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That Time of The Week – DVD & Blu-ray Reviews From 1/21/14

This week we’ve got an Oscar nominees, a handful of films best seen at midnight and some classic television series among other releases.

Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart.  It’s that time of the week!

Captain Phillips 

Sony / Released 1/21/14

Captain Phillips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. Based on a true story, the film focuses on the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two-time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks, Best Actor, 1993, Philadelphia; Best Actor, 1994, Forrest Gump), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. The two men are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips’ unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control. Extras include commentary and featurettes.

Last Word: With deft direction by Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips takes this true story and turns it into an intense, enthralling thriller. With a cast led by Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips features some of the best acting of the year. The film excels at portraying the Somali pirates as genuine human beings as opposed to stock characters. As the film progresses and the intensity builds, Hanks gives Phillips a quiet strength that carries the film through it’s exhausting tension. Highly recommended.

Machete Kills

Universal / Released 1/21/14

Danny Trejo returns as legendary ex-Federale Machete Cortez in this action-packed thrill ride from innovative director Robert Rodriguez. In his latest mission, Machete is recruited by the U.S. President (Carlos Estevez) to stop a crazed global terrorist (Mel Gibson) from starting a nuclear war. With a bounty on his head, Machete breaks all the rules as he faces death at every turn from a star-studded cast of deadly assassins. Featuring Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Demian Bichir, Machete Kills is one of the wildest save-the-world adventures ever captured on film! Extras include making of and deleted/extended scenes.

Last Word:  Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) is back, baby and with a blade to kill for in the most ridiculous movie you can strap on this fall.  An all-star cast includes Charlie Sheen somehow referencing his Dad’s stint on The West Wing as the President.  The ‘Winning’ actor is all Tiger Blood and more in the role with self referential zeal, billed as “Carlos Estevez.”

Trejo steals the romp with a steely glance, and iron constitution. An action comedy like no other, the second film in the Machete franchise might not be worth a special trip to the theatre, but as a matinee or a RedBox rental, you really can’t go wrong. This has just about everything: girls, guts, helicopters, speed boats, explosions, strap-on weapons and a hero that only needs one weapon — his name!  Robert Rodriguez starts off the film with a Barbarella/Moonraker mock commercial preview for what has been announced as the next film in the franchise, Machete Kills Again … In Space. We’re a few years away from that, but after nailing movie two with this earthbound Mexican/American conflict we might be ready for his take on 70s space camp.

The players are in place, partner Luz (Michele Rodriguez) is just as alive and tough to kill as Machete at the end of this film, though the result of the bloody military vs. cartel shootout at the beginning of the movie might make you think differently.  Machete Kills opens on the Arizona / Mexico border, where a giant wall has been constructed to curb immigration.  Our hero survives a hanging and is granted a Presidential pardon after the aforementioned shootout. President Rathcock (Sheen) teams up Machete with secret agent Miss San Antonio (Amber Heard) to “Go Kick Some Ass” south of the border, targeting the split personality Mendez (Demián Bichir).

Mendez has a rocket aimed at the U.S., and only Machete with his new tri-blade namesake weapon can stop him.  Along the way of course are many twists and challengers such as Chameleon (Cuba Gooding Jr.), rocket scientist Luthor Voz (Mel Gibson), and the fully weaponized Madame Desdemona (Sofía Vergara).

When attention goes from Mendez to the mastermind Voz as the main foil, we’re brought to a futuristic lab with space blasters, space machetes, and Gibson’s character showing his Star Wars fanboy colors by driving around in a Landspeeder golf cart as he attempts to woo Machete to the Dark Side.  The third act shows the return of Luz with a vengeance with an underground Network at her disposal as the team goes after Voz — no holds barred.  Rodriguez has given us an hilarious self referential parody of the action movie genre not seen since the first in the series, and before that perhaps only 2008’s Tropic Thunder can compare.

Like collaborator Tarantino’s tributes to certain genres, this movie takes the ridiculousness of 1980s gems Zucker and Abrahams movies Airplane! and Top Secret, and combines this with purposely bad CGI, head rolls, explosions and oh so much blood splatter.

