume 1 DVD will get plenty of plenty of play. The 2-disc set contains 11 episodes (including an extended cut of “iSaw Him First” and the feature-length “iGo To Japan”), plus a pair of featurettes.

I can’t be the only one who was completely blindsided by the announcement that the 4th season of Everybody Hates Chris (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP) would be the show’s last. A victim of a shoddy network with no vision, I was a fan of the fictionalized tales of Chris Rock’s NYC childhood, and its cast in particular. This 4-disc set contains all 22 episodes, plus audio commentaries, webisodes, featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

If you’ve ever watched the UK series Skins and thought to yourself “My teenage years were nothing like that sex party bacchanal,” then The Inbetweeners (Channel 4, Not Rated, Â£29.98 SRP) is the show for you, because its motley quartet of teens that live awkward, banal, unintentionally funny reality the majority of us experienced. It’s like a Brit Freaks & Geeks – and there’s no higher praise I can give it. The box set contains both Series 1 & 2, plus audio commentaries, documentaries, video diaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers.

Well, now that we’ve reached the 12th season of The Simpsons (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), we’re fully into the territory of seasons that were a very pale, quite sad imitation of the show’s former brilliance. The characters have now veered sharply into slapstick, sacrificing the balance of real/cartoon comedy that marked the show’s earlier high notes. Now, it’s easy jokes and an overwhelming number of them self-referential. Sad, really. Still, these sets are at least still worth picking up for the audio commentaries and featurettes that remain packed to the rafters.

It’s double-crosses, mysteries, and intrigue in The Beast (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP), which stars Patrick Swayze as FBI vet Charles Barker – a rather unorthodox expert in undercover operations who believes an internal FBI conspiracy may be afoot, who’s also saddled with a new partner who’s got an ulterior motive. I don’t believe it got a second season pick-up, which is a shame as it’s looking like it will most likely be Swayze’s swan song, and it hadn’t quite hit its stride. The 3-disc set contains all 13 episodes.

Like most modern horror remakes, the new Last House On The Left (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) tries just too damn hard for its scares, thoroughly eliminating any of the ghoulishly low-rent charm of the original for the sake of slick “gore scares” and atmosphere-less cinematography. A shame. Bonus features include a featurette and deleted scenes. A Blu-Ray edition ($39.98 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus features.

I know there are devotees who think it’s the second coming of Undeclared, but I have yet to find the appeal of Greek (ABC Family, Not Rated, DVD-$39.99 SRP). Still, there’s a fanbase out there, and they’re sure to be picking up the third season set, which contains audio commentaries, a 20 questions featurette with the cast, and a blooper reel.

So, in short, Total Drama Island (Cartoon Network, Not Rated, DVD-$34.99 SRP) is an animated parody of reality shows which finds 22 teens sent to a remote, run-down Canadian summer camp who must endure inane challenges and hope to avoid elimination if they hope to win a grand prize. Sound confusing? Well, check out the complete first season set and all will be made clear. Bonus features include the reunion special and cast interviews.

After an awkward, sometimes rudderless second season, things were largely back on track in the 3rd season of Dexter (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$42.99 SRP), as a new relationship with the Miami DA office leads to some interesting developments in Dexter’s modus operandi. The 4-disc box set contains all 12 episodes, plus interviews and the first 2 episodes of The United States Of Tara. A Blu-Ray edition ($57.99 SRP) is also available, with identical bonus material.

The second season of Gossip Girl (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) finds the East Siders in their senior year of high school, applying for colleges and spinning in hormonal circles. The 7-disc set contains all 25 episodes, plus deleted scenes, featurettes, webisodes, and a gag reel.

It’s not exactly intellectually stimulating, but using the beautiful high-definition of Blu-Ray to take aerial journeys around the world is certainly worth a look see to me, and that’s exactly what you get with both Visions Of Britain & Ireland and Visions Of Italy (Acorn, Not Rated, Blu-Ray $49.99 SRP each) – high-def aerial tours.

After her ridiculously self-confident appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, I was at least curious about Hannah Montana: The Movie (Walt Disney, Rated G, Blu-Ray-$44.99 SRP). Not curious enough to go see it, mind you – I’m not its audience, and everything I’ve seen of the show has been awkwardly written. Still, there are Hannah/Miley fans aplenty who will snap up the 3-disc Blu-Ray set, which contains an audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and bloopers, as well as a standard DVD copy of the flick.