Subtitles and onscreen text overlays punctuate the film much like the ‘Hugo Stiglitz’ shout out title in Inglourious Basterds.  Machete Kills is certainly worth a chance, even if only curious as to what Gibson and Sheen are up to these days. Looks like anything can become a franchise these days, so check out the sequel to the movie based on a fake trailer!  If there are any remaining questions about Danny Trejo as Machete kicking ass, I’m sure a face to face meeting can be arranged! (– Clay N Ferno)

In a World

Sony / Release 1/21/14

Speak up and let your voice be heard.  In this hilarious and idiosyncratic comedy, Carol (Lake Bell, No Strings Attached) is an underachieving voice coach living in the shadow of her egotistical father Sam (Fred Melamed, A Serious Man), the undisputed king of voice-over industry. When Sam kicks her out, Carol lands her first voice-over job with the help of charming sound engineer Louis (Demetri Martin, Important Things With Demetri Martin).

As romantic sparks being to fly, Carol finds herself facing a momentous decision when continued job offers put her in head to head competition with her dad. The hilarious ensemble supporting cast includes Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman and Tig Notaro with cameos by Eva Longoria and Geena Davis. Extras include commentary, alternate opening, deleted scenes, trailers and gag reel.

Last Word: Lake Bell’s look at the world of the voice-over industry, is a fairly entertaining first film. Bell, who also wrote the film, succeeds more in her observations than in her skills as a visual storyteller. Part of the problem is the film’s tone, which is fairly inconsistent and toes the line between comedy and drama. She handles both areas well, but it’s the amalgamation where the film stutters. On the drama side, you’ve got family dysfunction, gender bias, infidelity and personal identity. With comedy, you have the voice-over industry in general, which Bell pushes as much humor from it as possible. Performances range from subtle to broad, with some really nice work by Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry and Michaela Watkins and some more cartoonish performances from Ken Marino, Fred Melamed and Stephanie Allynne. If nothing else, In a World is entertaining and an impressive enough debut that I’m curious to see where Bell, the filmmaker goes next. Recommended.

Charlie Countryman

Millennium / Released 1/21/14

When his late mother appears in a vision and tells him to go to Bucharest, Charlie immediately boards a plane across the Atlantic. A chance encounter with an ailing passenger leads Charlie to Gabi a Romanian beauty, changing the course of his entire trip. As he falls head-over-heels in love with Gabi, he realizes that her dark past is riddled with dangerous baggage: namely her gangster ex-husband who has no intention of letting Gabi go. Determined to protect her, Charlie enters into a hallucinatory underworld filled with violence and, strangely enough, love. Extras include behind the scenes and deleted scenes.

Last Word: A mess of a movie, wasting a talented cast that includes Evan Rachel Wood, Mads Mikkelsen, Rupert Grint, Melissa Leo, Til Schweiger, John Hurt, Vincent D’Onofrio and Aubrey Plaza. The film stars Shia LaBeouf. Pretentious, noisy and lifeless, you’d be wise to avoid. Skip it.

Crossing Lines

Lionsgate / Released 1/21/14

Set in exciting and exotic locations, Crossing Lines taps into the charter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to mandate a special crime unit to investigate serialized crimes that cross over borders, hunt down criminals and bring them to justice… a global FBI is born.

Crossing Lines stars William Fichtner (Prison Break) as Carl Hickman, a wounded New York cop, pulled from the edge by a group of unlikely saviors, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) as Michel Dorn, an inspector in the International Criminal Court, and Marc Lavoine (The Good Thief) as Louis Daniel, the head of an elite cross-border police unit charged with hunting down the world’s most brutal criminals. Extras include featurette.

Last Word: A pretty entertaining, albeit short lived procedural series that features an impressive ensemble and some fantastic cinematography. It’s mindless entertainment in the best way possible. Recommended.

Bad Milo!

Magnolia / Released 1/21/14

Embrace your inner demon. Duncan’s (Ken Marino) mounting stress starts to trigger an insufferable gastrointestinal reaction. Out of ideas and at the end of his rope, Duncan seeks the help of a hypnotherapist, who helps him discover the root of his unusual stomach pain: a pint-sized demon living in his intestine that, triggered by excessive anxiety, forces its way out and slaughters the people who have caused Duncan stress.

Out of fear that his intestinal gremlin may target its wrath on the wrong person, Duncan attempts to befriend it, naming it Milo and indulging it to keep its seemingly insatiable appetite at bay.  Extras include extended and deleted scenes, outtakes, commentary, featurettes, interview and trailer.

Last Word: I like the cast (which includes Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Peter Stormare Stephen Root, Patrick Warburton and Mary Kay Place), but what’s frustrating is the film feels like it’s trying to hard to be a “cult classic.” Unlike the early work of Peter Jackson or Sam Raimi, director Jacob Vaughn never really hits the necessary level of Splat-stick. Mildly recommended.

NYPD Blue: Season Five

Shout! Factory / Released 1/21/14

The groundbreaking and award winning cop series returns with more gritty drama and frenzied New York City action at the 15th precinct.  Season five finds Sipowitz (Dennis Franz) and Simone (Jimmy Smits) dealing with the aftermath of the Joey Salvo Homicide, setting up a rape sting, on the trail of a stripper killer and investigating a murderous home invasion. Meanwhile Medavoy (Gordon Clapp), Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) and Russell (Kim Delaney) uncover a body snatching ring, investigate the murder of a rock n roll manager and look for a man suspected of robbing taxis.  Created by Emmy award winner Steven Bochco (L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues) and David Milch (Deadwood), NYPD Blue tackles cases ripped form the headlines, capturing the tumultuous and unpredictable nature of New York City crime.

Best Man Down

Magnolia / Released 1/21/14

Just when you think you know someone… When their obnoxious and over-served best man, Lumpy (Tyler Labine) unexpectedly dies at their destination wedding in Phoenix, bride and groom Kristin (Jess Weixler) and Scott (Justin Long) are forced to cancel their honeymoon and fly home to the snowy Midwest to arrange for his funeral. But getting Lumpy’s body back to Minneapolis is just the start of their adventure, as the well-intended sacrifice surprises at every turn. And when the newlyweds’ path leads them to a fifteen year-old girl, Ramsey (Addison Timlin) in a small, northern Minnesota town – all bets are off on who Lumpy really was. Extras include outtakes, interviews, featurette and trailer.

Last Word: An awkward film that suffers from too many plot devices; a sudden death of a friend that it turns out lived a very different life than what you were aware of, a coming of age film and ultimately, enlightenment. But, it just doesn’t work. Revelations of Lumpy’s past occur very matter of fact and the coincidence that follows the characters on their journey and the ultimate fate of Ramsey is a bit preposterous.  Mildly recommended.

Freezer

Anchor Bay / Released 1/21/14

Dylan McDermott of Hostages and American Horror Story stars as Robert Saunders, a New York City mechanic who is knocked unconscious at his birthday dinner and wakes up to find himself locked inside the restaurant’s walk-in freezer. But why he’s there – and how he’ll survive – will reveal a chilling nightmare of mistaken identity, the Russian mob, a missing $8 million, and a wounded cop (Peter Facinelli of The Twilight Saga) who may hold the key it all. The temperature is dropping. The fear is growing. And for a man caught between frozen death and vicious thugs, what happens next may lead to the most cold-blooded twist of all.

The Prey

Cohen Media Group / Released 1/21/14

Franck Adrien (Albert Dupontel), a bank robber convicted of a heist and sentenced to six months in prison, shares a cell with seemingly weak Jean Louis Morel. But once Morel gets released from behind bars, Adrien learns that Morel is really a sadistic serial killer who now knows private details about Adrien’s life. Adrien must break out of prison and catch Morel before he gets to Adrien’s family…and before France’s elite police detectives hunt Adrien down.