You may remember that I heaped heavy praise upon Hot Toys’ Iron Man Mark III a few weeks back, as I was utterly delighted by its movie-perfect sculpting and snazzy light-up features. Well, it may be hard to believe, but I think I like the Hot Toys 12″ Iron Man Mark II ($159.99) even more. While the sculpt is nearly identical (save for the addition of the rivets), the faux-polished metal paint job is a wonder to behold – it really does capture the look to a “t”. The light feature is identical as well, featuring LED-lit eyes, chest, and repulsors. There’s also a swappable head featuring the in-helmet likeness of Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark. In the pics below, you’ll also notice the inclusion of the LED “trophy” heart, which is also screen accurate. Really, you need to head over to Sideshow and get this before you regret missing it.

So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…

-Ken Plume

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August 21, 2009
Weekend Shopping Guide 8/22/08: Snuff Times

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

See, I remember watching Daily Show correspondent John Oliver on UK shows like Mock The Week long before he crossed the pond to take up residence on US TV. With that in mind, I was delighted when Comedy Central decided to give him a stand up spotlight with John Oliver: Terrifying Times (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.99 SRP), which hits DVD in an extended/uncensored edition replete with bonus features galore. Snag yourself a copy and see why I like Brit comedians so much.

I love a good gadget. We all do. What better gadget is there for the average geek than one that potentially makes you look absurd when its in use? Such is the case with the Helmet Camera ($99.99) – a cordless, battery-powered, waterproof, and mountable camera that allows you to look like a giddy moron while running around with a camera strapped to your head. The camera can be upgrades from 32mb onboard flash memory to 2gb with the purchase of an SD card, which means 60 minutes worth of decent quality video of you doing… stuff. It’s fun!

If you thought that Mr. Show was an endearingly bizarre collection of surreality in sketch form, then – like me – you will revel in (and laugh at) Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher’s Snuff Box (BBC/2 Entertain, Not Rated, Region 2 DVD-Â£15.99 SRP). Yes, you will laugh – even if occasionally that laughter takes the form of a gurgling sputter of disbelief at Berry & Fulcher’s… unique sensibilities as a pair of bickering hangmen. Bonus materials include audio commentaries, a behind-the-scenes featurette, outtakes, and the show’s fantastic soundtrack, by Berry.

My only real disappointment with the Blu-Ray arrival of the uneven-but-still better-than The Batman first season of the animated Justice League (Warner Bros., Not Rated, Blu-Ray-$59.98 SRP) is that they yet again chose to present the made-for-widescreen episodes in their full frame format, without the alternative available. Still, you get all 26 episodes across 3 discs, plus a trio of audio commentaries, featurettes, a never-before-seen promo, and a music video. I hope we get the even more superior 2nd and 3rd seasons post haste.

After far too long an absence – and numerous health problems – Dana Carvey has returned with a brand new stand-up special – his first in almost 12 years – Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP). Not only is he looking hale and hearty, but he’s managed to do what few comics can do after so long an absence – come back with a funny act. The special delivers, and here’s hoping his next one comes a little faster. The 2-disc set features additional footage, a Q&A, and his 1995 HBO special Critics’ Choice.

Showtime’s loveable sociopath returns for a second season, and I have to agree with most of the fans – there was something off about season 2 of Dexter (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). The tone just didn’t seem as deft as its inaugural run – but maybe that was because the new car smell began to wear off. I will say that this season ratcheted tension nicely, as the FBI began investigating the murders of his victims, while he began having some self-doubts. The 4-disc set features all 12 episodes, plus interviews and sampler episodes from other Showtime series.

Get a healthy reminder of what to avoid this election season by picking up the extended “Election Year Edition” of Oliver Stone’s flawed-but-riveting Nixon (Hollywood Pictures, Rated R, DVD-$29.98 SRP), a complicated man brought to complicated life by Anthony Hopkins. The 2-disc set features an all-new documentary, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, a Charlie Rose interview with Stone, and the theatrical trailers.