Last Word: Avoiding spoilers, The Prey provides nothing new or innovative, but there’s a palpable energy that makes the film an extremely entertaining and exciting moviewatchng experience. Combining several tropes from the best thrillers (a detective going with his gut, mistaken identity, a man on the run, and a family who’s life hangs in the balance), The Prey grabs you from the opening minutes and doesn’t let go. Great performances, some well choreographed sequences and a solid white knuckle-inducing execution makes this a solid and easy recommendation.

Instructions Not Included 

Lionsgate / Released 1/21/14

Life doesn’t care if you’re ready. Notorious casanova Valentin Bravo leads a happy life of philandering and bed-hopping in Acapulco – until a former fling leaves a baby on his doorstep and disappears without a trace. Valentin heads to Hollywood to reunite the baby with her mother, only to come across a new lucrative career as a stuntman, as well as a new home for him and his daughter, Maggie. As Valentin raises the young girl, he’s forced to do some growing up of his own. Valentin and Maggie become inseparable friends – until one day the girl’s birth mother reappears, turning Valentin into a one-man army to protect his unique family’s happiness. Extras include commentary.

Last Word: Overlong, and a bit of a mish-mash of previously released films (Three Men and a Baby, Kramer Vs. Kramer), Instructions Not Included suffers from an inconsistent tone (is it a comedy?  A drama?), and a performance from director/co-writer/co-producer/star Eugenio Derbez, who’s lack of subtlety is on par of perpetual mugging actor Roberto Benigni. Worth a watch, but similar films have told the same story, but better.

Cat People 

Shout! Factory / Released 1/12/14

An erotic fantasy about the animal in us all.  A remake of the 1942 Jacques Tourneur horror/noir classic, Cat People stars Nastassia Kinski as Irena, a beautiful young woman who discovers love for the first time, only to find that the experience brings tragic consequences. The tremendous passion of this girl’s first romantic love is so strong, however, it bypasses the chaos around her – including the extraordinary demands of her brother (Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange) – as it pushes her on to her own bizarre destiny. Written and directed by Paul Schrader (Hardcore, American Gigolo, Affliction), this erotic fantasy about the passion and terror surrounding this first love also stars John Heard (C.H.U.D.), Annette O’Toole (48 Hrs.), Ruby Dee (Do The Right Thing) and Lynn Lowry (They Came From Within). Extras include new interviews, gallery and trailer.

Raise The Titanic

Shout! Factory / Released 1/12/14

Once they said God himself couldn’t sink her. Now they say no man on Earth could raise her.  Join the underwater race to salvage the Titanic and its vital defense cargo. Adapted from Clive Cussler’s international best-seller, the story follows the exploits of American special agent Dirk Pitt as he sets out to recover vital material from the Titanic which could make the US impregnable to atomic attack. The ship is down too deep for divers and the only solution is to raise it. The incredible project must be managed in absolute secrecy because of deadly interference from a rival nation. The Titanic is finally, and majestically, brought to the surface – but the vital, rare mineral is missing…

A breathtaking adventure from beginning to end, Raise The Titanic stars Jason Robards (Once Upon A Time In The West), Richard Jordan (Dune), David Selby (Dark Shadows), Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction) and Alec Guiness (Lawrence Of Arabia). Extras include making of and trailer.

Good Times Seasons 1 & 2 

Mill Creek / Released 1/21/14

The Good Times are back! Relive the ’70s sitcom smash from producer Norman Lear and executive producer Bud Yorkin. A spin-off of Maude, which was itself a spin-off of All In The Family, Good Times first aired in February 1974 and viewers of all races and ages instantly connected with the Evans family.  Money was scarce, but laughs and love were abundant for Florida (Esther Rolle), her hard-working husband James (John Amos), and their three kids living in the projects of South Side Chicago. From the outrageous antics of budding artist J.J., to the romantic dramas of sister Thelma and pint-sized Michael’s activist causes, these parents had their hands full. Adding to the fun was next-door neighbor, sassy divorcee Willona, who would later in the series adopt a young daughter, Penny, played by superstar Janet Jackson! Tackling topical, sometimes even controversial, subject matter with wit and sensitivity, Good Times was a breakthrough series in many ways. Now you can revive your inner jive with this “Dy-No-Mite” 3 DVD collection!

Last Word: A seminal Seventies sitcom, Good Times Seasons 1 & 2 is a tremendously entertaining trip down memory lane. The first two seasons feature such familiar faces as William Christopher, Carl Weathers, Hal Williams, Charlotte Rae, Ron Glass, Austin Pendleton, Louis Gossett Jr., Philip Michael Thomas and Roscoe Lee Browne. Good Times was a realistic look at the struggles of urban America presented with a fair amount of social criticism and commentary by the brilliant Norman Lear. Highest recommendation.

My Little Pony: Classic Movie Collection

Shout! Factory / Released 1/12/14

The My Little Pony adventures you grew up with are back in this collection of four timeless classic tales of Pony-rific fun! Join your favorite Ponies, including Wysteria, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Minty, and even Spike the Dragon for four outrageous tales guaranteed to make your heart swell and teach you the true meaning and value of friendship and teamwork! Films included are Princess Promenade, Dancing In The Clouds, Runaway Rainbow and Friends Are Never Far Away.

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy

Image Entertainment / Released 1/21/14

Murderer. Dream Demon. The bastard son of a hundred maniacs. Any way you slice it, there can only be one man – one monster – who epitomizes those words: Freddy Krueger. For decades, he has slashed his way through the dreams of countless youngsters and shows no signs of ever resting in peace. A Nightmare on Elm Street star Heather Langenkamp is your dream guide in this thrilling “shockumentary” that takes you deeper into Freddy’s realm than ever before, featuring exciting clips, never-before-seen photos, behind-the-scenes footage, conceptual art, publicity materials and exclusive new interviews with over 100 key cast and crew from every Nightmare, including Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Jack Sholder, Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Chuck Russell, Jennifer Rubin, Renny Harlin, Lisa Wilcox, Tuesday Knight, Stephen Hopkins, Kelly Jo Minter, Rachel Talalay, Lisa Zane, Alice Cooper, Patrick Lussier, Miko Hughes, Monica Keena, Brendan Fletcher, Ronny Yu and many more. So get ready for Freddy in the definitive account of modern cinema’s eternal bogeyman and what has been called the most frightening and imaginative horror franchise in motion picture history. Extras include extended interviews, First Look: Heather Langenkamp’s “I Am Nancy”, For the Love of the Glove, Fred Heads: The Ultimate Freddy Fans, Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: Return to Elm Street, Freddy vs. The Angry Video Game Nerd, Expanding the Video Game Universe: Freddy in Comic Books and Novels, The Music of the Nightmare: Conversations with Composers and Songwriter, Elm Street’s Poster Boy: The Art of Matthew Joseph Peak, A Nightmare on Elm Street in 10 Minutes and teaser trailer.

Comedy Bang Bang: Season 1

Anchor Bay / Released 1/21/14

Created, written by and starring Scott Aukerman (co-creator/director/producer, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis; writer/performer, Mr. Show) and based on Scott’s popular podcast of the same name, Comedy Bang! Bang! infuses celebrity appearances and comedy sketches with a tinge of the surreal. In each episode, Aukerman engages his guests with unfiltered and improvisational lines of questioning, punctuated by banter and beats provided by his bandleader, one-man musical mastermind Reggie Watts (Conan). Packed with character cameos, filmic shorts, sketches and games set amongst an off-beat world, Comedy Bang! Bang! delivers thirty minutes of absurd laugh-loaded fun. Extras include audio commentaries featuring characters from the show, deleted scenes, full-length alternate celebrity interviews, insult supercut from The Assassin, ultimate teaser trailer, alternate title sequence, supercut of Reggie Watts commercial intros/outros, director Ben Berman’s test shoots for special effects and IFC promos.