Why is it that we get bucketfuls of tripe on TV here in the US, but the UK gets a wonderfully quirky rom-sit-com like Gavin & Stacey (BBC/2 Entertain, Not Rated, Region 2 DVD-Â£19.99 SRP)? Gavin & Stacey are a pair of twenty-somethings who have been talking with each other for months while at work – in different offices. You see, they’ve never met face-to-face. It’s when they do that we pick up their story, as we see their relationship develop through the eyes of their friends and family – including Rob Brydon and James Cordon. It truly is a little joy, and is worth importing. Bonus features include audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and outtakes.

If only more lawyers were like Perry Mason and less like they actually are, the world would probably be a better place. Judge for yourself with the first volume of Perry Mason‘s third season (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99 SRP). The 3-disc set features 12 episodes of just jurisprudence.

It’s 8 years later, and time and perspective make Recount (HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP) – and its dramatization of the events surrounding the Florida recount and the battle for the Presidency – a startling portrait of a political system gone wrong. Watch it and draw your own conclusions. Bonus features include an audio commentary, conversations between the actors and the men they portrayed, and an additional inside story of the 2000 election.

A new Fletch film seems permanently grounded, but both of the original Chevy Chase-starring vehicles starring Gregory McDonald’s investigative reporter – Fletch and Fletch Lives – are now available in The Fletch Collection (Universal, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98 SRP). Bonus features include a trio of featurettes, plus the theatrical trailers.

Tweenie heads will combust with excitement as a pair of Disney flicks hit DVD – the big screen Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best Of Both Worlds Concert (Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$34.99 SRP) and the Disney Channel’s Camp Rock (Walt Disney, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP). Both discs sport a clutch of bonus materials, including behind-the-scenes featurettes and bonus songs.

The doctor is back with a bunch of bizarre, incredibly rare maladies and the increasingly tedious grumpy manner in the fourth season of House (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). The best thing about the fourth season is probably the addition of Kal Penn to the cast, as yet another new hospital staffer. The 4-disc box set features all 16 episodes, plus an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and interviews.

I’m all well and good with the Terminator franchise – I consider the first two films classics – but I found 3 to be a mediocre money grab and I simply can’t get into Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP)… even though it pretends the events of Terminator 3 never happened, gives us yet another John Connor, and a Terminator played by Summer Glau. The 3-disc set features all 9 first season episodes, plus a trio of audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, audition tapes, unaired scenes, rehearsal footage, a gag reel, and more.

Yeah, that whole Gossip Girl (Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP) thing? Complete passes me by. I’m sure it’s just some younger-skewing replacement for Sex And The City. Regardless, the complete first season is now on DVD in a 5-disc set with all 18 episodes, plus unaired scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, music videos, a gag reel, and more.

Like a delightful throwback to smallish, enjoyable flicks of the 40’s and 50’s, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP) stars Frances McDormand as the titular Miss, who decides to jump into the deep end and becomes the “social secretary” to a glamorous singer/movie star Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams) – and turns her whole humdrum life upside down in the process. Bonus materials include behind-the-scenes featurettes and deleted scenes.

What started out as a promising show has become largely forgettable with the third season of Prison Break (Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.98 SRP), as we get Michael Scofield trapped in a Panamanian prison, his brother plotting his rescue, more conspiracy layered in, and plot twists that just make you go “eh”, I can only hope the 4th season course-corrects. The 4-disc set features all 13 episodes, plus behind-the-scenes featurettes.

You know, it’s the ninth season of Married With Children (Sony, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP) – you pretty much know what to expect. This season does, however, feature a wonderful guest appearance from the late Wolfman Jack, so that’s something. The 3-disc set features all 28 episodes of Bundy goodness.

Not since the feature film itself have I seen something so horribly, awkwardly designed as the new Transformers: Animated series (Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP). Honestly, the design sensibility is the visual equivalent of tone deaf. I’d suggest avoiding this mess and revisiting the original 80’s series. The 2-disc box set features all 16 first season episodes.

Raise your hands, anyone who voiced – or even felt – a desire for a sequel to The Scorpion King. You will now be shot. Yes, there is now Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior (Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.98 SRP). Yeah. Bonus features include a featurette, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and more.

So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…

-Ken Plume

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August 22, 2008