Bullet In The Face: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory / Released 1/21/14

Violent criminal Gunter Vogler (Max E. Williams) is a sociopath. He hates everyone and everything. When a bloody jewelry store robbery goes awry and he is shot by his accomplice and girlfriend, Martine (Kate Kelton), he eventually wakes up in a hospital having received a face transplant. Gunter now has the face of a police officer he had killed earlier and as payback, the police tell him he now has to work for them and fight crime.

With old friends becoming his new foes and enemies turning into allies, Gunter suffers an identity crisis that has him seeking revenge against the entire human race. Law enforcement thought that with Gunter in their ranks, they were fighting fire with fire, but instead, Gunter is scorching the Earth. He is a one-man wrecking crew, a raging inferno carrying a police badge. He’s also a man on a mission to reunite with the woman he loves, Martine, who gave him the ultimate parting shot…a “Bullet in the Face.”

Co-starring Eddie Izzard as Tannhauser, an agoraphobic criminal with a flair for the dramatic, and Eric Roberts as Racken, an old school, low-class mob boss with a complete disregard for human life, Bullet In The Face is a gruesome satire much darker then creator Alan Spencer’s previous series Sledgehammer. Extras include commentary.

Last Word: This ridiculously entertaining series deserving of a cult audience finally arrives in it’s entirety on DVD and is a must see. Featuring over the top violence, black humor and memorable characters, the only criticism of Bullet in The Face is that it ends just as it gets started. Highest recommendation.

The Cosby Show Seasons 1 & 2 

Mill Creek / Released 1/21/14

Season’s One & Two of this wildly popular TV series is paired together to form one amazing collection. Relive all your favorite moments from the show that TV Guide says “almost single-handedly revived the sitcom”. The Cosby Show regularly appears in lists of the greatest shows of all time, yet it remains as vibrant today as one of Cliff’s Huxtable’s sweaters!

From their brownstone in Brooklyn, Cliff and Clair Huxtable watched over their family with style, wit and wisdom, not to mention a whole lot of laughs. The values they represented clearly struck a nerve with the public as the show was an instant success – never out of the top 20 in the ratings, and one of only two shows to hold TV’s #1 spot for five years in a row.

Last Word: The two best season’s of the series that brought back the sitcom. Among the guest stars are Roscoe Lee Browne, Sonia Braga, Stevie Wonder, Danny Kaye, Stacey Dash, Mario Van Peebles, Robin Givens, Blair Underwood, Lena Horne, Clarence Williams III, Tony Orlando, Angela Bassett, Alicia Keys, Terry Farrell, Iman, and Dizzy Gillespie. The Cosby Show still resonates today as one of television’s best family sitcoms with fantastic writing and inimitable characters such as Cliff, Clair, Theo, Denise, Sonia, Rudy, Vanessa, Cockroach, Peter, Elvin and more.

Bewitched Seasons 1 & 2 

Mill Creek / Released 1/21/14

Elizabeth Montgomery stars as Samantha Stephens, a pretty, typical America housewife who just happens to be a witch in this beloved comedy classic! This magical 6 DVD collection includes the Emmy® Award-winning first & second seasons in their entirety. These were the first 74 episodes that introduced one of the funniest ensemble casts in TV History and enchanted viewers with a hysterically look at the lifestyles of the witch and famous!

Join Dick York as Samantha’s mortal husband Darrin, Agnes Moorehead as his witch of a mother-in-law Endora, Alice Pearce as nosey neighbor Gladys Kravitz, George Tobias as her oblivious husband Abner, Marion Lorne as dotty Aunt Clara and Paul Lynde as Samantha’s Uncle Arthur along with other 60’s pop icons Adam West, Raquel Welch, Peggy Lipton and Arte Johnson as they brew up hours of sidesplitting laughter and fun!

Last Word: Elizabeth Montgomery has never looked so beautiful (and in stunning black and white), these first two seasons include a staggering 74 episodes (even today a season at most usually consists of 22 episodes) and holds up as one of the most charming series of the sixties. Familiar faces include Jack Warden, June Lockhart, Shelley Berman, Raquel Welch, Bill Mumy, Adam West, Peggy Lipton, Vic Tayback, Jack Weston, Richard Dreyfuss, Eve Arden, Alice Ghostley,Paul Lynde, James Doohan and Maureen McCormick. Highly recommended.

Just Shoot Me! Seasons 1 & 2

Mill Creek / Released 1/21/14

Just Shoot Me! seasons one and two delivers all 31 hilarious episodes from this long-reigning fixture (1997-2003) of NBC’s classic comedy lineup. Nominated for six Emmy Awards and five Golden Globes (including Best Comedy), this acclaimed ensemble comedy spanned the hilarious gamut from catwalk to casting couch. Set in the bustling editorial offices of fashion magazine “Blush”, Just Shoot Me! chronicles the daily grind of the magazine’s quirky staff, serving up all the laughter that’s fit to print!

Last Word: David Spade left Saturday Night Live and wisely joined an ensemble series rather than become the focus of a sitcom of his own. Just Shoot Me! featured a great cast (which included George Segal, Wendy Malick, Enrico Colantoni and Laura San Giacomo), some truly unique characters and extremely strong writing. Never a massive hit, Just Shoot Me! holds up surprisingly well. Guest stars in the first two seasons included Emily Procter, Tom Kenny, Crystal Bernard, Jay Leno, Leslie Bibb, Kristanna Loken, Kevin Weisman, Cheri Oteri, Carmen Electra, Amber Smith, Lisa Edelstein, Ali Larter, Tom Poston, Megan Mullally, Michael McDonald, Dana Carvey, and Jessica Walter. Underappreciated, this DVD set is a must have and is highly recommended.

Married With Children: Seasons 1 & 2 

Mill Creek / Released 1/21/14

Al and Peggy Bundy Have an Equal Partnership in Marriage: Everyone Suffers! The less-than-lovable Bundys are a radical departure from the sweet TV families popular since the days of Father Knows Best. With offbeat humor and unflinching honesty, this series paints a more realistic picture of middle-class existence, warts and all. Al Bundy (Ed O’Neill) is a shoe salesman who is fond of frequently reliving his doubtful 15 seconds of fame on the football field. Al is terrified of the all-too-frequent amorous advances of his ditsy wife Peggy (Katey Sagal), who spends most of Al’s wages at the salon and the mall. They have two teenage kids: stunning but superficial party animal Kelly (Christina Applegate) and egocentric Bud (David Faustino). Married for 16 semi-blissful years, Peggy and Al have found that the secret to a happy marriage is to accept one another’s idiosyncrasies.

Last Word: This new release features both the complete episodes and has the original theme song attached, which is a pleasant new addition from the earlier release. These two seasons, set up the long running show and put the new Fox network on the map. The episodes included feature such guest stars as Garrett Morris, Estelle Harris, Jerry Hall, Giovanni Ribisi. These first two seasons are some of the weakest in the series, but they do establish much of what was to become one of the most popular cult series at the time and a fantastic artifact of the nineties as well. Recommended.

12 Disasters

Anchor Bay / Released 1/7/14

It’s Christmas season in the mountain village of Calvary, but merry and bright have suddenly fled town: There are mass bird deaths. Blood red water running from faucets. Grandmas impaled by humongous flying icicles. And for 18-year-old Jacey (Magda Apanowicz of Continuum), a newly discovered gift has led her and her dad (Ed Quinn of Eureka) to the revelation that a beloved holiday carol may hold the key to a yuletide Mayan apocalypse. Can their desperate search for five golden rings now stop a global cataclysm of tornados, volcanoes and killer twinkle lights? Holly Elissa (Ice Quake), Roark Critchlow (Pretty Little Liars), Andrew Airlie (Reaper), Ryan Grantham (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Donnelly Rhodes (Battlestar Gallactica) co-star in this hit Syfy Movie that delivers the ultimate countdown of Xmas mayhem! 

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